Customer testimonials, in any form, are valuable assets in marketing. Whether it’s a Tripadvisor rating, a Facebook review or even a tweet, the success of a business can depend heavily through word of mouth.
But there’s one form of social proof that is proving a worthy investment – video testimonials. 80% of consumers prefer watching product reviews over videos of experts, so why not go with a success story? Video testimonials can humanise an online business, connecting you with your customers on a personal level. And in this post-truth era, a video of a customer talking passionately about your business is arguably more credible and trustworthy than any other type of interviewee. Here are five tips to help you get started with video testimonials:
Create video case studies
When tech company 9 Spokes wanted to attract new customers to sign up to their data dashboard service, Skylark Media created a series of case studies based around one single customer. In this video, Gigride founder Oscar Simon talks about how he uses the service, highlighting its user-friendly interface.
Feature multiple customers in case studies
When Ecosurety launched its Circularety service, they wanted a promotional video to outline the benefits of the service. To strengthen its offering, they enlisted the help of not one, but several happy customers including Innocent Drinks and Alupro.
Enlist micro influencers
Potential customers are more likely to believe one of their peers than they are to believe you. Working with micro-influencers (audience size of between 10,000 and 100,000) or even hyperlocal influencers can prove effective. What they lack in all-star reach, they make up in engagement and conversion through a more specific and niche audience. For its launch into the New Zealand market, HelloFresh took this one step further with a bold move, plucking a regular guy from obscurity and making him the face of the brand.
Testimonial tags and playlists
Be bold – ditch client logos and testimonial quotes. Instead, add a ‘testimonial’ tab to your homepage to take prospects straight to a landing page of video testimonials. If you have a YouTube channel, curate a community video playlist of customer success stories. We’re a huge fan of Airbnb’s YouTube channel which is full of stories from hosts, business travellers and guests. These playlists are placed above Airbnb’s product announcements and promotional videos because they’re so effective.
Position and promote
Video testimonials are key in influencing purchase intent, so place your content in prominent positions: on your home page, on email signatures, near opt-in forms and add-to-cart buttons. If you’re distributing across social media, spread them out and consider ‘pinning’ your videos for re-targeting returning visitors.If you’re ready to make a video testimonial for your business, we’re happy to discuss your options and the styles that work best for you. Call Skylark Media on 0117 258 0011 for more.
Nina Postans
Nina is Managing Director at Skylark Media. She has written for Marketing Week, Advertising Week and Creative Review.