Mandy Senn
We all know that word-of-mouth can be the most successful and trusted form of advertising. With that in mind, customer testimonials are considered the most effective type of marketing content. 88% of people trust online reviews as much as they’d trust a recommendation from a friend. So, as businesses, we need to think about how we can expedite and “scale” word-of-mouth advertising. You can do this through customer testimonials.
Customer testimonials, in any form, are effective. However, nothing can beat the power of a good video testimonial. The ability to hear the inflections of the voice, to see the truth in someone’s eyes and the passion behind their testimony, is powerful.
Testimonial videos help establish credibility. They work because they aren’t strong sales pitches, they come across in an unbiased voice and establish trust. You’re using real people to show success in your product or service.
For nonprofits, communicating how you’ve impacted a client truly speaks to what you do as an organization. You can market your programs and services until the cows come home but hearing and seeing how your services affected a human being is greatly influential. These testimonials are also great tools for promoting your organization to potential clients and recruiting donors. People and businesses want to give to organizations where they know their dollars are actually making a difference.
When creating testimonial videos, you want to keep your target audience in mind. Select individuals that represent and connect with these audiences.
During the production process, ensure that the interviewees are genuine and speaking from the heart. Of course, you will have key messages that you want to hit, but encouraging authenticity is key. Asking questions that steer the interviewee towards your key messages is a great and easy way to get a genuine and “on target” response.
Once your videos are produced, show them off! Add to your website (home pages, testimonials page, etc.), social media, enewsletters, etc. Don’t be afraid to blast those client kudos everywhere.
Mandy Senn-Simmons is the VP of Marketing & Account Management for 6 STRONG MEDIA, an award-winning corporate video production and motion graphic design agency.
