Testimonials help your customers spread the good word about your product to drive more sales. Testimonials are one of the best ways to market your product without paying money. Your existing customers use your products and give positive reviews for others to see, and that's how testimonials help you get new customers without spending any extra penny.
Customer testimonials are positive reviews that help other people know how great your brand is. It is like a recommendation from your existing customers for your potential customers stating how your product benefitted them.
In these times testimonials are the best way to build trust among your customers for your brand. The testimonials are honest and non-sponsored reviews by people who have used your product and found it interesting. Remember how many times you look for reviews before you buy any new product? Pretty much every time right?
There are a lot of ways you could showcase testimonials for your brand.
Let's go through some of the popular ones one by one:
Testimonial Examples:
1. Quote Testimonials
Quote testimonials are the most common type of testimonials that you might have seen.
They usually are one or two-liners stating which specific product the customer used and how it benefited them. It is also accompanied by the customer's picture to give a more personalized effect.
Benefits-
Can highlight the important parts
Widely used
For example, Hubspot uses quote testimonials directly on their page to make it more authentic and engaging.
2. Social Media Testimonial
Social media testimonials are reviews that act as instant marketing tools. These days everyone is active on social media and one good review could get you a lot of new customers.
Social media testimonials are reviews that your customers write for you on their social media handles. If they love your product, they post a good review and based on their number of followers you have a chance to get new customers for your brand.
When you get social media testimonials for your brand on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Google, Twitter and LinkedIn, make sure you engage with posts.
Benefits
Social proof
Gives you almost instant engagement
Easy to get and market
Authentic because your customers leave a review on their own social media handles which gives it a personal touch.
For example, My Book Manager, a bookstore, that conducts its business on Instagram, uses customer testimonials on its account in the form of 'Instagram Highlights' to gain the trust of its potential customers.
3. Platform Reviews
Platform reviews are one of the best ways to influence other customers to try your brand. Many top brands rely on platform reviews as their go-to testimonial type.
Heard of platforms like Capterra or G2 or Trustpilot? Do you also search on these platforms before trying out something new? Well, that's how platform reviews are helpful!
You list your product or brand on these platforms and people leave a review about your product. Moreover, these platforms categorise products which makes it very easy for buyers to purchase the product. A product appears higher in the listing once it has a lot of reviews. Thus, it is very important to have a review there because people trust these sites and eventually will trust your brand too.
Benefits
Customers trust these platforms tremendously which helps build trust for your product
These platforms categorise products very well which makes it easy for buyers to find your product
For example, here is the Mailchimp listing on G2, and you can see all the necessary information you need to know about Mailchimp there - from basic info to reviews and comparisons. This is how platform reviews help customers to discover your website.
4. Video Testimonials
Video testimonials are more authentic forms of testimonials. Video testimonials could be like stories that your customer tells about your product or just short videos stating how your customers adore your brand.
Video testimonials could be a detailed story about how the customer came across your product, how your product benefits them, and what they like the most about your product, or it could be a quick 30-second video with just the important parts.
Benefits
Authentic and personalised review
More engaging for the viewer
For example, Zoom uses video testimonials to promote and advertise its services. The testimonials are frequently seen on youtube in the form of youtube ads. Zoom also has a customer success story page where it adds video links to short reviews to see for others.
5. Influencer Testimonials
This type of testimonial is getting more and more popular day by day. You need to reach out to the right influencer to try your product and give you a shoutout.
Influencers have a lot of followers who trust them and follow what they say. Once your product is marketed by the influencer, it is likely enough that you will get new customers.
Influencer testimonials are mostly paid that's why people are sceptical to place their trust in those testimonials. But if you are lucky enough to get an influencer to market your brand without paying any sponsorship, it is even better.
Benefits
Influencers have a lot of authority which is why influencer testimonials are also called authority testimonials.
Influencers already have a large audience that you can tap into for your product.
For example, Khaby Lame, a very popular influencer all over the world is seen promoting a brand called Binance in the video.
6. Blog Testimonials
Another way of getting testimonials is by asking your customers to write a blog. You can ask your customers to mention your brand or product in their personal blogs. Or, vice-versa you could feature the customer in your company blog.
Benefits
Contain in-depth details of the customer's journey with the brand.
You can leverage your customers' SEO and their audience.
For example, Shopify has published its customers' success in its blog as testimonials. Here, the success story of India and Hemp & Co. is featured for the readers to take some inspiration.
7. Image Testimonials
Seen those before and after images of people on blogs or social media? That is exactly what is called Image Testimonials.
Image testimonials are simply images of how your product benefitted your customers, you can include before/ after pictures, pictures of how your product looks, or any relevant picture.
Benefits
Used mostly by beauty brands
The best option when showing visible results
For example, Minimalist as a brand relies mostly on image testimonials to gain trust from the customers and also as a marketing strategy.
8. Case Study Testimonials
Case study testimonials are great for your new customer to get inspired by the success stories of your previous customers.
Case studies could be a mixture of all testimonials, such as - it could include videos and images. It can have a writing style similar to blog testimonials, interview testimonials or even a combination of both.
You can then share the case studies on your blog or even on other blogs relevant to your category that have a high reach.
Benefits
Case studies give a personal touch because the customer shares their in-depth story.
Case studies are often very detail-oriented and authentic which creates a lot of trust in the mind of the viewer.
For example, Amazon has used Rovio, a powerhouse in the gaming industry, as a case study testimonial example. They put the entire story out there for their customers to read and indulge in.
9. Audio Testimonials
Audio testimonials are reviews given in the form of voice recordings. These can be layered with any animated video, or added to a blog. You could even use them in a podcast.
The link can be added anywhere.
Audio testimonials are easy to make.
10. Interview Testimonials
Not sure what to write in the testimonials? Interview testimonials could help you out. In interview testimonials, you could have your customers answer a set of questions that you see fit for the testimonials. Focus on the good parts about your product, and make sure to keep the conversation easy flowing and not forced.
Benefits
Helps you focus on exactly those details of your product which you want to highlight.
Interview testimonials are conversational which makes them engaging for the viewer.
Psst. Did you know? Casa helps you engage your community and also offers automated testimonials that help you acquire customers. From getting shoutouts from those valued customers to embedding those testimonials on your Wall of Love, Casa is there to have your back.
