Why are customer testimonials so important in your digital marketing journey, you ask?
Take for instance, you’re looking to buy a smartphone, and you come across this latest model with pretty cool features. Do you purchase it instantly? No, right?
You look it up on google and see what others have to say about it.
In most cases, we may suggest you not to bother with ‘log kya kahenge’.
But, this concept doesn’t apply to your business!
What your past/current customers have to say matters a lot to your potential customers.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of customer testimonials, let us see
What are Customer Testimonals?
They are recommendations from current customers who vouch for the quality of your product or services.
Testimonials are given by satisfied customers either voluntarily or in response to your requests.
How does it help your business?
Builds trust: It’s essential for Business Growth
You probably know how difficult it is to attract new customers. They need to be convinced that their investment in you is worthwhile.
According to a survey, 72% of consumers said positive feedbacks boost their trust in a business.
Gives Social Proof: It increases Conversion
Consider 2 scenarios –
a) You are prompted to buy a product by an ad from a brand you have never heard of
b) A post from your friend describing how the same product helped them
Which post makes you want to buy the product? Obviously, your friend right!?
Customers believe what their peers say about brands more than what brands speak about themselves. Customer testimonials can increase sales by 34%!
Improves transparency: It helps build brand loyalty
Consumer behavior is evolving. People look for transparency and a personal connection with businesses before making a purchase.
By showing your customers that you value their opinions, will increase their loyalty to your brand. Studies show that one satisfied customer can generate nine referrals.
Now that you know the value of positive feedbacks, you must be wondering how to persuade customers to write them for you.
We know your customers are busy, and it’s hard to convince them to produce page-long testimonials, but it doesn’t have to be
So, here are some tips
Approach your best customer
Happy customers are more likely to provide feedbacks as soon as you ask them. If you are lucky, some of them may give you a shout-out without even having to ask for it. That said, don’t sit and wait for them to leave feedbacks on their own. Drop a personalised email.
Create a survey
People won’t have the time to sit and write testimonials in this busy world. It’s up to you to make the process easier by creating a survey with series of small, simple questions. Make it fun and see the magic!
Offer something in return
Who doesn’t like freebies? Offer free products or discounts on services in exchange for positive feedback. It works!
Use thank you email
When a customer sends you a thank you or appreciation note, make use of it. Why not share the screenshot in your social media stories? Psst.. Do not forget to get their permission before posting.
The different types of Testimonials
Video
The best way to convince your potential customers that your products or services are worth purchasing is through video testimonials. A video allows one to see the actual results from a real customer, which makes it more credible.
Socials
Through social media, you can reach your potential customers effortlessly. Social testimonials can be of many forms, a customer tagging you in their posts, commenting on your page or, the screenshots you share. These feedbacks are bound to give you a wider reach!
Blog posts
Whenever you google for a product, you may have noticed a list of blogs talking about those products. It can be either affiliate or an organic blog post. These blogs not only increase your brand reputation, but the backlinks can also improve your website’s search engine rankings.
Influencer content
We all know that content is king on social media, and influencers are reigning it with their killer content. Influencer recommendations are the easiest way to get people to notice your brand.
Quotes
These are the testimonials you see with quotes from a customers along with their picture. They are generally used on a company’s website.
Where to use them?
On your website
Exceptional testimonials on your websites can help a great deal. It can be on your homepage, service/product page, or you create an entirely new page for them. If you are a B2B company, make use of quotes. Embedded reviews from social media work well for B2C companies.
Social media
We’ve already discussed how people look for social proof in their buying journey. What better place to provide social proof than on social media?. Address your audience’s pain points through reviews
Case studies
When someone is reading your case studies, it means they are considering your business seriously, and all they need is a little push. Including customer recommendations can help you get that push!
Email marketing
Sending cold emails to no avail? Try adding a face to your business proposal in the form of testimonials. Enhancing credibility and building trust is the key to success.
Paid Ads
The vast majority of your ad viewers look for social proof. Give them what they ask for. It’s as simple as that! According to a study, utilizing quotes in paid ads improved sales by 34%
Customer testimonials: Do’s and Don’ts
Do
- Hear what people have to say
- Maintain an organized file
- Create shareable reviews
Don’t
- Nag customers
- Post fake reviews
- Use the same testimonial repeatedly
We hope by now you are well aware of the significance of customer testimonials in digital marketing.
Embrace them in all your digital and offline marketing strategies, and you will instantly see a rise in conversions and revenue.
