How to Ask for Video Testimonials

Video testimonials provide dynamic and compelling narratives that resonate with customers. With video testimonials, you can let your current customers show prospective customers the best aspects of your business. In this guide, we explore the unique benefits of video testimonials, highlight the distinctions between text and video recommendations, and provide actionable tips on how to effectively ask for video testimonials.

Why Ask for Video Testimonials?

Getting your customers to respond to requests for reviews or testimonials can be difficult. Many businesses are unwilling or don’t have the resources to commit to a testimonial-gathering campaign. However, testimonials and reviews provide a number of benefits.

If you’re unsure about committing time and money to collecting testimonials, consider these aspects. Later in the post, we’ll also discuss a few time-saving techniques that can make this effort easier.

Builds Trust

Testimonials serve as social proof, demonstrating that others have had positive experiences with your product or service. This builds trust among potential customers who may be hesitant to try something new. Multiple studies have shown that customers trust the words of other customers more than ads, even when they have never met these other customers.

Influences Purchase Decisions

Incorporating testimonials into your marketing materials, website, and promotional efforts can significantly enhance their effectiveness, and influence purchasing decisions. Potential customers often look for reviews and testimonials before making a purchase decision. Positive testimonials can sway their choices and encourage them to take action. The words of satisfied customers carry more weight than words from the company.

Differentiates Your Brand

In a competitive market, positive testimonials can set your brand apart. When customers highlight what makes your product or service unique, it helps distinguish you from competitors. If you’ve had trouble making a memorable impact with your marketing messages, adding testimonials can help.

Addresses Common Concerns

Testimonials often address common concerns or objections potential customers may have. Testimonials also offer insights into the real experiences of your customers. This transparency helps potential customers understand what to expect, leading to more informed decisions, and helping them overcome doubts about your business.

Featured Resource: Leverage Social Proof to Increase Leads

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Text Testimonials vs Video Testimonials

While text testimonials can be beneficial, video testimonials offer a unique set of advantages. Before we discuss how to ask for video testimonials specifically, let’s take a look at a few advantages that make video testimonials unique.

Emotional Engagement

Video testimonials add a human touch to your brand by showcasing real people expressing their experiences and emotions. The visual and auditory elements make the testimonials more engaging and relatable. Video testimonials evoke emotions through facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures, creating a deeper connection with the audience.

Building Trust and Credibility

The rise of fake testimonials and even AI-generated reviews has made customers more suspicious of many reviews. However, video testimonials are much harder to fake. Video testimonials from real customers add credibility to your business. They provide evidence that your brand delivers on its promises and can be trusted. Seeing and hearing a satisfied customer creates a stronger impact than reading a text-based review. Video testimonials enhance the credibility of your brand by putting genuine faces and voices behind positive feedback.

Increased Shareability

People are more likely to share videos than text. Video testimonials have the potential to reach a broader audience when they’re shared on social media and other online platforms. Videos also tend to have higher visibility on search engines and social media platforms, contributing to increased brand exposure.

Demonstrates Results

Videos can show how your product or service works better than text can describe it. Testimonials that highlight specific outcomes or results achieved through your product or service can showcase real-world benefits. This tangible evidence can show potential customers that your business provides high-quality products or services.

How to Ask for Video Testimonials

There are many different ways you can ask for testimonials. Video testimonials require a bit more effort from the customer, so it can be a bit more difficult to get video testimonials compared to text-based testimonials. When you ask for video testimonials, it’s helpful to have a strategy in mind. There are several ways to ask for video testimonials, and it can be helpful to combine different methods.

Email

Email is one of the best ways to ask for video testimonials. You can even automate this process and send several emails. One email can be easy to overlook or ignore, but a few different emails is more likely to make an impact.

In order to request video testimonials via email, you’ll need a landing page where you can send your customers, where they can record their videos. Boast makes it easy to build a landing page to collect video testimonials, and also store, edit, review, and repost them as needed. With all of the functions you need in one place, you can focus on collecting video testimonials and using them in your marketing.

Featured Resource: Creator's Guide to Collecting & Sharing Testimonials

Download the Testimonial Guide for Creators!

In-Person

If you regularly meet with customers in-person, this is a great time to ask for a video testimonial. Whether you’re meeting your customers during the workday or holding regular meetings during a project, see if you can take a few minutes to record a video testimonial.

Make this process as quick and easy as possible, so your customers or clients can record a testimonial quickly. Have a release form, either digital or paper, ready for your customer to look at and sign. This should explain how you might use the testimonial, such as sharing it on social media or using it on your website.

Social Media

Businesses with a strong following on social media may be able to ask for video testimonials on a social platform. This can be an effective method to get video testimonials, however this invitation will go out to the internet in general, and might attract pranksters. A good review process will help you weed out video testimonials that weren’t made by customers or aren’t suitable for posting.

After Purchase

After a customer makes a purchase, it’s a good idea to reach out for a video testimonial. You might contact them via email or text, or include a testimonial request in their package. Consider using a short link or a QR code, so your customer can access the video testimonial landing page easily.

The shift from text to video testimonials marks a powerful evolution in customer advocacy. By understanding the unique benefits of video testimonials and implementing effective strategies to solicit them, you can harness the persuasive potential of personal recommendations, strengthening your brand’s connection with your audience.