The Role of Testimonials in Building Social Proof for Your Brand

There is a certain breed of new-age marketers that have completely changed the landscape for what marketing looks like in 2024 and beyond. Over the past year or so, we’ve come across multiple marketing campaigns where user generated content was the focus. UGC is unique to each and every individual and hence also unique to the brands and businesses that receive it. And uniqueness helps one stand out.

One of the pieces of content that has helped businesses position their products and offerings better has been testimonials. A testimonial can be a powerful marketing tool if used right, and has relevant information that a potential customer would care about. For 50% of all consumers, their very next step after reading a positive review about a company is to visit their website. This brings them one step closer to a purchase or even just giving you their email to sign up for a newsletter or mailing list. With such statistics, why wouldn’t one want to use testimonials in their marketing efforts?

This article will discuss exactly that. How modern marketers are leveraging testimonials, where they are lacking, what types of testimonials there are, and how you can collect and show them off.

Why Testimonials Matter in Marketing

Testimonials are nothing but a type of recommendation. According to studies, 81 percent of 18-34 year-olds, seek out opinions from others before making a purchase. This was just a few years back. That number would have become even more significant now. But why do they matter so much in marketing?

• Build Trust and Credibility: Testimonials are considered to be authentic since they come directly from a real-life user of the product rather than from the company itself vouching for their product or service.
• Provides Social Proof: According to Forbes, 77% of small businesses utilize social media to reach their clients and claim it’s an integral part of their success. People tend to copy each other on social media. It’s a psychological thing where one person’s positive experience has a rippling effect on another.
• Enhances Emotional Connection: Personal stories resonate more deeply than traditional marketing. It bridges the gap between physical presence and the lack of it on the internet. Especially when it comes to video testimonials, audiences almost immediately connect with someone talking about their experience with a product and the problems it solved for them.

Types of Testimonials

• Text Based: The most common form of testimonials. They are popular mostly because it’s very easy to just type out and put down one’s thoughts and experiences related to a product or service. However, note that when we say popular it is popular among the testimonial givers. As a marketer you must still try and prioritize receiving more audio-visual testimonials from your users. Since these have a better impact on audiences.
• Video Testimonials: Video testimonials are the best testimonial format in our opinion. They can be short or long; although short ones which are to the point work best. Testimonial givers can record them super quick, with multiple takes as an option too. They also combine storytelling with visuals which help hook in an audience.
• Audio Testimonials: These are voice recordings and snippets. They are rare to find but always welcome. They are a nice alternative to video testimonials if you have users that are camera shy or simply do not want to show their faces on camera for whatever reason.
• Social Media Shoutouts: There’s a practice called social listening which refers to the process of looking for and analyzing online conversations about your brand to understand your audience. If there are positive mentions and endorsements for your brand online—by all means you should be repurposing it as marketing content.
• Case Studies: In very simple terms, case studies are a detailed analysis of how a customer used your product or service to solve a problem. It starts off by highlighting what challenges the customer was facing, what solutions your team provided them, and what the outcome was.
• Influencer Endorsements: This is exactly as it sounds—collaborations between a brand and an influencer to endorse and promote products or services offered by the brand.It is said that 72% of Generation Z and Millennials follow at least some influencers. That is the demographic that spends the most time on the internet and is willing to also spend the most.

Where to Use Testimonials

• Websites: Plaster testimonials on your landing pages, product pages, and even pricing. Make sure you feature a healthy mix of the testimonials by spreading them out to be relevant also to the content that is on that webpage.
• Email Marketing: You can use your testimonials in emailing campaigns by featuring them alongside newsletters, onboarding, or even cold email content. It’s one of the easiest ways to get audiences to read your emails.
• Social Media: Repurpose the content that you have in your testimonials as short form snippets or clips for social media.
• Advertising: Test out different testimonials with different ad campaigns and see which ones get you the best results. They can be especially effective in retargeting ads since an endorsement from another user might be just the push a prospective buyer needs.
• Sales Presentation and Pitches: This is self explanatory. When presenting your company externally to a third party or a potential customer you want it to appear as best as possible. To this end, make sure you feature a healthy mix of testimonials to support your offerings and back up your claims.

How to Collect Effective Testimonials

• Ask at the Right Time: Don’t wait too long. Ask a customer while you still have them with you—usually post a purchase or when you are sending them emails about a feature update or responding to their queries.
• Make It Easy: Use a dedicated testimonial software instead of age-old tools like Google Forms. This is because there are many testimonial collection tools now that make it easier for respondents. And additionally, offer you more flexibility in collecting and managing testimonials.
• Be Specific: Use the right set of prompts and questions so that your respondents know what to answer and you get relevant information. You don’t want long testimonials that have nothing to offer in them.
• Offer Incentives: To encourage participation you can offer incentives and rewards to anyone who responds to your testimonial request.
• Use Multiple Channels: Don’t just stick to asking someone for feedback over social media or a WhatsApp text. There can be chances they might miss seeing it. Send out requests over multiple channels like social apps, emails, in-person, and automated calls.

Best Practices for Using Testimonials

• Keep It Authentic: Don’t record testimonials that follow a script or are too polished. Audiences can easily catch when something is being faked.
• Use Real Names and Photos: Feature the names, designations, and photos if possible of the folks that have given you the testimonials. Bonus points if there are links that lead to their LinkedIn pages too. Helps build credibility.
• Highlight Diverse Experiences: Feature testimonials from people all over. Have content that has been contributed by junior level employees all the way to C-suite executives. This shows that your product or service is accessible to all.
• Regularly Update Testimonials: Keep collecting new testimonials and updating the ones you have already showcased. Just as you release new features, ensure your testimonials reflect that and talk about it.
• Ensure Legal Compliance: This is probably the most important point since you can’t really use someone’s testimonial without their explicit permission. Do collect consent and follow strict privacy regulations when dealing with user generated content.

Examples of Effective Testimonial Use

• Slack: Slack features well-detailed and extensive stories from their customers on their Customer Stories page. They make use of good design practices and show off the logos of all these top companies that are using their services. This further builds their credibility as we can see leading brands have already placed their faith in Slack.
• Airbnb: Every Airbnb listing has reviews featured directly on its page. And they are detailed with insights into exactly what is offered and what’s not. Likewise, hosts can also review and rate guests. This model helps both parties make informed decisions and improve future bookings.
• HubSpot: HubSpot is one of the leading CRM tools in the world. But it did not get there overnight. It has built up a portfolio of strong clients which contribute to its massive market share today. Check out their case studies here.

Conclusion

Building trust with clients is important in today’s competitive market. Especially with so many competitors readily available that are willing to do what you can for the same or even a lesser price. When faced with so many options, potential customers rely on recommendations and endorsements before making a decision. They might even consult other industry leaders or acquaintances they have.

So, in many ways, word-of-mouth and referrals drive the majority of new business to any product or service. Over 90% of consumers are hesitant to buy when there are no reviews. All you have to do to be a part of the 10% is showcase testimonials and make the choice for your audiences easier. The choice being to choose you.

On an ending note, ensure your testimonials are authentic, strategically placed on key webpages like your landing and pricing, and regularly update them with fresh feedback.