The following statements are likely to be true if you’re reading this article:
You are selling something online or offline.
If this sounds familiar, today’s guide may be for you. It will show you how to deal with objections and increase sales by sharing the nine types testimonials that are available.
Let’s get started.
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7 Customer Testimonial Ideas That You Can Use Today
1. Quote Testimonials
2. Social Media Testimonials
3. Review by Consumers
4. Influencer Testimonials
5. Blog Post Reviews
6. Case Studies
7. Video Testimonials
8. Documentary Series
9. Media coverage
What is a customer testimonial?
A customer testimonial is a recommendation made by a satisfied customer that affirms the quality of a product/service. Sometimes customer testimonials can be paid endorsements as part of influencer marketing. Customer testimonials are often given by satisfied customers on their own or at a request of the company.
Customer testimonials, when combined with strong copywriting, sharp selling, and targeted marketing can help buyers overcome objections and increase online sales. They can also be used to turn customers into brand ambassadors.
9 Customer Testimonial Examples That You Must See
Let’s now learn what customer testimonials look like. Let’s start by looking at the top online brands that have mastered word-of-mouth advertising.
1. Quote Testimonials
There are three types:
Quotes,Quotes featuring a hero picture; andQuotes featuring a hero photo and call-to action (CTA).
Let’s briefly discuss each.
i. Quotes
They are all well-known. If you had a college yearbook, it is possible that you were asked to send one with your photo.
The earliest type of testimonial (and the easiest to obtain, regardless of industry) is quotes. Quotes first appeared in newspapers. They are now commonplace on homepages, product pages, and other pages with commercial intent.
Quotes are used to instill confidence in visitors that the purchase they are considering is right.
PooPourri is a company that makes and sells fragrance sprays for the toilet. It uses a slider to display testimonials from satisfied customers:
The addition of additional features, such as a slider (or in PooPourri’s case, a slider that has a “star”) rating, gives readers more to interact with and legitimizes testimonials.
ii. Quotes with a Hero Image
Although it is easy to get quotes, they are not difficult to create. This is something companies know. This is why so many companies add hero images in their testimonials.
Because it is easier for buyers and prospects to identify with each other, pictures increase conversions. 161 Driving Academy increased its conversion rate 161% by replacing their stock images with photos of real people.
Birchbox has high-resolution images of heros to accompany testimonials. It’s much easier to understand and make a purchase when you see that a quote is from a customer, just like you.
You might find that your evangelical customers love to wax poetic about you. Why not put them in a positive light?
iii. Quotes with a Hero Image (CTA) and Call-to Action (QT).
It would seem that a quote and an image of a hero are enough to convince a prospect to purchase something. Wrong.
Prospects will never know what to do. We must take them by their hand and show them. It’s exactly why testimonials that are strong need to be followed up with a call-to-action (CTA)
Marucci follows Birchbox’s lead and features a quote along with a hero photo and a CTA. They invite readers to view a case study (more details soon):
Visitors can find out more about David Ortiz’s transformation and decide if Marucci is right for them.
Zapier takes their testimonials one step further. Instead of displaying their testimonials on a page that is relevant, they include them on related posts.
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Copyblogger’s reverse testimonial is a way to stand out when writing testimonials. This testimonial starts with the buyer’s objection and ends with praise.
Here’s a Bony to Beastly example:
Dallas addresses the common concern that prospects have when purchasing online (“Is it a scam?”), before he transforms into his transformation after he has taken action (read: purchased the product).
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Use quote testimonials to show your support. Make sure they have a hero image, and a relevant CTA so that customers can learn more about their transformation.
2. Social Media Testimonials
Social media has revolutionized the way that we communicate with each other. We use social media to share our hopes, fears, and sometimes our frustrations with brands, even when we aren’t posting photos of our meals or asking for likes.
Social testimonials, which are a cut above the usual quotes, are very useful because you can click through to see if the person you’re reading is real and living an authentic lifestyle.
Casper embeds Instagram and tweets from customers on its site to highlight tweets by real customers
Fabletics encourages customers to upload images using the product via Instagram, with the hashtag #MyFabletics
They do exactly that.
The #MyFabletics hashtag was used over 37,000 times as of this writing
Social media gives people the ability to speak up. You can use it as you see fit.
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After completing a purchase, invite customers to share their feedback via social media. Then, include any positive feedback on the product pages.
3. Review by Consumers
Social proof is something you are probably familiar with. Social proof, if you don’t know it, is the tendency to believe that others will behave in a certain way.
However, not all influence is the same. It’s important to recognize when others are acting in our stead.
One 2008 study found that hotel guests are more likely to use their towels again if they know the hotel’s norms than those who have not.
We prefer people who think like we do. You’re more likely than not to listen to testimonials from previous buyers if you look like them. We are responsive to customer reviews, so it’s not surprising.
According to Deloitte research, 60% of people consider reviews equally trustworthy than information received from friends and family.
TrustPilot is used by brands like Harry’s, a men’s shaving company, to increase their trustworthiness.
Because of this, customer reviews are the most straightforward of all seven types of testimonials:
It’s easy to request them (especially after a buyer has made a purchase); you can automate the whole process so that you can collect reviews via autopilot.
Here’s an example of Zalando’s customer testimonial email that goes out 14-days after you have made a purchase.
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Ask customers to write reviews on industry-relevant review sites 14 days after they purchase. Then, display the reviews on your site.
4. Influencer Testimonials
Influencers can be compared to high school quarterbacks. They are popular with their peers, but they can be difficult to get along with.
It’s impressive to get the high-five from an influencer in the hallway. What’s even more remarkable is getting press from influential people in your market. This is where your outreach efforts should focus.
Think about it: Everyone wants to get featured in EntrepreneurForbesThe Huffington Post, etc. But there is a problem.
Everyone is vying for them. It’s even better to be noticed by the people and companies your audience is most familiar.
Di Bruno Bros. is one example. They specialize in gourmet gift hampers and travel all over the globe to find the best cheeses, meats and specialty foods. Their efforts are rewarded.
Di Bruno Bros, a media company that combines quotes with badges of influence to attract the attention industry giants like Travel + Leisure and Serious Eats, has been spotted by Travel + Leisure and Serious Eats.
Influencers are not always easy to find. You can improve your chances of being noticed by excelling at what you do.
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Ask authorities in your field to test your product.
5. Blog Post Reviews
You might have seen articles similar to this if you ever searched for “[product] reviews”.
Slumber Yard reviews Tuft & Needle, a direct to-consumer mattress brand and bedding brand.
You might have noticed, if you have, that affiliates almost always write them.
It makes perfect sense, if you stop to think about it.
Affiliates write blog posts that review products. The retailer then earns a commission on each referral. Win. Win.
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If you have an affiliate program, pitch the idea to brand ambassadors. Or, if your industry has a history writing reviews, reach out to prominent bloggers and media outlets.
You can create an affiliate program using platforms like Tapfiliate and Trackonomics if you don’t already have one. Follow the advice above. You should encourage customers to write reviews rather than refer friends.
However, a word of caution: If you are planning on paying a website to review your products and services, it is important to be familiar with Google’s new sponsored advertising.
6. Case Studies
A case study is a great way to tell the reader about the transformations made by a customer in the past.
You can use a copywriting technique called Before-After-Bridge to show customers where they were before making a purchase and where they are now after they have made a purchase. Then, you can bridge that gap by offering your product or service.
Buffer’s Kevan Lee summarizes the BAB formula well:
Care/Of is a New York-based subscription service for supplement subscriptions. It uses stories disguised as case studies to dispel its customers’ skepticism.
In an industry that’s rife with charlatans, Care/Of feature a range of customers–from yoga instructors to merchandising analysis and everyone in between–highlighting their stories. Before they became buyers, who they were. After buying from Care/Of, who are they now? What they feel now because of it.
Although the case studies are very brief, they can be used to give a quick overview of a buyer’s journey. This is often enough to influence buyers.
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Invite your customers to share their stories about using your product. Focus on the transformation that they experienced after using it.
7. Video Testimonials
Video is quickly becoming the most important marketing channel for business owners.
According to Copypress’s report, 51.9% worldwide marketing professionals ranked video as the content that has the highest ROI.
Orabrush was one of the brands that went viral by using video marketing to promote their products. Neil Patel said it well, “If one picture is worth a thousand words then video will be priceless.”
Video marketing is not limited to product marketing.
Ramit Sethi, from I Will Teach You to be Rich, uses video to promote Zero to Launch, his flagship product. But with a twist.
Instead of focusing solely on the viewer’s benefit, which is often more than enough, Ramit focuses on the transformations of his customers and who they are now after he enrolled in the program.
Ramit combines professional production values with informative interviews and accompanying cases studies to showcase his most successful students. For skim readers, please see the callout box “Success Story Quick Wins”, located above the video.
Orabrush is one of the other business owners that features customer video reviews on its homepage.
Video testimonials used to be reserved for companies with 6-figure marketing budgets. Today, anyone can be a critic. A buyer can record a video anywhere and anytime to express their opinions on their favorite brand.
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Ask customers to create a testimonial video using their smartphone. Discuss what they love most about your brand. Then, show them to potential buyers at key stages of the buyer’s journey.
8. Documentary Series
As most marketers, I believed I knew everything about customer testimonials.
Bryan Harris from Growth Tools was the one who changed my mind.
Bryan launched Get 10,000 Subscribers in 2016 and went beyond the call when interviewing customers.
He produced a documentary series in three parts.
Bryan visited his former students’ homes with a crew of cameramen to capture their lives after he had enrolled in his course.
The results were amazing.
Bryan’s product was loved by viewers, and prospects purchased it more than ever. Revenue increased from $900,000.000 to $1.5 Million in less than 12 months.
Bryan doesn’t know the exact impact of the documentary series on his annual revenue, but it is possible to see the influence of customer success stories.
It’s a great way to give prospects a glimpse of their lives if they make a purchase. This is product marketing at its best.
Filming a documentary might not be for everyone. It might not be right for your business. However, more business owners are choosing to use professional videos to promote their products. It works, and it’s a good thing.
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Ask your customers to tell you how they have changed their lives since purchasing your product. Next, ask customers who have purchased your product to tell their stories.
9. Media coverage
An old English proverb says that “any news is good news”.
Online retailer MeUndies will confirm that they are the best at this.
Facebook had banned one of MeUndies’ ads a few years back, claiming that an ad featuring models in scantily-clad poses violated their advertising guidelines. MeUndies responded with a humorous, but still relevant, ad:
Too good~@MeUndies nails this whole social media thing, responding to Facebook’s yanking their ads pic.twitter.com/NvdtpQDRH7
Rob Majteles (@treehcapital), May 3, 2014.
It was covered by media outlets such as Digiday and Adweek, and people spoke online about it, praising the brand’s edginess, humor, and wit. The story was covered by MeUndies, which generated free media coverage that continues to be mentioned by journalists to this day.
CNBC recently published an article about the incident, five years after it first broke.
Of course, not all media coverage has to be controversial.
Beardbrand is one of many retailers that has received media attention. The brand is regularly featured in my Google Newsfeed, whether it’s co-founder Eric Holtz sharing his unconventional startup story or the founders’ appearance at Shark Tank.
This article is not meant to cover media coverage. If you want to get started, please refer to the Action Items for “5. Blog Post Reviews: Focus on local media first, then move to larger media outlets.
Continue reading
Beardbrand Marketing: How To Turn $30 into $100,000 MRR (Case study)Popups are Dead. Wrong. This is What We Discovered from Analyzing 1+ Billon Popups (Original research)
You would like to see more testimonials?
We have compiled a bonus resource that shares 9 of our favorite customer testimonial emails.
It will show you how top ecommerce brands use email to sell more.
Additionally, you’ll have immediate access to 34 additional bonus resources. These are categorized under Notion for your convenience.
Get Your Resource Now
Conclusion
Customer testimonials have never been more important. Brands could distract your eyes from negative press years ago. It’s quite different today.
Anyone with an Internet connection and a Facebook account can have an audience. A few keystrokes can transform a brand from a top-of-mind and tip of your tongue to a mere afterthought.
This doesn’t mean that you have to be like them. I have shown you how top brands harness word of mouth advertising to their advantage online.
Take their advice and reach out to them if necessary. Soon, your brand will be talked about by an army of people online and offline.
What customer testimonial do you use for your marketing? Leave a comment.
Sleeknote’s 9 Powerful and Simple Customer Testimonial Examples That You Can Steal appeared first.
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By: Sam Thomas Davies
Title: 9 Simple But Powerful Customer Testimonial Examples You Can Steal
Sourced From: sleeknote.com/blog/customer-testimonials
Published Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2022 10:50:43 +0000
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