How to Get Video Testimonials

The best marketing content comes from satisfied customers. Why? Because people trust what other people have to say about a product or service, even if they’re a stranger. This means customer reviews and testimonials are crucial to include in your marketing strategy.

When it comes to testimonials, videos perform best as they help consumers visualize the product or service. According to Wyzowl, 2/3 of consumers say they’re more likely to make a purchase after watching a video testimonial demonstrating how a business, product or service helped someone like them.

The big question that arises here is: “How do I get video testimonials?” This article will help answer that question by talking about:

What is a Video Testimonial

A video testimonial is when a customer shares a positive experience they had with a company, product, or service in a video format. This type of testimonial usually shows how a particular product or service helped solve a problem the customer was experiencing.

When compared to traditional written reviews, video testimonials are stronger and more impactful as they provide an in-depth look at the experience a customer had. These videos often tell a story – the customer had a problem, searched for a solution, and it was resolved with a product or service. Stories are a great way to draw in leads, and when they come directly from your happy customers, it’s even better.

Video testimonials can be professionally done, but this requires a lot of time, money, and coordination with your customer. A popular is through user-generated content, which has the customer record themselves and shares the video file with the business. If you’re just getting started collecting testimonials, we recommend the latter. Here are some examples of video testimonials created by our customers using the Boast platform.

Now that you know what a video testimonial is, let’s discuss why you should be using them.

Why You Should Use Video Testimonials

According to Wyzowl, 79% of consumers have watched a video testimonial to learn more about a company, product, or service. This means the majority of consumers are watching video testimonials before making any buying decisions. Video testimonials are powerful, but why?

1. They Build Credibility and Trust in Your Brand

Most of the time, people rely on their friends and family to provide recommendations when looking into new products or services. Interestingly, 88% of consumers trust online testimonials and reviews as much as recommendations from friends or family.

Your potential customers want to know that your product or service works and is the best option. Video testimonials share real experiences about real people using your product or service. This will build trust and credibility in your brand.

Once you’ve established credibility and trust, your leads are more likely to turn into customers.

2. They Increase Conversions

Converting leads into customers is an important step in the marketing funnel, but it can also be a challenging one. Finding the right strategy is key to increasing conversions and research shows that videos are a powerful tool in the marketing industry.

According to a recent study by Wyzowl, 78% of video marketers indicated that videos have a direct impact on increasing sales. Additionally, adding customer testimonials in your marketing on a regular basis can generate approximately 62% more revenue.

3. They Provide Social Proof

When researching a new product or service, consumers often turn to social media to find proof and answers to your questions. This is because consumers want to know how a product or service works, what others have experienced, and who trusts the brand.

Social proof can come in many forms, but videos are the most powerful. According to Wyzowl, video content is twice as likely to be shared on social media. After someone watches a video they enjoyed, they’ll likely share it on their social channels. In fact, 92% of mobile video consumers share videos with others.

By encouraging your customers to create and share their positive experiences with your brand, you’ll not only build trust but also a brand community on social media. Promoters of your brand often turn into advocates and may share content on their social media even beyond their testimonials.

4. They Tell a Story

By nature, humans are drawn to stories. They often provide an emotional connection that we can empathize or sympathize with. Whether you believe it or not, emotions play a key role in our decision making process.

The honest and unscripted aspect of a video testimonial is what drives that emotional connection. When people feel connected to a story, they will also feel connected to your brand. After all, emotions are the primary reason we decide to choose name-brand products over generic ones (Psychology Today).

Featured Resource: Testimonial Request Email Templates

Download the Testimonial Request Toolkit

How to Get Video Testimonials

You’re probably thinking, “This sounds great! But how do I get video testimonials?” Requesting and collecting testimonials can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and information, it can be done! Next, we’ll share all the information you need to get started with collecting video testimonials.

1. Know When to Ask

It’s important to know when to ask for a video testimonial. Wait until a customer shares a positive experience either directly to you or on social media. This indicates they’re a promoter of your brand and may be willing to share more about their experience.

You also want to take into consideration how long they’ve been using your product or service. This will vary for each business, but you don’t want to ask too soon when they haven’t had enough time to create an experience or resolve their problem.

2. Send the Request Over Email

Once you know who are promoters of your brand are, you can craft up an email and send out a request for a video testimonial. You want to be personal and customize the message to your customer. The example below is a good place to start, but there are many ways you can craft your message.

Email is a common communication tool, but there are other methods you can use to request testimonials. These include, but are not limited to, SMS, in-person, link on website, social media, or on receipts. An example request for Instagram could be:

We love our customers. Our success is built on your support, and we want to hear from you. We’d love to know what you think about [our business], what your last [visit/purchase] was like. Visit the link in our bio to give us your feedback. We appreciate it!

What medium you use to request testimonials will depend on your business and how your customers prefer to communicate. There is not a right or wrong answer here, just be sure to ask your customers and be authentic.

3. Show Your Customers Why It’s Valuable

Even when you ask your most engaged and supportive customers, it’s still important to show them why their story is valuable. You don’t want to coerce someone into making a video testimonial. Instead, emphasize why their story matters to you and what impact it may have on others.

If they seem uncertain about what to say, you can walk them through their experience with your brand, product, or service. Help them understand and see the value your product or service has provided them. This is a great strategy as it not only allows you to guide them through what to say, it still allows the customer to be authentic when they record their story.

Sometimes, sharing an example of a video testimonial can be helpful too. This will show them what you’re looking for and guide them in what to say. If you don’t have a video example of your own, try providing open-ended questions they can answer.

4. Make the Process Simple for Your Customers

Have you ever been asked to do something with little to no instruction? Or perhaps there was no clear way how to submit a file. This happens more often than you think and is definitely something you want to avoid when it comes to collecting video testimonials.

From the request email, to the creation of the video, and the submission, you want to ensure it’s a smooth and simple process. Be clear as to what you’re requesting from your customer. If there are specific points you want to ensure they cover, let them know. Are they submitting their video testimonial through a form, shared online drive, or email? Make sure to limit the length of the video to prevent the file from being too large to upload.

The above are items you want to consider when it comes to creating a simple process for your customers. We recommend using a platform designed specifically for collecting and sharing testimonials, like Boast. With Boast, you’ll have everything you need to automatically request, collect, and share video testimonials from your customers.

Featured Resource: Testimonial Request Email Templates

Download the Testimonial Request Toolkit

Summary

It’s safe to say that video testimonials are powerful. They build trust in your brand, increase conversions, provide social proof, and tell a story. The process of how to get video testimonials isn’t as difficult as it may seem. By using the right tools and the four steps above, you’ll be on your way to building a collection of video testimonials in no time!