Trust is a tricky thing. We have to build trust to gain customers, but in a world where digital word of mouth is vital to business growth, consumers are increasingly distrustful of online opinions. It leaves marketers with a real head-scratcher.

That doesn’t mean Testimonials are no longer powerful. They certainly are. But some testimonials are better than others for growing confidence in your business. Here are the steps to building an effective testimonial campaign:

Pick the Right Placement

Including customer testimonials consistently increases conversions across communication channels. Think about where you could best put them to use.

• Website
• Product or Service Landing Pages
• Digital Ads
• Social Media

Choose a Format

The way in which testimonials are presented have a big impact on how effective they are. Visual testimonials perform best. Include photos of the actual customers who are sharing their experience with your brand. They’ll draw attention and increase trust. But there’s more than one way to use a testimonial! Here are a few ideas for formatting your testimonial gold:

• Written testimonials. They’re simple to put together, but be sure to include a photo.
• Motion Graphics. This is a simple solution to add movement and draw attention to a simple text and photo format.  
• Video testimonials. These perform very well and don’t have to be heavily produced. In fact, simple is better.

Testimonial Best Practices

The strength of a testimonial often comes from its imperfections. Don’t be tempted to write something for a client or customer to approve. It’s important that testimonials are in the customer’s words and not overly polished.

Details are essential! Great testimonials share a specific account of how your business helped and why it’s great. Keep it short, and make sure the testimonial adds something to the conversation. It shouldn’t be a regurgitation of the copy already found on your website, for example.  

What About Reviews?

Customer reviews are vital in a world where consumers almost always research online before making a purchase. But how to build your reputation on Review platforms? The best way to grow your review presence is to simply ask customers to leave a review. But you’re not done once those five stars have been posted. Share positive reviews on your own platforms to get the most mileage out of them.

Harvard Business Review found that replying to online reviews is also valuable. The study looked specifically at hotels, and found that those who responded to online reviews received more reviews, and higher ratings overall.

Testimonials are an important tool for establishing and growing brand trust and loyalty. A well-done testimonial can tip the scales for consumers who aren’t quite ready to make the leap. Ohlmann Group can help you harness the power of testimonials. Let’s talk about telling the right stories to build your business!