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A video testimonial is an immensely powerful marketing asset. They drive sales, build trust, and keep customers coming in for more. It is a great way to showcase your work on a personal level. And makes a lasting impact. Nothing makes quicker conversions than a testimonial video placed right.
- What is a Video Testimonial?
- Why are Video Testimonials so effective?
- Types of Video Testimonials
- How to Make a Great Testimonial Video?
- Video Testimonial Production
- Video Testimonial Best Practices
- Where to use Video Testimonials
What is a Video Testimonial
Video testimonials are interviews of clients talking about their experience with your brand, product, and services. Also looked upon as a case study, it is used to illustrate the value of your product. This is done by using real customer success stories. It acts as a nudge for potential customers to convert. Video Testimonials add authenticity to your brand. And humanize your work through the account of an outsider.
Why is Video Testimonials so effective?
Building Trust
Video testimonials establish a line of trust between you and the customer. This is done because someone who doesn't seem to have a stake in your organization appreciates your product. It is like word-of-mouth marketing, the best type of marketing out there. A salesman praising a product is his job. But only an extremely satisfied customer would praise a product. That is why, people tend to trust your brand more when a firsthand good experience is presented to them.
Entertaining
Most people rely on good reviews to purchase a product. But written reviews, like all written things, take a little more effort than watching a video. Video testimonials are entertaining to watch, compared to reading a testimonial. There is an element of connection that is established through video testimonials. Since it usually involves a person showcasing the product: it offers a great insight into the actual product.
The human factor
Word-of-mouth marketing is extremely powerful, and video testimonials are an offshoot of that technique. A real person talking about a product, and their first-hand experience builds an emotional connect. Looking at the human face, we tend to establish an emotional bond. This is why most users trust video testimonials 100% and are willing to make a purchase based on it.
Add Value to Your Brand
Video testimonials rank highly in terms of value. They instantly add a few quality points to your brand and product. For an average customer, Video testimonials are extremely helpful because they use testimonials as a brand research tool. And good testimonials function as a medium between you and the customer. Unsurprisingly, 85% of customers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
Types of Video Testimonials
There are namely three types of video testimonials:
Customer Testimonial:
This is nothing but an interview with a single customer. It revolves around a prepared set of questions about the product or service the customer took. It requires only one shoot and not much editing. Easy to record and can be curated according to your vision. It follows a narrative.
Customer Review:
This is a more general testimonial video. Here, the customer offers a personal review. They can talk in length about the features of the product, and what they like the most. This is a more candid approach and makes a greater influence. Most customers tend to talk about service a lot. And that gets a lot of brownie points in a candid video.
Case Study Narrative:
A comprehensive in-depth testimonial video with multiple customers. This type of testimonial requires multiple shoots and a lot of post-production work. It ranks highly on the entertainment scale. A slightly time taking video to make, but gets a good response.
How to Make a Great Testimonial Video
Testimonial videos are easy to make, they are cheap and efficient. To make a great testimonial video, you need to keep a few things in mind:
What's the Goal
The purpose of your testimonial video defines its course. So why are you making a testimonial video? Most likely, the answer is conversions. Just before the action phase of the funnel, a potential customer is going through an array of doubts. Aim your testimonial video to clear those doubts. Keep yourself in the customer's position and jot down the points that must be addressed. Use this as a blueprint of what your video should be about.
Pro Tip: Use different types of marketing videos across the funnel. Videos being the most engaging medium online can generate more leads for your business than the traditional marketing methods.
Don't Skip over Problems
To really get in line with the customer, you must address all sorts of problems an average customer faces. Regardless of whether your product can solve it or not. This will help you develop the key message of your video. What are the problems that every customer faced before they got your product? And how did your product contribute to solving those problems?
Highlight the good features of your product, keeping in mind the competitor's features. A comparison-based analysis will help you identify your strength in the market.
Prepare a Questionnaire
A video testimonial is nothing but an interview. An interview is nothing but a series of questions and answers. To conduct a good interview, you must have the right questions at hand. Remember, the customers are just there to help you. They don't know what your purpose is. Therefore, you must ask them the right questions.
Conduct a background survey to build these questions. Why did the customer choose you? And what is your ranking among the competitors? Everything that you think will be relevant to a new user.
From basic features to price points. Prepare a good questionnaire that includes every relevant question. And brief the interviewee about the same. Just to help them articulate better.
Choose the Right Customer
The hero of a video testimonial is the customer him/herself. So make sure you choose the right fit. He or she has to be the exact match of your target audience. Someone who fits the description exactly. Another thing is, they should have had a truly transformational experience with you or your product. A customer who has had an experience like so will be able to tell a compelling story.
A Happy Client is the hero of Video testimonials so choose them only
If someone has to come to you with an exceptional account, that is your customer to go to. Approach the customer with a clear request about the testimonial. If possible, offer them a deal on a sale. Make sure they are comfortable in front of the camera, and that they are not lying. A video testimonial is not about acting. You need to put forth a real account, only then does it work. It is painful to watch a fake testimonial, and the act is blatantly obvious.
Keeping these 4 things in mind, you can proceed to the actual production of the video testimonial.
Video Testimonial Production
Recording
There are two different ways to actually record a testimonial video:
- On Location Testimonial
Simply put, an On-Location testimonial video is a video you record on a set. To record an On Location video testimonial, there are mainly three aspects:
- A controlled recording environment
- An aesthetic or style of your choice
- Enough physical space
A controlled recording environment is a space where you will be able to see and hear the subject clearly. There should be sufficient light, natural or space for artificial light. It should be a quiet area, away from the hustle. Naturally, there should be enough physical space for you to seat your subject and record. This means, room for camera equipment, chairs, microphone stand, etc., and some extra room, just in case.
Now, the third aspect is the aesthetic. In any visual medium, it matters a great deal how you present something. Decide on a specific aesthetic for your video. It could be a meeting room or a quiet garden, but whatever you see in the frame should match the style of the video. If you are a courier service, naturally a home environment is best. Depending on your vision and service, choose your aesthetic.
The good thing about Location testimonials is the uniformity of content. Since you are in control of the entire setup, you can make changes according to your whim. This method allows you to use professional-grade equipment. And therefore it can be a tad bit expensive. Hosting the guests and the space can also add to your budget.
Pro Tip: Add an attractive thumbnail to get more views on your testimonial videos. A custom video thumbnail attracts more clicks than the ones automatically fetched.
2. Remote Testimonial
Here, the customer records in their own environment, and sends it to you for post-production (editing). Three aspects of recording a remote testimonial are:
- Interviewee's recording environment
- Using Screen Recorder
- Using Portable equipment
To shoot a remote testimonial, your interviewee should have a computer (or portable computer), a webcam, and a basic mic. Even if they don't have it, you can send them portable easy-to-use equipment. You need to make sure the interviewee has a well-lit environment. And that the frame suits your aesthetic. You can prepare the interviewee's space if they allow or you can edit out their background in post-production (use a green screen if necessary).
Since you will do the actual recording through a video conference you need a good Screen Recorder.
These tools come with various features that allow you to shoot interactive videos with narration and graphics. Like with the StoryXpress recorder, you can draw, focus on any part of the screen and add text to the video easily. You can also customize your video with branding features.
The best thing about Remote Testimonials is that it is practically free to make. You need nothing more than what you already have in your office inventory. It allows you to explore creative options without high risk. They are easy to shoot. The other great thing about Remote Testimonials is that they are extremely credible.
Post-Production (Editing)
You can take your video testimonials to the next level in post-production. Even very basic editing software will let you compile the content. You can use transition effects, filters, and good audio in the background. But the best thing is, you can fix bad lighting, out-of-focus footage, and audio quality all in the edit phase.
Editing can add a lot of value to a good video testimonial. But it requires an eye for detail. So, I strongly recommend outsourcing it if you don't have the time and commitment. Or use a basic all-in-one easy-to-use editor like the one that comes with the Screen Recorder. It allows you to add graphics and customize as required.
If it is not in your budget to outsource editing, and you are not sure about your skills: use a feedback approach. After each round of editing, take feedback from a completely random set of people. You will be surprised how much more a casual viewer notices in a video. They will be able to guide you through making a good video. Editing has a learning curve, so after a few days of editing, you will be able to easily achieve your vision.
Video Testimonial Best Practices
Address a specific Audience
Video testimonials aren't precisely universal content. They are strictly aimed at a section of the audience. Like all other core marketing strategies, it involves a target audience. But this content is not like a blog post. It has to be specific and engaging for that one type of audience only. They should empower the target audience with trust and knowledge.
Be In-Depth
Although video testimonials aren't how-to videos for a product, they aren't demos either. A testimonial should be in-depth to warrant its authenticity. It is not just about showering praises on your brand and service. It should go into the specific features of the product, and its ability to solve specific problems. A detail-oriented testimonial warrants its authenticity. Include industry jargon and real problems.
The hero is the Customer
The goal of a video testimonial is to showcase your product, but the hero is still the customer. Sure, you should encourage the customer to give an in-depth account of the product. But the emphasis is still on their account. It is not simply about naming every feature of the product. But actually bringing across the customer's journey with the product.
Make Credible Videos
Let your videos be authentic and simple. They don't have to have a fancy setting or unnecessary filters. A testimonial video should reflect the environment of the customer. Unless the customer works in a grand space, there is no need for fancy venues. You can ask the customer to record their own testimonials using the Screen Recorder, which is a webcam and screen recorder extension. It makes the entire process simpler, and more credible.
Don't Record Fake Testimonials
It is not worth the effort to record fake testimonials. Not only a fake testimonial is painful to watch, but it also is a major embarrassment. Testimonials are supposed to authenticate your brand, faking it might have serious consequences on your brand image. The Federal Trade Commission rules state that testimonials should be 100% authentic. When a prospect watches a testimonial, they expect to connect with the brand. They don't need fake propaganda. So contact real customers instead of wasting money hiring actors.
Address Customer Doubts
Video testimonials are generally placed before the action phase of the funnel. Here, the customer is making comparisons, and looking for first-hand reviews. This is because the customer is almost convinced but has a few reservations. Use the testimonial video to clear such doubts. Ask the interviewee customer what are the doubts they had, and address them subsequently in the video.
Where to Use Video Testimonials
Video testimonials are highly effective and can be used in various places throughout the funnel. However, they work best at the bottom of the funnel. This is because that is the only place a prospect would care about reviews. Once they are convinced enough and are about to make a purchase, Video Testimonials are a great nudge.
At the bottom of the funnel, prospects generally have a fair idea of what your product is about. They have also been vaguely introduced to your brand. So before they make the purchase, during the action phase, they will divert a little. This diversion is simply to check the competitors and what they have to offer. Prospects face objections during this step in the form of small doubts. A testimonial placed here does extremely well to clear out such objections.
This is why testimonials are made to address specifically the serious audience. You can use it in:
- Emails
- About US
- Landing Pages
- FAQ Page
- Pricing Page
- Order From
Testimonials are a good marketing tactic for one-to-one sales outreach. And in a B2B environment, a testimonial is used at a step when the customer is seriously considering the purchase. So time the video testimonial email timely.
