What is the Goal of a Testimonial?

When you are considering buying from or hiring a company, what is the first thing you look at to decide whether or not you can trust that company? Most likely, you look at the reviews and testimonials from previous or current customers who can vouch for the validity of the organization.

But what is the goal of a testimonial, especially when it comes to boosting your business? With the internet at our fingertips at practically any second of the day, potential customers are constantly consuming media and information and can easily look up anything they want about your company. To stay competitive in your industry and in the digital world, it’s important to have testimonials, and when possible, testimonial videos that cater to an online audience.

What Is a Testimonial?

A testimonial is a recommendation or endorsement that a satisfied customer (or other influential figures) provides about a service or product. This unique review often highlights the value and quality of a business’s primary offering or customer experience. They are typically found on a company website where newcomers or investigating customers can easily find them, like on their homepage or “About Us” page. 

You may also see testimonials in advertisements or social media platforms to reach a wider audience—which is why it’s wise to have a variety of testimonial types. The main ways businesses group testimonials are in the following formats.

• Written testimonials are one of the most fundamental parts of your credibility as a business and are used as a foundation for greater marketing opportunities. These often feature some kind of rating system or other quantifiable factors.
• Video testimonials take your marketing to the next step and are especially effective online and in other digital settings.
• Image-related testimonials are usually a combination of a picture or other type of visual with a written testimonial to create a bigger impact.

These different types of testimonials are going to make or break your marketing strategy and help you retain visitors to your website. Next, we’ll go over more about why you should prioritize testimonials and what they are meant to accomplish for your business.

What is the Goal of a Testimonial?

The primary goal of a testimonial is to positively influence a customer about your product, service, and/or business. Here are the three basic goals of a testimonial.

Build trust with your audience

It’s important to let the voice of actual customers shine because that is the feedback and perspective that others will trust. As such, your goal should be to gather testimonials that are as authentic and natural as possible, which can be affected by the people who provide feedback, how you gather the testimonials, and the format that you use.

For example, celebrity or influencer testimonials can gain a lot of attention online and make people want to engage with your brand and company. However, if an influencer’s testimonial feels staged, insincere, or forced, or if their image takes a downturn, their link to your brand could have the opposite effect that you’re looking for.

Ultimately, you want social proof that your business is legitimate, ethical, and worthy of a customer’s time and money.

Increase conversion rates

Especially for marketing, the right testimonial can be the deciding factor for someone to make a purchase, download your demo, or whatever your main sale or conversion is. A great testimonial is really a real-life example of a success story where someone found just what they needed via your business, which persuades people to give your product or service a try.

One study found that 72% of consumers won’t even make a buying decision or take action until they’ve looked at the reviews. Your audience is going to be looking one way or the other, so the more positive testimonials you can add to the buyer’s journey to move your target audience down the marketing funnel, the better. You have to find ways to stand out from your competitors, and real accounts of customer experiences can give your customers the extra confidence they need to actually make a purchase.

Improve the customer experience

Aside from converting new or potential customers, testimonials also help you know how to hone the experience your customers have while interacting with your company. For example, if a lot of your customers rave about how well your small business treats them while dealing with a problem, you can place more emphasis on customer service, which helps you pull ahead of the competition. 

Testimonials are, like all feedback, an opportunity to better serve your customers, whether that’s improving upon existing systems and processes, or changing things up to offer the benefits your customers need and want.

How VideoPeel Can Help

If you want to cut through the chatter, boost sales, and create original testimonial content that grabs your customers, it’s time to lean into video testimonials. VideoPeel specializes in helping businesses collect and display customer testimonials with easy-to-use technology and flexibility for whatever industry you work in. Try VideoPeel services for free today and experience the ease, excitement, and innovation of video testimonials in modern marketing!

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