Video testimonials have quickly become one of the most effective ways to build trust with your audience. There’s a reason for this. According to research, 72% of customers trust a brand more after watching positive video testimonials. In a world where trust is currency, you can’t afford to ignore this medium.
On the other hand…
People need to connect with other people. People don’t trust a product. They trust the person behind the brand and the community that product serves. Testimonial videos help customers see that.
The good news is there are lots of different ways you can use video testimonials to build trust. This guide will show you how to make the most of this marketing strategy to increase brand trust with your target audience.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Why Video Testimonials Build Trust
- Video Testimonial Statistics
- Strategic Ways to Use Video Testimonials
- The Most Effective Video Testimonials
Why Video Testimonials Build Trust
Here’s the thing…
People buy from people. Businesses themselves can be cold and impersonal. Video testimonials bring a human face and voice to a company. When potential customers see real people talking about how your product or service has helped them, they connect on an emotional level.
Statistics tell us that testimonial videos produce exceptional results. For example, in Teraleap’s data, you can see businesses using video testimonials are consistently outperforming their text-only competitors.
The reason? Video testimonials make it all so real. Customers get to hear and see the emotions that come with using your product or service. The look of amazement on a customer’s face when they tell you how something exceeded their expectations. Or the tears of relief after a stressful situation that your product has now resolved.
Video testimonials build trust because customers are looking for reassurance from others in the same situation. If they can see someone like them raving about your product, they’re more likely to trust that the product will do the same for them.
Video Testimonial Statistics
Video testimonials have become the new standard for consumers when it comes to purchasing products. In fact, statistics show that 91% of businesses use video as a marketing medium by 2025. This is a record high since we first began tracking five years ago.
Video testimonials have a great role to play here.
So where do testimonial videos come in?
These are now the most popular use cases for video marketing. It’s because of the way video testimonials affect the consumer psyche.
The testimonial video statistics show us that:
- They deliver higher engagement rates when compared to static content
- Viewers spend more time on product pages with video testimonials
- Viewers form stronger emotional connections with the content
- Viewers have better recall of brand messaging and offers
In fact, two-thirds of customers say they would be more likely to buy from a business after watching a testimonial video. That’s a huge vote of confidence, literally, in the power of video testimonials.
We all make purchases with video testimonials in mind.
Ask yourself, when you think about buying a new product or service, do you see yourself purchasing it from a website that only has written reviews or someone talking about their experiences? Chances are, most people will choose the latter.
Strategic Ways to Use Video Testimonials
Collecting video testimonials is great. But the real value comes when you know where to place them for maximum conversion impact.
Smartly placing them throughout the sales funnel can make all the difference to your conversion rate across every touchpoint.
Here are some of the best places you can drop them.
Strategic locations include:
- Landing pages: Just above the fold or near your call-to-action
- Product pages: Customers raving about specific features and benefits
- Checkout pages: Stop that cart abandonment
- Email marketing: Video thumbnails that link to full testimonials
- Social media posts: Short clips that are optimized for each platform
Checkout pages are a prime opportunity for testimonials.
That’s where the cold feet set in. Customers might be ready to buy, but they’re also having second thoughts. A little social proof is all it takes to push them over the edge and complete that sale.
Other pages that shouldn’t be missed:
Hero sections on homepages are great for making a good first impression. About pages often use customer stories to back up company claims. Don’t be afraid to use them in sales presentations to help overcome objections.
Consider your customer journey and think about where a video testimonial would provide the greatest reassurance.
The Most Effective Video Testimonials
Video testimonials aren’t all created equal.
Some will perform beautifully, others won’t perform at all. The difference between the two is in the strategy and the execution.
Poor video testimonials share many of the same qualities. Let’s take a look at some of the elements that make for the most effective video testimonials.
The most impactful testimonials will all have the following in common:
- They share very specific results and outcomes that the customer experienced as a result of the product or service
- An emotional storytelling element that customers can relate to and get behind
- An authentic voice that isn’t overly scripted
- Specific problem explanations that have been solved by the company
The most effective video testimonials are often the simplest.
There is a tendency for many brands to make their testimonials over-produced. The videos are too professional and the script too written.
Don’t make this mistake.
Customers want to hear from real people. The more authentic and relatable the testimonial is, the more it will connect with customers.
Key elements to success:
Videos should be between 60 and 90 seconds long. This is the optimum amount of time to tell a compelling story but also short enough that you keep the audience’s attention.
Try asking your customers to set the scene for where they were before finding your product or service. Then you can ask them about the transformation it created. This before-and-after storytelling naturally creates an arc that is very easy to follow.
Numbers are great too. Customers saying, “it helped a lot,” are fine, but you really want to get them to be more specific. Did they get X amount of leads? Increase conversions by X%? The more specifics, the better.
Getting More Video Testimonials
A big challenge with video testimonials is simply getting enough of them in the first place.
If you don’t have a lot of video testimonials already, you’ll need to make it super easy for your customers to provide them for you. You need to take away all the barriers between you and your record button.
The best ways to collect testimonials include:
- Automated email asks that follow a positive customer interaction
- Triggered in-app requests following a successful outcome
- Personalized customer outreach to your top customers
- Programs that incentivize customers to participate
Timing is everything.
Always try to get customers when they’re feeling their most enthusiastic. Hit them when that feeling is fresh and you’ll find the results can be outstanding. Wait too long, and you’ve missed that moment of emotional investment that results in great content.
Asking for testimonials is always scary.
But the best customers won’t mind helping you at all. They just need to know you want to hear from them.
Final Words
Video testimonials offer a massive opportunity to build trust with your brand and drive more conversions.
They couldn’t be any more clear-cut as to what the most effective content strategy is here. It’s real customers having real conversations about their experiences.
Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve covered today:
- Video testimonials build trust in ways that text reviews can’t
- Smart placement of testimonials can help with conversion impact
- Quality and authenticity are more important than production value
- Making testimonials easier to collect means you’ll get more of them
Businesses of all shapes and sizes should be investing in video testimonials. They’re proven to work. The technology is easier to use than ever.
Start collecting video testimonials today. See your brand trust levels and conversions increase because of it.