Give Your Customer Testimonials An Edge With These Creative Hacks

Consumer testimonials are a very understated marketing tool. While some of the feedback can help you manage better brand quality for your web design firm, the encouraging words of a previous or existing customer is a clear representation of your excellence.

Think of online testimonials like the modern-day-word-of-mouth. The reference for a product is taken at face value when it comes from a reliable source. 

These testimonials, until a few years ago, would be a page on your website or a printed sheet in your office lobby. The digital world is rapidly evolving, and so is the straightforward testimonial. 

With the rising influence of social media platforms and the loss of attention spans, testimonials demand higher creativity and dazzle. The best way to derive more from testimonials is by leaping into videos. In new-age marking, video references are the next-best-thing.  

The Advantage Of Video Testimonials

Videos are an audio and visual medium, which sprouts an experience that cannot come from reading. Today, more than 70% of all content online is in the form of video, and the content consumers prefer seeing visuals over reading quotes.

The video-medium also helps put a face to the testimonials. Which adds credibility to your references and makes the viewer believe in your product or service much further.  

If you cannot connect with your consumers in person to shoot testimonials, you can also use a free slideshow maker with music and add motion to your written testimonials. Do not let the lack of video footage hold you back from leveraging the power of video marketing.

While there is no secret sauce to make the perfect testimonial video, there are a few tricks you can consider to make your video-product worth its time and effort. Here are the top six hacks that will add value to your testimonials.

1. Keep It Minimal

Less is more; we’ve all heard this famous saying. This concept of minimalism can help a lot in your overall design for the testimonial video.

Minimalism in your frame, your shots, and your content can help drive the point better. Short and simple videos will do a much better job of holding the attention of the viewer than long-length movies.  

A common mistake is to clutter the frame with props and trinkets. Especially when filming and editing customer testimonials, the attention must be on the person talking. To add a pop, the use of text animation and subtitles is a better alternative.

2. Stick To A Script For Fluidity

When we ask you to script a customer testimonial, we do not intend to rig the testimony. This process is a measure to keep your testimonials in check. Ask your customers for their point of view, and give them indicators to make the speech concise.

Clients often have to worry about customers rambling, or web design firms narrates that might not add value to the video. Some volumes of scripting will help tie the footage into a presentable piece. It will also make the edit easier.

Pre-writing some ideas can also help you define the mood of the video, such as emotional, funny, formal, etc.

3. Shoot In Your Atmosphere

Do not lock your consumers in a studio and shoot a video. This makes your videos look fake and very unappealing to generate any online traction. Shoot your testimonials in an atmosphere relevant to your business.

If you are a shooting video testimonial for a cafe, do them inside the cafe. If your customers are home buyers, do these videos at the new homes.

For consumables or goods, it’s useful to place a hint of the product in the frame to enhance brand value and drive authenticity.

4. Use Artistic Editing

A lot can be achieved from an edit, that cannot be shot on a camera. Factors like color grading, accurate transitions, and subtitling are the most basic requirements. 

Finding the right music also helps enhance the flow of the video. You can use a free youtube to mp3 converter online to download royalty-free music.

Artistic edit can make your video stand out from the rest of the clutter. For example, changing the colors on the screen to show emotions, or using match-cut transitions to add flow; are all hacks that can add value to a monotonous testimonial.  

5. Use B-Roll Creatively

With video testimonials, everything need not be shot. Use B-roll to make your videos more seamless and break the monotony of speech. 

B-roll is extra footage that is used to enhance the storytelling process. These are related videos that you can cut away from, while the audio continues to play.

For instance, if you are shooting a video testimonial for a college or school. Creative use of B-roll will be footage of the college campus, the students, or the amenities. This B-roll can be shot separately, or free online stock footage can be used.  

6. Influencer Endorsement

While this could be a tricky and time-consuming process, the returns you could reap from them are exponential. The significant disadvantage when an influencer backs your product is that it could come across as paid marketing.

The best way to get an influence to back you is by giving them free samples in return for an honest endorsement. Give them the freedom not to share their thoughts if they are not satisfied. This trick sounds like a gamble, but the pay-off is enormous.

Final Thoughts

Today’s online consumer is alert and informed. They can see right through falsifying testimonials. Make sure your videos are based on real facts, if not the real people. 

Using real consumers is always the first option, but do not approach them directly for a testimonial. Build a relationship with your clients before you can pull in a favor. 

One final hack that has worked for marketers all across the globe is offering a reward for a testimonial. Consumers will be happy to back your service or product if they get something in return. Provide a free sample or a discount in return for an honest endorsement.  

Videos are the way forward, and their value and reach are indispensable. A short video will generate more returns than a page long story.

Check out my blog for more articles, FarhanTech