Seeing is believing — especially when you’re promoting your business.
Because the brain processes video 60,000 times faster than it does text, videos are one of the most powerful tools you can leverage to attract and engage clients. It’s no wonder video marketing is the top content marketing strategy.
As we saw in 2020, when livestreaming became nearly ubiquitous, videos can enhance nearly any aspect of your business. How do you take advantage of the power of video? Try creating video testimonials, which combine the influence of reviews with the attention-grabbing nature of videos.
A total of 84 percent of consumers say they trust reviews they see online as much as recommendations they get from friends and family. Combine that with the high conversion rate of video, and it’s easy to see why two out of three people who watch a video testimonial are more likely to purchase a product.
Why you need video testimonials
You can’t underestimate the impact of stories, and few mediums create a story as quickly and successfully as videos. A video testimonial creates two stories — the story of your organization and the story of your client — essentially doubling its emotional resonance with viewers. That emotion influences people to make purchasing decisions and connect with a brand.
This emotional drive is part of the reason videos get more engagement. Think of how much emotion infomercials convey when customers talk about how products work for them. Or remember how much more confident you felt about an upcoming purchase after you watched positive reviews on YouTube.
A video testimonial is also a flexible format that feels natural on a variety of platforms, such as social media channels, email marketing campaigns, landing pages, websites, and more. These videos emphasize the value of your product or service to potential customers while confirming that current clients have made a good choice. Ultimately, emphasizing your value elevates your business status, presenting you as an expert in your field.
How to make video testimonials
If your resources allow, you can invite customers to a studio or your offices to record their testimonials. However, the production process is not only costly but may also strip sincerity from the testimonials. A client who initially agreed to be in a video may suddenly feel awkward on camera, and a highly polished video may even turn off potential clients, depending on your business.
This is why, for many business owners and marketers, the simplest option is to ask satisfied clients if they’d be willing to film and send a video testimonial themselves. Because of the ubiquity of smartphones, your clients will most likely feel comfortable using theirs to film a video.
Several platforms make it easy to collect video testimonials, such as Trustmary, Magnfi, Hippo Video, and VocalReferences. With these tools, you can control the branding of the videos and track their performance on social media.
Once you sign up for one of these services — or you come up with your own way to collect the videos — you can reach out to satisfied clients to ask them if they’d like to send in a video testimonial. If they agree, follow these steps.
Offer production advice. Though we’re all used to being able to create videos instantly, that doesn’t mean we make good ones.
Your clients will appreciate having a guide with tips to follow so they can focus on what they’re going to say. This also enables them to make the video sooner, as they won’t have questions about how you’d like it to look.
In your guide, give recommendations for location, lighting, clothing, length, props, aspect ratio, video angle, and more. If possible, give an example of a video to use as a model.
Provide specific questions to answer. The difference between a video testimonial that gets results and a boring one is in the details. To help your clients craft an engaging story, give them four or five questions to answer in the video that will help them stay on track and share a persuasive narrative.
Opt for open-ended questions like these rather than yes-or-no questions:
- When did you first hear about our product or organization?
- What made you want to sign up for our services?
- What results did you see within your first month of using the product?
- How has this product changed your life or business?
- What are some reasons you recommend the product or business?
How to use Jotform to collect video testimonials
Even if a client is willing to turn in a video testimonial, their excitement may wane if they find the process complicated. That’s why you should make it as simple as possible for them — which will also make it simple for you.
One of the easiest ways to collect video testimonial submissions is by using Jotform’s video submission form. Users can drag and drop their video file into the form and type in other information. Once they click send, you’ll instantly have the video testimonial and the information you need.
The fully customizable template allows you to feature your branding, add text, insert a call to action, and more. When you decide it’s the right time to include video testimonials in your marketing strategy, Jotform is the go-to, all-in-one tool you can use to increase your success, keep your clients happy, and bring in new ones.
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