Listen to our podcast on this topic.
As a marketer, you’ll always say nice things about your company. Your job is to find the unique selling points and how to stand out from the competition, but you’re a biased perspective.
That’s why so many customers (and potential customers) trust other people’s opinions more than yours. It’s not personal—it’s just their way of getting more unbiased feedback.
Word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly powerful but difficult to harness. Online reviews are the most common (and scalable) form of WOM in a digital world. Another is customer testimonials.
Maybe you’ve collected customer feedback already, or perhaps you intend to. Either way, how do you gather and utilize these valuable quotes in your marketing today?
How to Collect Client Testimonials
Before we get into how to use the testimonials, let’s spend a few moments considering where testimonials come from. The answer is: virtually anywhere you interact with your audience. Here are a few prominent examples:
- Pull quotes from positive online reviews
- Send out a client survey and include a question asking for quotes
- Interview clients on your podcast and transcribe their responses
- Talk to customers in person and take detailed notes
- Any positive comments on your social media posts
As you collect this feedback, it’s crucial that you save them somewhere. The best place is your CRM (customer relationship management) database and connect each quote to a specific customer record. The backup should be a spreadsheet or text document your team can access.
1. Integrate Testimonials on Your Website
Adding client testimonial quotes on your website is the first and most obvious step. Your competitors are probably already doing this, so you can look to them for inspiration.
These are just a few places where testimonials could live on your website:
- Home page
- Individual product or service pages
- Dedicated testimonial page
- Within blog posts
- As part of in-depth case studies
Don’t overwhelm visitors with too many testimonials. A few quotes sprinkled in the right places add credibility and boost your brand.
2. Incorporate Testimonials in Email Marketing
Nurturing new clients is a primary goal of email marketing. Testimonials provide you with valuable content to hook readers. Here are a few specific thoughts on how to do that:
- Customer Success Stories: Share detailed case studies in newsletters to inspire others.
- New Product Launches: Include testimonials in announcement emails to add credibility.
- Drip Campaigns: Use testimonials in automated email sequences to nurture leads.
Except for the customer success story, the testimonial should be a small part of the entire email. Use conscious design to set the quote apart from the other content sections.
3. Leverage Testimonials in Social Media Content
As you can tell by now, your business can add testimonials in to virtually every digital marketing platform—and that includes social media. Effective social management involves diversifying your content, so your readers will likely appreciate this new type of post.
- Stand-alone text of the quote—and tag the client at the end
- Beautifully designed graphic with a shorter pull quote (and the full quote in the caption)
- Short video of the customer giving the testimonial
One key lesson is to be specific about a feature or quality of your product or business. How does this quote pinpoint a need felt by your target audience? Can you identify a barrier to entry that can be explained in your client’s words?
4. Enhance Print Pieces with Quotes
Testimonials aren’t just for digital marketing, either. Plenty of traditional promotions can benefit from a customer testimonial. Examine your existing print materials and consider which one (or all) could include a quote.
- Brochures or flyers
- Business cards
- Billboards
- Direct mail
Just remember to ask permission from the customer before using their quote—not just on print pieces, but on all of these platforms. The last thing you want is an unpleasant surprise and to turn a positive customer experience into a bad one.
5. Incorporate Testimonials into Client Pitches
Pitching new business is the closest you get to potential clients. They’ve likely seen some of the abovementioned platforms—your website, social media, etc. This is your chance to drive home your company’s value using a customer’s perspective.
- Sales Presentations: Add a slide with a customer quote to your deck.
- Proposals: Include a quote with the client’s contact in new sales pitches.
- Webinars: Share testimonials during presentations to build trust with the audience.
At this point, the potential client might want to have a conversation with the current client you’re quoting. This is a good thing and should be encouraged. But be sure to prepare any client so they’re not surprised if they’re contacted.
How Are You Using Customer Testimonials?
Testimonials are a powerful tool that can transform your marketing efforts by building trust and credibility. By incorporating them across various channels, you can create authentic connections that resonate with your audience.
These testimonials serve as social proof and provide real-world validation of your products or services, making your marketing more persuasive and effective. Remember, in a marketplace crowded with options, a genuine customer voice can be the differentiator that sets your brand apart.
