The Evolution of Testimonials
Testimonials work.
People are more apt to believe a stranger than your sales pitch any day. Its how we operate. People don't want to be sold to anymore.
To help build trust, marketers turned to testimonials.
At first, we put them on a dedicated page within websites. We were proud of them – those few lines of text followed by a name and company info.
And the lists grew.
The pages were filling up and all of those testimonials started to blur together into a mass. Eventually, nothing stood out. More white, skimmable noise.
So we decided to add pictures to our testimonials.
Grainy headshots were edited, cropped, and even rounded for a modern look. Then we upped the game and took original, high-quality photos of people working, using products or services on their own turf.
Sprinkled them around.
Testimonials started looking more professional, so we decided to set them free throughout websites. Throw a few on the homepage. Get one on the blog sidebar. Before long, we got even wiser and paired testimonials with product pages. It seemed like the right thing to do.
Finally, we realized that testimonials help visitors convert on landing pages. So they popped up there as well. Now we were cooking.
Then something happened.
Someone took a video of an individual praising their product and put it on their website. Since then, video testimonials have evolved from simple one-liners or soundbites to fully developed, professionally shot and edited trust-building powerhouses of conversion.
Why are video testimonials so effective?
Other than the fact that video is the most demanded form of content on the web today, video testimonials deliver the goods better than text testimonials because they tell stories, they connect, they evoke emotion, and they help you rank. The examples below highlight different styles and production quality; however, each video aims to build trust in a product or service.
1. Video testimonials tell stories.
Done correctly, a video testimonial can tell a story. People remember stories. People share stories. People learn through the art and science of storytelling. Video testimonials allow businesses to tell their story through the eyes of delighted customers.
2. Video testimonials connect.
The written word takes more effort to make a connection. That's why marketers started using photos with testimonials. The pictures helped people connect. Video pumps that connection up another notch, pairing a name with a face, with a voice, with a setting, with a plot, with a triumph. People connect with video content.
3. Video testimonials evoke emotion.
If your video testimonial is telling a story and connecting with people, chances are it's also evoking an emotional response. Traditional advertising has been pulling heartstrings for years. Savvy filmmakers and marketers have borrowed similar techniques to create testimonials that drive action.
4. Video testimonials rank higher.
Bottom line, if you want to rank on Google or other search engines, drive people to your site through social media, and keep them around longer, you need to create video content. Testimonials should be your number one video creation priority.
Video has emerged as the medium of choice for testimonials. For marketers and businesses to compete online, video needs to be a part of your trust-building strategy. Remember, bottom-of-the-funnel content such as testimonials remain key drivers of new revenue. Video testimonials can help your business sell more.
Get started creating video content today by watching our video marketing series! Learn how video can increase website traffic, generate leads, and close sales.