Do you want to increase conversions and engagement for your startup? Testimonials from customers can be a great way to do that. They’ll act as social proof that encourages more people to start doing business with you. But how do you get them, and how can you use them?
How to Get More Testimonials in 4 Steps
Whether you’re looking for more compelling video testimonials or text-based reviews for your business, there’s an easy way to encourage more reviews. Here’s what to do in 4 steps.
Step 1: Ask Your Customers
The simplest way to get testimonials is to ask your customers directly. You can send an email or text to customers who’ve interacted with your business in the past and ask them to leave a testimonial. Make sure to emphasize how their feedback can help the company grow.
Step 2: Leverage Social Media
Social media is a great platform to reach your customers and ask for feedback. If you run contests, use campaign-specific hashtags, and encourage community engagement, you’ll receive more user-generated content. You can then post this content on your platforms.
Step 3: Write a Script
Writing a script can increase the number of testimonials you receive because you’re doing most of the work for them. All the customer or client has to do now is sign off on the text post or record the video. Encourage your customers or clients to add a personal touch to their reviews.
Step 4: Offer an Incentive
It can be difficult to get people to leave testimonials, so you may need to provide an incentive for customers to do so. You can offer a discount or special deal on their next purchase if they leave a testimonial. To encourage honesty, offer a reward for either a positive or negative review.
How to Use Your Testimonials to Increase Sales
Once you have a few testimonials, you can start distributing them on your website and social media platforms. But before you do, you’ll need to vet your testimonials for accuracy.
Choose Testimonials Wisely
When it comes to selecting the right testimonials, choose ones that:
Highlight the problem that your product or service solves
Are written by customers who are respected and recognized within your industry
Tell a story that resonates with potential customers
You should also invest the necessary time to craft, refine and approve all submitted testimonials before you publish them. Not only will this give you control over the final version, but it will also prevent any errors, inaccuracies, and inconsistencies that may weaken the testimonials’ impact.
Feature Testimonials on Your Website
Choose a few quality testimonials and feature them in highly visible places on your website, such as the home page, product or service page, or checkout page. Doing this will give buyers a chance to learn about your product and give it more visibility to potential customers or clients.
Share Your Testimonials on Social Media
Your website isn’t the only place to showcase your product or service - social media is a great platform to establish trust. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you should share customer testimonials on your social channels to spark more conversations and engagement.
Utilize Third-Party Platforms
Don’t just ask for testimonials on platforms you control, as customers may think you’re faking some of them or not being fully authentic. Instead, ask customers to leave reviews on Yelp, Google, or Glassdoor, as it’s difficult to remove negative testimonials on these platforms.
Use Testimonials to Understand Customers
Keep in mind that you can use reviews, testimonials, and comments to analyze customer sentiment and better understand their needs and preferences. If you adjust to your customer’s preferences, you’ll inevitably make more sales and improve your reputation in the community.