Immediate Action: Testimonials that work!
Customer testimonials are a critical trust anchor for SMBs because they build trust, improve conversion rates, and reinforce your brand. Social proof psychology shows that people look to others’ experiences when they feel uncertain. When prospects see other customers’ wins, it accelerates trust. Brands that use reviews and testimonials often see conversion lifts of 30% or more, and customers who interact with reviews are more likely to convert. When the testimonials match your brand, they reinforce your positioning using your customers’ own words.
Testimonials are not decoration; they are proof that your brand promise delivers.
Ideal Testimonials
Many reviews say simply, “They were great!” Certainly, that feels good, but the most effective testimonials provide more insight.
Who is the reviewer (their customer profile), and what problem needed to be resolved?
Why did they choose your business?
What were the results (quantified, when possible)?
How do they feel about the result (emotionally)?
Whenever possible, include their name, role, company, location, and sometimes a photo or logo (with permission). These details add authenticity to the review.
But How?
You might think, “I have no control over what a client says.” Of course, you cannot tell them what to write or say, but if your service or product experience is excellent, it helps. Still, it is unlikely that a client will create a perfect review without some prompting. Ask them.
This need not be brash. I admit when I was a magician and was booked by an agent with a client, I sometimes did specifically say, “The agent will contact you asking for a review, and it will help me a lot if you said something nice and gave me 5 stars.” If you connect and do great work, people want to help you. I can only remember this backfiring once, and even then I got 3.5 stars. But I also got dozens of 5 star reviews.
Another idea is to provide a testimonial card, which prompts the client for the content you need. These can be physical cards (filled out on site), emails, web forms, or traditional mail. Here are some samples.
Website Testimonial Card
Website reviews create high impact with prospects, in part because you are in complete control of the format and length on this site. This example skews toward Business-to-Business, but customize it to your customer:
Thanks for your business. Please give us a short testimonial for our website. Could you share:
What did we help you resolve?
Why did you choose our business?
What results did you receive?
How did we impact your business?
May we use your name, role, company, and city (as you would like it displayed)?
Thank you for your business and insights.
Social Media Testimonial Request
Thanks for your business. Would you be open to posting a quick shout-out on your social media and tagging us? Here are some ideas:
What were you struggling with?
What did we do to help?
What was the biggest win for you?
Please tag our profile and any relevant hashtag you like.
Thanks, we look forward to working with you again.
Now What?
Customer testimonials are a competitive advantage you already own. They are simple to source and add credibility and authority to your brand. Be sure to promote those that support your brand and paint you in a good light.
In a future blog post, we will look at how to process these reviews to discover your strengths and weaknesses and form appropriate action plans. We will also discuss how to use your competitors’ reviews to analyze and understand your market.
But a word of caution: never edit these reviews (except perhaps for grammar or spelling, and even then cautiously and minimally). Editing undermines their value.
You can format them and use them on websites, social media, promotions, direct emails, and newsletters. The investment is small, and the potential return is significant.
#CustomerTestimonials #SocialProof #SMBMarketing #BrandTrust #BrandCredibility #SmallBusinessMarketing #MarketingStrategy #BrandStrategy #CustomerReviews
