Table of Contents
- The Psychological Power of Video Testimonials
- Why Is Trust So Important in Business?
- So, What’s the Role of Social Proof in Purchase Decisions?
- The Emotional Impact of Realistic Videos Is Deeper Than You Think
- Conversions: Let’s Talk About How Testimonials Directly Affect Them
- How to Break Down Buyer Hesitation
- Focus On Building Credibility and Authenticity
- The Sales Funnel: Yay!
- The SEO & Marketing Benefits of Video Testimonials
- Leverage Testimonials to Drive Traffic and Improve Overall SEO
- Video Testimonials Are Super Easy to Share (and Can Go Viral) 😉
- Level up Your Email Marketing and Ad Game With Video Testimonials
Image URL
AI summary
Title
Why Video Testimonials Are the Real “Hot Thing” in Internet Marketing Today
Date
Description
Video testimonials enhance trust and conversion rates by providing authentic social proof, emotional connections, and engaging content that resonates with potential customers, making them more likely to make a purchase. They also improve SEO and are easily shareable on social media, increasing brand visibility and engagement.
Status
Current Column
Person
Writer
Most people nowadays check out every company or product's social proof before making an important purchase decision.
Does this sound familiar to you?
This is nothing new or rare. Trust plays a crucial role when it comes to buying.
Something to consider is that while written reviews can be of help, nothing compares to the amazing feeling of video testimonials in the eyes of your customers.
Your prospects want to see and hear real people as they share their experiences.
That just makes it feel a lot more reliable and authentic.
In this article, we'll explore how video testimonials really have an impact on conversion rates and trust.
We'll go through things like authenticity, social proof, emotional connection, engagement, and more.
All of these help your business thrive. Let's jump right in.
The Psychological Power of Video Testimonials
Trust, in everything you do, is the foundation of every successful business. From employee relations to vendors, team leaders, and of course new and former customers, trust is the key to growing any business.
Let me put it this way. You can have the greatest product on Earth, but people won't care if they feel like they can't trust you. So, what can you do about it?
There are multiple options that you can use to try to create, increase, and foster trust. Since people like to rely on reviews, testimonials, word of mouth, and other recommendations to make the best decision, you definitely have an area of opportunity there.
Video testimonials are there for you to change the game.
In ways that would be difficult to completely describe in this post, testimonials reach your prospective customers’ minds and break the necessary barriers for these people to start trusting you. At least, it makes it more easy to believe in your business and feel like they are making the right decision.
.png?table=block&id=19f82f85-ad65-81c2-adde-d788c5343eac&cache=v2)
Why Is Trust So Important in Business?
Okay expanding on the initial point, let's talk a little bit more about why trust is so important in a business.
First, let's imagine you're looking for a personal training coach or a new software tool.
You visit the company's site and everything looks great but something is missing… Would you make a purchase or would you subscribe to a service if customer feedback was missing on their site or social media?
Most likely not.
Trust is one of the most important factors determining whether a person buys or not.
In fact, studies show that 92% of consumers read online reviews before any purchase and 72% have stated that positive testimonials have increased their trust in businesses they research about.
People want proof that they are making the right choice and they go to other people to find that proof.
The problem with written reviews is that they are easy to fake and consumers are increasingly skeptical of these types of reviews… Especially if they are too short or too generic.
This is where video testimonials have a huge opportunity!
When customer feedback comes from a real person, whose face you can see, and who tells you passionately about their experience, prospects are much more likely to trust you.
So, What’s the Role of Social Proof in Purchase Decisions?
Social proof is this concept that tells us that we should look at others when we make decisions.
It leads us to assume that if a product or service helped my friend, neighbor, or brother it will most likely it will help me too.
That is why businesses focus on giving a lot of emphasis to case studies, mentions from influencers or media, and of course comments from their clients.
These are all great opportunities to make use of social validation.
Video testimonials take this to another level because they are an amplified and improved version of any type of customer feedback.
Think about the last time you saw a video testimonial.
Maybe it was a skin product, a course, or a streaming subscription that you were considering.
If the person talking described the way that the product helped him or her and if you know is not affiliated with the company directly, I am pretty sure it made you feel a certain confidence or openness to explore what they had to say.
That’s just how it is.
If on top of that, you add enthusiasm, honesty, and a great story or in-depth experience - all these things will play in the favor of the company to help you decide if that is the right emotion.
And if so many people are doing this and winning, what prevents you from being on the other side?
Video testimonials also make a brand more human and easy to connect with instead.
Instead of being a faceless company that makes big promises, prospects can hear from real experiences who have tasted the benefits of your product or service firsthand.
This creates so much credibility and affirmation!
All of this is super essential for your marketing to reach another level.
The principles I just talked about are the same on every level.
For example, big brands use the success stories of their customers to do the same exact thing.
Businesses like Uber, Netflix, Coca-Cola, and Spotify try to focus on filling the world with ads and pieces of content showing real people talking about how their products changed their lives.
This isn’t just marketing. It is proof for the viewers that these products work or are good.
The Emotional Impact of Realistic Videos Is Deeper Than You Think
There is no other way to put it: humans are emotional creatures.
We love to connect with other people through stories, facial expressions, the way we speak, our tones, and more.
Text just can't replicate all of that!
That's why video testimonials are so hot in the market right now.
As these videos tap into the emotional sense of each person, they go directly to their heart and help them make purchasing decisions from a very private, internal state of awareness that is basically inaccessible to companies in other ways.
Imagine two different testimonials for a marriage & family therapy program.
The first one is a written review and it says the following,
“This program helped me connect better with my partner and heal many of the wounds from our past together. I recommend it.”
It sounds good and positive, right?
But what if instead, the website showed a video testimonial in which the client explains:
- How the relationship with her wife used to be (highlighting challenges)
- How they tried different things and kept having the same issues
- How he found this program which now helps him have a better relationship
It basically:
- Tells viewers all the benefits
- Explains how things have changed and improved
- You see the person smile
- You feel his emotion
- You feel his joy.
Do you have doubts about which option would have a better impact on the life of a person who is considering joining one of these programs?
Which one will you choose to use?
I am pretty sure that you would go with the video, too.
Also when potential clients see a testimonial their subconscious somehow reflects the emotions of the person speaking.
If the person is excited, satisfied, and appears to be happy, the viewer will feel the same way.
It is this emotional connection that will lead people to:
- Subscribe to a list
- Share their email with a company
- Request a call
- Join a meeting
Or simply hit the buy button, take out their card, and become your new paying customer.
Video testimonials help to remove all skepticism.
A written comment that is very well done can still seem “too good to be true,” but everything we have talked about about the real emotions that the video transmits (in terms of genuineness) makes everything different. There is basically no room for doubts in that aspect.
I cannot emphasize enough how important this is for people who sell high-ticket offers.
These are services or products that require a lot of trust. It doesn't matter if you are selling consulting, luxury goods or services, real estate, or anything else; people want to feel that they can trust you.
Video testimonials will lead you to offer that confidence to your potential buyers.
Conversions: Let’s Talk About How Testimonials Directly Affect Them
The real purpose of marketing is to make people take action.
Consumers are looking to buy a product, join a coaching program, get expert advice, or pay for a subscription.
TRUST is something companies need to provide them with before that happens.
That is precisely where testimonials come in.
They help:
These three will all lead to increasing conversion rates.
Let's explore how testimonials turn doubtful prospects into trusting customers and why they are so effective in increasing the sales of any business.
How to Break Down Buyer Hesitation
Before buying anything, prospects have doubts and concerns.
Their mind flies around things like:
- Do I really want to invest my money in this product?
- What is this service going to do for me?
- Does this program really work?
- Is there value in this transaction?
- Will I regret this purchase?
- Will this purchase be a waste of money?
Questions, objections, and concerns continue endlessly.
Many times these questions are asked automatically, without potential buyers thinking too consciously about them.
This process of doubt, fear of loss, or failure is completely normal.
After all, no person has unlimited money, and no one is going to want to spend it on something that is not going to give them what they want in return.
But, I have good news for you!
Testimonials directly attack all these doubts by giving real proof that what you sell works or has worked for someone else.
When people see that there have been real benefits in another person's life, that makes a big difference.
Instead of listening to a company brag about itself, hearing a story they can relate to from someone they like whispers in their ear, “You are making the right decision”.
For example, let's say you have a marketing agency.
A potential client may doubt whether your service is really going to help them get more clients.
A text-based testimonial about your services can say something like,
“I gained five new clients in 3 months. It was great. This agency is the best option to work with.”
That’s great! For sure. I am not saying that it isn’t.
But repeating our previous example, text testimonials can have their limitations and even raise additional questions and concerns.
With video, the users of any business can look up the review, and learn who they are and what are the things they do or have done.
This is much more striking, and seeing their excited face eliminates any doubt and leads to trust.
Focus On Building Credibility and Authenticity
Information and digitalization have created great changes in the way we buy and sell today.
Ironically customers are increasingly skeptical everywhere. Fake reviews abound as well as companies that make exaggerated claims.
This makes it very difficult for businesses to gain trust and that is where video testimonials have value; they provide the authenticity that no written testimonial can achieve.
The best thing about using video testimonials?
The fact that these are assets that help you increase your credibility and brand’s reach without having to pay large sums of money monthly.
You can use a tool like Testimonial.to to request, collect, store, and display your social proof wherever you want at a very low cost, compared to another method like continuously running paid ads that will stop generating traffic if you stop paying.
Testimonials are mostly a one-time investment, and the main investment is time.
You shouldn’t incur many costs beyond taking the time to properly request your happiest customers to provide information about your business.
Do you visualize how much you can achieve and reach only if you set your mind to it?
Maybe you only have one or two video testimonials on your website, right now.
Don’t worry! They will definitely help you improve your business.
The best is that as your business advances and as you request more testimonials and your customers are well-served and happy, you will have more and more and more videos on your site…
Until your page looks like this:
And believe me, those impressions are not easy to forget and have a real impact on the number of people who buy your products.
Be confident that these marketing practices combined with the others you are already doing will lead you to achieve something you had not thought of before. Of that I'm sure. 🤝🏻
The Sales Funnel: Yay!
Okay. Finally, this is where we will put everything that we've talked about in this section into context.
How does all of this make sense?
How are people going to get from watching a video testimonial to buying from you?
Well, it's because you're going to guide them through a sales funnel (and testimonials will have a lot to do with why they're going to move through these steps).
So let me show you how to take your clients from curiosity to commitment.
- The Awareness stage
This is where you bring your potential customers into the funnels. At this stage, people are just discovering what you do. They are probably not even looking for a solution like yours, but they're open to learning more because they have a problem that you could solve.
Testimonials are going to help you capture their attention and spark that “something” so that they become interested in what you do.
For example, a short but very striking testimonial video that you publish on social media, which naturally introduces your product, will make people interested in knowing more.
It can even be seen as UGC (user-generated content).
If the video shows a happy person talking about their positive experience with a product or service it will either make them click on your links to a product page or just leave a lasting impression which you can benefit from the next time people interact with something related to your brand.
- The Consideration Stage
How will you convince prospective customers who are interested, but still have doubts?
If the prospect is interested that doesn't mean “success” yet.
He or she may be reviewing other options and comparing to see which one convinces them the most.
This is where they start to have the doubts that we talked about in the previous section.
The objective in this stage is to answer those doubts and any other objections that the person may have in their mind.
For example, if you were selling a software development course, your goal now is to use video testimonials that showcase a student narrating how the course helped them get a job a few months after they finished the course.
This type of experience can be highly persuasive.
This helps those who have doubts to have confidence in their decision.
- The Decision Stage
At this point, the client is very close to buying. He just needs one last push.
A powerful video testimonial can be what convinces him to seal the deal with your company.
Here, don’t forget to use this critical best practice:
Put testimonials everywhere!
On the pricing pages, product pages, and even on the final sales pages.
This can help reinforce that trust and any last-minute doubts that may arise.
Seeing real people validating the business you have created will create trust and confidence, making it easier for people to commit (even with large amounts of money).
Actually, if you are into high-ticket sales you should never underestimate this advice.
You don’t want to lose any sales in the last step. These prospects have “cost” you the most resources and in many cases if they don’t buy here they will be very difficult to recover.
The SEO & Marketing Benefits of Video Testimonials
Okay, everything we've talked about revolves around helping build trust and increase conversions, however, video testimonials have many other benefits in terms of marketing and SEO.
Here are some additional tips to increase the visibility of your products or services, bring in new customers, and improve the performance of your marketing campaigns.
Testimonials will help you with all of this. Here’s how to achieve it.
Leverage Testimonials to Drive Traffic and Improve Overall SEO
Major search engines (like Google,) always prioritize sites that are of high value to visitors.
One of the main factors when assigning rankings or measuring the “value” of a site is considering how long a person stays on that site (dwell time).
If people visit your site and quickly leave, Google will assume that your content simply isn't valuable and your ratings on that aspect will lower.
For multiple reasons, videos will naturally increase dwell time.
One is because people are more likely to watch a long video than to read a very long text.
A well-placed video on your main product page on a landing page will keep customers engaged for longer which will reduce your bounce rate.
In fact, it is proven that adding a video to a web page can increase the time people stay on the site by 88%.
Remember, all this information goes directly from Google, which will rank your page higher if your site is considered more valuable.
Additionally, Google prioritizes video content in search engines. All sites that have video are considered 53 times more likely to rank on the first page.
So, if you add testimonials to your site optimize them for relevant key words, and use SEO-optimized descriptions you will have a much better chance of being discovered by new clients.
How does that sound to you? I say it's worth it!
Video Testimonials Are Super Easy to Share (and Can Go Viral) 😉
In the age of social media, video content is the main source of traffic.
People tend to ignore posts with long text all the time, but videos definitely grab their attention.
This makes it more likely for people to interact, comment, react, and more.
In addition to that, testimonials are much easier to share than written reviews.
If a customer's story resonates with people, they will most likely want to share it with other people. It's that simple.
When one of your videos is shared, it reaches a new potential customer who has never even heard of your brand.
Major social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok give total priority to video content, which means that if you publish or share your testimonials in video format, you will reach a larger audience.
Get access to our 40+ Free Testimonial Templates by clicking here 🎨
No matter how incredible it may seem, video content on social media has 1,200% more shares than text and image posts combined.
And as you can understand, more shares mean more visibility, more engagement, and more benefits for your brand.
If you want people to believe in your brand, social media is the way to make yourself known and video is the format you want to look for so that other people are interested in what your clients have to say about you.
Additionally, you have to consider one thing, although not all videos will have the same impact and not all of them will go “viral,” there is a chance that they can.
My advice here: keep publishing and sharing, and your business will thank you later.
Level up Your Email Marketing and Ad Game With Video Testimonials
To wrap up, I want to talk about the benefits of video testimonials in email marketing and ads.
Email Marketing
According to WiserNotify, video testimonials can increase email click-through rates by up to 300%.
The reason is simple. Again, video is much more attractive than text and people prefer to watch the video than read long lines.
My recommendation is to start with a simple test introducing testimonials in video format in one of your best-performing emails and see what your audience's response.
Paid Advertising
Paid ads are one of the best ways to generate traffic and get new clients, however, it's a very competitive marketing tactic.
Consumers are bombarded with ads everywhere and every day.
Many people just ignore them unless something catches their attention!
Video testimonials work perfectly well in paid ads because they feel personal and genuine (much better than regular commercials).
People want to see other people talking about a real product and something genuine will give them more confidence.
Studies show that videos can increase your ad conversions by 48% more than static images.
Any platform can give you a similar result (Facebook, YouTube, Google ads, or others).
So, don't hesitate to incorporate video testimonials into your ad strategy and again, compare the results with your past ads. I bet you will notice a difference!
Well, I just want to end here, by saying that I hope you liked this article and that it can give you what you are looking for.
If you have any doubts or questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here.
Testimonial will help you collect text and video testimonials from your customers with no need for a developer or website hosting (in minutes).
Try it FREE now.
Written by
