The testimonial video
a vital online marketing tool
When telling the success story of your business, product or service, the easy route is to use numbers to make a big impression. In most cases stats relating to growth and progress are readily available, having likely been collated for a multitude of additional purposes. But are they the right measure by which to impactfully promote your achievements and win new customers?
Of course, numbers can be used to communicate a certain level of progress, but they are only one part of a much broader story … and in most cases they’re probably not the most powerful part. It’s more likely your stakeholders will gain a true understanding of the success and value of your endeavours by speaking to their emotions in a relatable way … and that is where the corporate testimonial video comes in!
Sharing the stories and experiences of real people – in this case, your customers and employees – and communicating how your operations have improved their lives, will appeal to the emotions of your audience, make a strong impact, and importantly build trust.
And what better way to achieve all of the above then through the power of video? Below, we’ve rounded up a few of the many reasons why the customer testimonial video should be considered for any successful company’s online marketing strategy.
Testimonial videos bring authenticity
We’ve all seen promotional or corporate videos with a nameless spokesperson reciting from a script, telling you why you should consider their product or service. Perhaps it’s the big boss, or maybe some sort of external specialist has been brought in to back up the claims a business is making with numbers or science.
Of course, the above approaches definitely serve a purpose, and should never be dismissed if circumstances dictate. But going back to the old adage of ‘show don’t tell’, it’s always a more effective strategy to demonstrate a positive impact rather than simply telling somebody about it.
For instances where you’re reaching out to make a genuine emotional connection with your target audience, you can’t beat a real person sharing a real story about the life-changing effect your business has had on them.
In the same way that we all share our own experiences with family and friends, all that’s needed for a great testimonial video is a storyteller who believes in your organisation, has an opinion about it that they feel other people need to hear, and is willing to share that opinion (and the reasons they love you so much!) with the camera.
There should be no script, and minimal direction. Perhaps somebody on-set should have a few questions on-hand to act as prompters if needed. But clever editing from your video testimonial service partner can be used to work around any stumbles or false starts. So simply let the camera roll, and invite your advocate to share their thoughts.
Those who truly believe in your organisation will speak convincingly
We have probably all been in the position at some stage of watching an advertisement that offers details of a product or service and thought, “This is all insightful information, but for some reason I’m just not convinced.” That could be because the presenter either doesn’t 100 per cent believe or understand what they are saying, or is not authentically passionate about it.
Using video to capture a storyteller who is enthusiastic about sharing their passion, excitement, relief, joy or sadness around a situation that your organisation has somehow made better is the sort of third-party endorsement money can’t buy. Having a customer or employee who is prepared to speak from the heart brings a deep sense of conviction, which audiences pick up on through language, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language.
Think about the last engrossing documentary you watched. You were probably hooked in based on the strength of the subjects who were sharing their stories and experiences. Meanwhile, podcasting is an ever-popular medium that usually consists of one or two people discussing topics they care about. Essentially, what this demonstrates is that people who talk from a place of passion are always going to be convincing and, importantly, engaging.
People stories are memorable
Humour us for a moment and cast your mind back to your school days. It’s doubtful you’ll remember very much about mathematical equations or scientific formulas, unless you rely on them in your career today. For most of us numbers, theories, methodologies and any other textbook content that we’re probably never going to use will not be retained long-term. But when it comes to the stories of the people we knew, the memories are suddenly much more plentiful.
That outspoken kid who said something so funny that even the teacher was left in hysterics. Playing truant with your best mate to avoid a Maths test and heading to the beach instead. The person who drank a little too much at the end-of-year formal. And that time you forgot what day it was and arrived in full school uniform on a casual clothes day, automatically making you a laughing stock for the day.
You probably have a plethora of vividly remembered stories, no matter how many years ago you went to school. And you can probably remember a lot more faces and names that you might expect, too. You’re particularly likely to remember your interactions with acquaintances from long ago if those people made you feel something.
A client testimonial video can achieve the same thing. A powerfully shared story or experience that elicits an emotional response will stay with the audience much longer than a list of numbers or facts reeled off by some other kind of spokesperson to demonstrate how successful your business is.
Real people bring a level of authority that CEOs and celebrities cannot
Often when a CEO, business leader, actor or celebrity endorser tells us why we should buy what they’re selling in the form of promotional videos, there can be lingering doubts in the minds of viewers about whether they’re being given a totally honest account.
That’s probably because in such cases, the speaker has a vested interest – the boss obviously wants to grow their business, the actor is taking home a tidy paycheck, and likely the high-profile ambassador is being paid too, whether they’re passionate about your product or not. This approach therefore risks sacrificing a level of authority and objectivity.
Real, relatable, unpaid people who have benefitted from your organisation’s existence who are willing to share their experiences for no other reason than they think other people ought to know how great you are, are worth their weight in gold. And their support has the potential to bring the highest level of authority to your video marketing.
These are people who believe in what you do, because they’ve seen it. They have experienced the benefits of your offerings first-hand, and their lives have been positively impacted. When the audience hears directly from them that your product is all you claim it is and more, they will know they are hearing the truth. And what’s more, they will be much more open to seriously consider whether you might be able to do the same for them.
Promotional videos can often be overlooked by existing and potential customers as they filter through the contents of their inboxes and scroll through social media feeds. If it looks too much like an advertisement, it is even less likely to grab the attention of those who have reached saturation point when it comes to being sold to.
However, by bringing satisfied and passionate customers to their screens to tell your story with conviction, enthusiasm and authenticity, in a non-salesy manner, your video is not only more likely to be watched, but also engaged with and remembered.
To hear more about how customer testimonial videos might work as part of your website, social media platforms or other digital marketing materials might work for you, and the process involved, WeMOV is always here for a chat! As a provider of some of the best services in video production Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane has to offer, feel free to ask us anything questions about your video content needs.
