Does your business need testimonials?
Let’s face it every business needs testimonials, they are the ultimate social proof or third party endorsement that we excel at what we do. However the days of showing a list of them on a page of your website will no longer cut it in todays digital age.
Video is now the king of testimonials, and should be your weapon of choice when ever possible. It has never been easier to create, host & upload short videos for this purpose. Almost any smart phone is capable of capturing those accolades when ever the opportunity presents itself. They do not need to be cinema quality productions, in fact as long as the lighting and sound is adequate the more “on the spot” you can make them the more genuine the effect.
Here are 5 tips on creating awesome video testimonials with your smart phone
1. Ask your clients or customers for one.
When was the last time someone came up to you and said “I love what you do, would you mind if I created a video testimonial you can use on your website” Hmmm that would be never! If you don’t ask you will not get.
2. Have an easy to follow format for your endorsee to follow
If you ask someone to star in a short video about your business, make it super easy for them to say yes. When I ask someone to do this I usually request they express themselves in the context of before and after.
“Hi my name is xxx before I started working with Adam I knew very little about how to effectively use social media for my business. After working through his on-line course I now have the frame work and the tools to do this in a very powerful way. I highly recommend his courses for anyone who needs help with social media.”
Don’t over script it for them or you risk all having them all sound the same. Just offer a broad outline to follow in their own words.
3. Keep them short and on topic
If a picture tells a thousand words a video voices the entire book. 30 to 40 seconds is more than enough. Very specific endorsements will allow you to use them in a much more powerful way that just a testimonials page. If you have multiple products or services a short video extolling the virtues of each one, is more valuable than a long generalised endorsement about your business. You can add these on the same page as each product or service for potential new clients to see without needing to searching.
4. Don’t over edit
A minor blooper or incorrect word show real sincerity, of course have a test run or 2 before shooting the final version. This will also ensure your lighting and sound are up to par, especially when you are shooting from a smart phone. There are cheap microphones available you can attach to your smart phone to improve sound quality.
5. Keep a steady hand
Tuck your elbows into your torso to steady your hands, using two hands will keep the phone more steady than one. There is nothing more distracting than your subject appearing move all over the screen.
So that is it, forget about those old school written testimonials and start shooting video testimonials as soon as you can. Host them on your Youtube channel and add them in as many places as appropriate on your website.
Of course share them often on your social media profiles and encourage others to do the same.