5 Strategies for Using Customer Testimonials to Promote Your Brand

You can get customer online testimonials with very little effort for maximum impact, but keep it informative and helpful – no one wants heavy promotion.

When you’re trying to build a brand, what are you focused on? You promote the product(s) and service(s) all over social media. You connect with potential customers and you attract them with great offers. In fewer words, branding is all about establishing social proof.

You want people to see how cool your brand is. You want them to recognize it among the competition. Eventually, you need them to follow the call to action and promote your brand further.

A Nielsen global study found that the majority of people don’t trust paid advertising. 92% of the respondents said they trusted recommendations from people they knew. Consumer opinions posted online also scored a high level of trust – 70%.

If you want to buy a TV and you notice a new brand in the store, what’s the first thing you’ll do? You’ll probably do an online research to see if others have experience with it. You’re looking for testimonials. If you don’t find them, will you get that TV at risk? No, you’ll probably buy from a brand you trust. That’s how important social proof is.

These recommendations are extremely important. We’ll give you tips on how to get them, but we’ll also suggest 5 strategies on how to use them.

How to Get Customer Testimonials

If you’re selling products and services, you’ll be getting online testimonials even if you don’t ask for them. However, you won’t be getting enough. You want to encourage the process of sharing experiences, so you’ll expand the social proof.

• Follow up on recent purchases. Request testimonials while the impressions are still fresh. You can secure testimonials if you send them email invitations. Ask them to share their experience and give them a discount code in return.
• Engage the audience on social media! Have you tried our latest product? How does it work? This simple question will trigger a discussion on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and every other medium you use for promotion. People will ask questions, looking for real customers to answer. Those who’ve tried your products or services will feel encouraged to share.
• Connect with influencers. Have you seen how Instagram fitness gurus promote clothes, props and superfoods?

Contact social media influencers from your niche and offer collaboration. You’ll provide the products for free, and you’ll negotiate the process of promotion. Remember: these testimonials have to be completely honest. Although you’re practically paying for them, you can’t expect 100% positive feedback. The influencer will agree to share the experience after using your product, but they won’t agree for you to tell them what to say. They have a reputation to maintain.

• Your employees are a great source of testimonials, too. When they share their positive experience with your brand from the inside, they generate social proof. They are the first ones to try your products, so they can recommend them to the people they know.

How to Use Customer Testimonials to Promote Your Brand

1. Create Case Studies

How exactly did your product or service change someone’s life? You can enhance a testimonial with a case study that provides more than a claim; it gives evidence.

Check Optimizely’s website to see how it builds its brand around case studies. The customers share insights on the effects this tool had on their performance.

2. Feature Testimonials on Your Website

When they read about real experiences on the product page, the potential customers will be triggered to buy it. In fact, you can feature testimonials on your homepage and About page, too. In fact, you can include a special Testimonials page at your website.

Julie Petersen, founder of an educational blogger and the founder of askpetersen.com gives an important tip: “Never feature false testimonials with photos you found online. It’s a cheap marketing trick and people see right through it. You want to get real testimonials and experiences that look convincing!”

3. Share the Testimonials on Social Media

Take a moment and check Vitamix on Instagram. Somewhere along those cool photos, you’ll notice reposts from people using this product and promoting it on Instagram.

Whenever someone shares their positive experience with your brand, share the good news on all social media sites.

4. Interact with People on Social Media

Not all testimonials will be 100% positive. If you’re doing your job well, most of the customers will be happy. The ones who found flaws, however, will share that experience on your social media page. In that case, it’s important to turn this into a positive thing.

Respond to the comments and offer a product replacement or a refund. If you think that the customer is not using the product or service the right way, explain how they can get the most of it. Do it in a nice, civilized tone.

5. Always Put the Customer First

That’s the golden rule to follow. No one wants heavy promotion. No one wants to keep reading great testimonials that just brag about your brand. If you show how you’re helping people solve problems, however, the experiences are interesting to read.

Those are the testimonials you want to share with your target audience – the ones that show how your product or service changed someone’s life.

Are you ready to start using testimonials the right way? Your brand will see huge benefits from these efforts!