I was looking for a gift for my movie buff friend when I saw this testimonial:
It made me laugh. And even though the star rating was low, I was sold.
Here's the point of my story:
Testimonials have a significant influence on your eCommerce business. And if you're not utilizing its potential, you're missing out a lot.
What would you be missing out on?
Well, utilizing customer testimonials can generate 62% more revenue.
And it can even boost conversion rates of more expensive items by 380%!
Customer testimonials are the untapped resources for your marketing campaign.
And I am here to help you use customer testimonials to take your content marketing to the next level.
I'm talking about improving your landing pages, blog, social media, and email strategy.
Let's start with...
Why Are Testimonials Essential For Your Marketing Campaign?
The internet is full of fake information and filtered faces. But real people's stamp of approval comes in the form of online reviews and relevant testimonials.
Utilize testimonials to...
Provide Social Proof
Do you ask your friends and family for restaurant recommendations?
What about looking for critics' reviews before you watch a movie?
These situations are examples of a psychological phenomenon called social proof.
We tend to rely on other people's opinions before we decide.
And when done right, you can use social proof for your marketing campaigns.
Customer testimonials are one of the most convincing social proofs.
A whopping 72% of consumers will only act after seeing a positive review!
Great testimonials can also...
Display Extra Credibility
Listen... your customers won't leave you great testimonials if you don't attend to their needs.
It means that you solve their pain points to their satisfaction.
Prospective customers will see all your testimonials from happy customers.
This can help not only create leads but also drive conversions.
Using customer testimonials can...
Make Your Brand Relatable
Don't you love it when you hear feel-good news on TV? What about when you see people's stories on your social media platforms?
People love content they can relate to. That's why you need to incorporate testimonials into your marketing efforts. Relevant content brings a human touch to your brand that makes you relatable.
And when customers see you as something they can relate to, you become trustworthy in their eyes.
You see, trust is impactful to your customers' purchasing decisions. So that means customer testimonials can...
Increase Conversions
With happy customers' testimonials, you can convert site visits into more leads.
Here's how.
Businesses with 5 stars gain 69% of all clicks among top Google rankings. Moreover, 56% of customers pick a brand for having positive reviews.
Plus, testimonials on your sales pages can increase conversions by up to 34%.
Yep, customer testimonials can do a lot of good for your customer journey!
Are you ready to utilize your customer testimonials for your content marketing efforts? Let's start with...
What Are The Types Of Testimonials You Can Use?
Here's the good news: it's not only customer testimonials you can use as marketing materials. There are a lot of options you can use as positive feedback.
Here's a list of testimonials you can gather for your content strategy:
- Prospective clients. Show them the like-minded people you've worked with who have positive feedback for you.
- Employees. Your sales and marketing teams can offer a fresh perspective on how awesome it is to work for your business.
- Influencers and experts. People with authority who can vouch for your brand can reassure a potential customer's purchasing decision.
Let's go! Keep reading, and I'll tell you how to use these types of testimonials on different content marketing strategies.
Here is...
How To Use Testimonials In Your Marketing Strategy?
1. Use A Rating System For Your Products
Imagine your homepage as a shop window. Potential customers would stop by and look over what you offer. And customer testimonials can further entice them to come in and buy!
So, don't be shy and display glowing reviews from loyal customers. You only have a few seconds to get their attention. So make it count!
Here's how:
Add a simple 5-star rating to your written testimonials. Include short testimonials. Even if your website visitors won't stick around for too long, they'll remember your superb customer feedback.
Adding star ratings can also help your search engine optimization. Google will most likely show snippets of reviews with star ratings.
You can also add important details to each customer testimonial. Include customers' names, photos, and locations. This will heighten its credibility... and make them stay longer.
Let's look at an excellent example. Sally Beauty proudly displays its products on its homepage. They only show the products' star ratings to keep it brief and enticing.
Another way how to use testimonials in marketing is...
2. Leverage Quote Testimonials On Web Pages
Don't have enough testimonials from your current customers?
No worries! You can use testimonials from reputable brands or people you've worked with. Their opinions carry a lot of weight as part of your industry.
The best way to highlight them is by quoting them. Try placing your testimonials in a slide or a carousel.
Plus, make sure it's visible on your homepage. Your target audience won't have to look hard for that extra credibility points on your service pages.
Visit the website of Debutify. Its homepage features a lineup of industry leaders who enjoy the service of the Shopify theme.
Notice how the testimonial videos make great visual content? Because you can also...
3. Create Video Testimonials
Did you know that online videos make up 82% of all consumer internet traffic?
There's a reason why TikTok is a top social media platform. Their visual content entirely comprises of videos. These videos are easy to consume and also brief.
Here's my point: you can use this fact to your advantage. 84% of customers said they were convinced to buy a product or service through video.
So, ask the best customers you have for video testimonials. You can also request a video of them using your product or service. With it, potential customers can have an idea of how your product or service works.
That's a game-changer!
Of course, if your product or service is still green, you can create a video testimonial yourself. Think of it like it's a sales pitch. Demonstrate how your target audience can benefit from your brand. Incorporate it into your blog content.
Speaking of blog content...
4. Use Q&A Interviews For Your Blog
Your blog visitors are unique and different from your regular website visitors. How so?
Well, regular website visitors are already familiar with your offer. But blog readers are not and are still looking for options, so you must rein them in with testimonials.
So, conduct an interview that focuses on your industry. It can even be about your client's achievements. Then, segue into talking about how your brand helped them.
Tip: Conduct an interview in which you can subtly promote your eCommerce business instead of hard-selling it.
Another way you can show someone's great customer experience is when you...
5. Highlight Success Stories
Displaying a vivid story can help your customers imagine themselves a certain experience. Success stories can do just that.
You can start by introducing your happy customer. Describe their situation or problem. Then, dive into how your brand helped them out.
Sugarbear does it in a unique way. To capture their target audience's attention, they summarize their success stories into numbers.
Be as creative as you want when displaying success stories. You can also use your customers' stories on your videos and other content marketing forms.
When talking about positive reviews, be sure to include social media and...
6. Feature Social Media Shoutouts
At the start of your social media marketing strategy, you would have created a branded hashtag for your business. Don't let those tagged photos go to waste! Use it for further social proof.
Potential customers usually learn about brands through word of mouth. Friends and family sharing photos and testimonials online is a part of word-of-mouth marketing.
So what do you have to do?
You can take screenshots of your customers' social media posts. Better yet, you can directly repost them to your own social media account.
Additionally, you can use Debutify's Instagram Feed Add-On. It displays the latest photos of your Instagram page on your eCommerce site.
For example, the beauty company KimChi Chic Beauty does this very well. They repost and feature their IG feed right on their homepage.
Add value to your new customers' journey through email marketing and...
7. Add Testimonials To Your Post-Purchase Email Campaign
It's easy to sound like a broken record when you speak with existing customers. You can only tell them so much about your product or service in an email.
So let your other customers do the talking for you! Put social proof into your email campaigns. Include snippets of reviews into the suggested products, including star ratings.
To keep the conversation going, convince your buyer to write testimonials themselves.
That way, the process keeps going for your marketing strategies.
Lastly, keep your website updated and...
8. Add A Dedicated Page For Your Customer Testimonials
Your customers love you. They can't say enough good things about your business. You have enough social proof to last a lifetime.
So give them the space to show their awesome customer experience!
A testimonial page can push a potential customer to go through the sales process. It also helps create trust between your business and potential customers. As well as establish authority within your industry.
ChowNow created a minimalist page for all the testimonials it receives. The call to action button is also properly placed at the end of the page.
Aaaand that's how you successfully use testimonials for your marketing!
As you now know...
With Powerful Testimonials, Come Great Conversions!
You just learned about the importance of testimonials and how you can incorporate them into your eCommerce business.
So, don't waste any time and include testimonials on your web pages and other channels as you see fit. Consider what kind of testimonials you have and what your visitors might want to see.
Having said that, make sure that your testimonials are on center stage with your chosen eCommerce theme.
And Debutify Reviews is the perfect app for you. It allows you to customize the widgets' look and feel to ensure they match your brand. So, what are you waiting for?
