Testimonial videos are a marketing tool that helps promote your brand by sharing the real customer experience. These videos feature real customers, so they convey a trustworthiness and authenticity that no standard commercial can match.
Customer testimonials work because they provide social proof that your product or service is worth investing in. They go beyond the sales pitch to provide first-hand accounts of your offering in action.
2 Ways to Make Customer Testimonials
There are two ways to make videos that showcase impactful testimonials on your website. Either you can put them in front of a camera crew, or let customers record their own. The professional option is more controllable while self-recorded videos feel more organic and authentic, if a little less polished. We’ll walk you through both versions and why you might choose one over the other.
Professionally Produced Testimonials
Professionally produced videos are best for when professionalism and polish are essential. These videos are often best for B2B marketing because they offer the brand maximum control. The production value reassures customers of the quality of the product.
The video below from Salesforce cuts together talking head footage of a corporate VP at Wiley with b-roll to convey a sense of professionalism and trustworthiness.
And the classic client testimonial style can do a lot more. It gives you the creative control to create a compelling story.
In the testimonial video below, Instacart explains why they use Confluent, but this is more than a talking head video. The creators combined customer interviews with B-roll, animated elements, and even news clips to create a cinematic experience. It almost feels like you’re watching a documentary.
This style of testimonial performs best on YouTube and on television or streaming services. On social media, it might stand out as too polished. Which is part of why the second style has become more popular in the last few years.
Customer Recorded Video Testimonials
User-generated content feels organic and authentic. The client might record the video on a smartphone and send it to the brand for editing and production, or the brand could pull content from Zoom and social media, with creator permission of course.
In the example below, a real student tells an authentic story about their experience with the Sign Language Center.
The production quality may be lower on these types of videos, but they mimic popular social media videos and influencer content. As a result, customer-generated videos fit seamlessly onto platforms like TikTok, where too much polish can cause users to skip your content.
Organic-style videos are most often used in B2C marketing, although that’s not a hard-and-fast rule. Some B2B brands use them too. This less formal, less polished style feels authentic and personal in a way that consumers can relate to.
Choose The Right Customer Partner
The customer partner you choose has a big impact on the success of your testimonial video. You want someone with a strong presence and a compelling story to tell. Here are a few factors to consider before you approach a customer for a testimonial:
- A clear narrative – Look for customers with success stories that include a compelling problem with your product as a solution.
- Strength of relationship – You want to work with a client that knows your brand well and can speak with knowledge and authenticity.
- Mutual benefit – Consider how the video can help everyone involved. For example, in the classic style videos above, the company giving the testimonial gets what amounts to free advertising for their business.
- Authority – Companies or executives that are industry leaders have greater perceived authority. Look for brands with name recognition in their industries.
- Existing Audience – Creators who are already thought leaders or influencers in their space bring a ready-made audience for your video.
Whoever you choose should be representative of some segment of your client base. Once you’ve identified a few clients you’d like to interview, it’s time to approach them and make the ask. Here’s how to do that.
How To Ask For A Video Testimonial
Asking for a testimonial may be as easy as sending an email or making a phone call. But how you ask matters. Include these key elements:
- Acknowledgement – thank them for their business
- A clear ask – tell them what you want them to do, and when
- Incentives – explain how this video could be valuable to them
Many B2C customers are happy to do testimonials for fun or exposure on a social media platform. Others will appreciate a discount or free product in exchange for their testimonial. Just make sure you disclose these incentives in the final video.
It can be a little more difficult to convince B2B customers to participate. Recording a testimonial video takes time and energy your customer could be spending on their business. Show them the value by highlighting opportunities for cross-promotion. You might also choose to offer a discount or other incentives.
Pro tip: Brands may be more willing to help if you offer to capture some video for them while you’re on site. Since you already have a film crew set up, you can easily capture footage for their next commercial or HR video.
When working with other brands, getting approvals can be the toughest hurdle. Some companies, especially larger brands, or brands in regulated industries like healthcare or finance, may require several rounds of approvals or a legal review before they can green light a video project. Work with your client partner to understand their needs.
What Makes A Good Video Testimonial?
The best testimonial videos are unique, but also share some traits in common. You should always aim to:
- Outline a sticky problem
- Describe the customer journey
- Communicate specific results
Make sure the customer representatives you’re interviewing are comfortable on camera, and are prepared well ahead of the shoot. Give them a script along with a breakdown or storyboard of the video. You might include suggestions for hair, wardrobe and makeup as well.
Ask them to aim for interview responses that are short and clear. These can more easily be edited into the soundbites you need. You may even want to do a rehearsal run to get them comfortable with the interview questions.
For self-recorded video, you can still offer advice on talking points, wardrobe, lightning, and sound quality. Many customers will appreciate the guidance.
Considerations for Recording On-location
Don Forschmidt, a video director for IdeaRocket says that clients often don’t realize the scope of time, personnel, and equipment needed for an in-person shoot. The following considerations can help you prepare clients and create a positive experience:
- Space – “Always communicate how many crew members and others are coming in and how much equipment,” Forschmidt said. “People are amazed when they see how much equipment it takes.” Work with the client to find the right location.
- Lighting – You want your interview to look great, and the right lighting makes a huge difference. “It’s good to know if there are windows, if are there blinds [to monitor light], and what direction are the windows facing”
- Sound – Background noise can drown out the interview, and add hours to post-production if you have to edit out unexpected sound. “Find out if there is a lot of noise around the office and can it be controlled, “Forschmidt said. “Make sure people near your subject’s office are aware that a bit more quiet might be needed.”
Pro Tip: When recording on-location or in a client’s space, “make sure you take photos of the space so you can restore it exactly when you leave,” Forschmidt said. “Always leave a location in better shape than when you got there.”
How Long Should A Testimonial Video Be?
The length of your testimonial video depends on how and where you plan to share it. Self-recorded testimonials for social media should be as short as possible, often no longer than 60 seconds.
Professionally recorded videos for sharing on YouTube or your website may be a little longer. The average seems to be around 3 minutes, which is longer than we recommend for a standard explainer video.
If you plan to use your testimonial as a TV commercial or YouTube ad, stick to standard ad lengths, usually 30 seconds or 60 seconds. A 15 second slot might be just enough for a teaser video that invites viewers to visit your website to get the full story. The conversion rate may not be high on this kind of video, but the viewers who follow up are likely to be high-quality leads because they made the effort to engage.
Where to Promote Customer Testimonials
Testimonial videos have the most impact when they’re widely shared. You might use one as a television commercial, or share a series of them on a dedicated YouTube playlist. But don’t stop there. Consider other placement options like:
- Your website
- Email campaigns
- Organic Social media
- Paid social media ads
- Sales call follow-ups
- Trade show events
- Cross-promoted on your customer’s channels.
You can also repurpose your video in all kinds of ways. Pull just the audio to make a radio commercial, transcribe some powerful sound bites to post as quotes on your website, or edit several testimonials together to create a whole new video.
Why Video Testimonials Work
Customer testimonials can showcase your brand in a new way and establish you as a trusted leader in your industry. Customer voices are relatable and give a real-life look at what it’s like to use your product or service.
For help creating a powerful testimonial video, contact the video marketing experts at IdeaRocket. We help healthcare organizations, attorneys, software companies and all kinds of B2B and B2C brands make quality videos. Reach out to our team today.
