How To Shoot a Testimonial Video:
Looking for making a perfect testimonial video? Then read this article carefully. If you plan to purchase a new washing machine. What would be the first thing that comes to your mind? You decide to take a look at all the options suiting your budget and requirements. After checking out at several online stores, you finally shortlist 3 of them.
Now you wonder which one to choose? It is obvious you will go with the one with good customer reviews and testimonial videos showcasing all its features and specifications. A video that boasts of its style, color, durability, etc.
Online buyers need reviews. As they look for credibility and assurance from other customers who have already bought and used the product. They must know that it’s a better choice and worth splurging on.
This is where a testimonial video enters. No matter how good a brand claims to be, if the customer has never heard about it, he/she might get skeptical about purchasing it. A brand must build a certain amount of trust within the customer’s mind. A business or brand may spend a lot of time in the best marketing efforts, but reviews from their existing customers are the most effective for luring new customers.
The constant use of testimonial videos on your website can generate higher revenue from each customer, whenever they visit it.
testimonial video
Moreover, testimonials offer an important perspective of your brand by directly addressing your customer’s queries, expectations while driving conversion. With the growing popularity of the Internet, testimonials have become an integral part of sales and marketing in almost all industries.
There is an online community of customers dedicated to a product or service belonging to different niches. According to the Local Consumer Review Survey 2020, 87 percent of consumers go through reviews for local businesses.
And since video content outperforms every other form of online marketing, testimonial videos undoubtedly lead the race.
What are Testimonial Videos?
A video that focuses on highlighting the customer’s experience of a product or service can be called a testimonial video.
There are different ways to create a good testimonial video. Some businesses bring together several customers and let them talk about the uses and benefits of products and services along with catchy background music. This makes the video more enticing for the prospective buyer.
Other businesses shoot testimonial videos in the form of interviews with their customers. These kinds of videos usually showcase a single customer giving out in-depth details to impact the prospective buyers.
On the other hand, B2B marketers combine video and written testimonials to provide an extensive case study. These types of testimonials significantly impact industries related to technology, healthcare, finance, etc.
Why is there a need for Testimonial Videos?
Investing in customer testimonials is, by all means, the right step to grow your business. Your marketing voice may or may not have the same impact on all your prospective customers. No matter how good your product or service is, the consumer has all the right to be suspicious of its quality.
Almost all businesses aim to maximize their sales even if the products they offer don’t meet the consumer’s actual needs. And fewer will let their customers get inclined towards the competitor’s product even if their product is better.
This is why customers grow doubtful about what the marketers and sales representatives claim about their products. However, they believe more in what the other customers have to say.
Let’s take a look at some statistics that prove the importance of testimonial marketing.
The organic search traffic on a website is increased by 157% through videos. If you include a video on your website, the chances of it getting ranked on the first page of Google also increases.
Around 72% of customers prefer knowing about a product or service through a video.
85% of consumers prefer watching video content from various brands.
Not to mention, customers remember 95% of the message conveyed in a video, and only 10 percent if it’s in a text.
Therefore, when testimonial videos are used alongside other forms of marketing content, these help in generating leads while driving conversions. Videos build a human connection with the consumers and definitely have an advantage over text.
How to Create an Impactful Testimonial Video?
Creating a good testimonial video is an essential element of an effective marketing strategy, and thus optimizing your content too. Here are a few main points to remember while creating a successful testimonial video.
- Search for real customers with real experiences
It is probably much easier to create a fictionalized customer testimonial and showcase it as real. A lot of brands do this, for sure. And while short-term gains may look attractive, it always carries huge risk which might not be worth all the money you spend on doing it.
Fake testimonials simply mean false advertising. Some brands are not noticed, while others get. Therefore, the result is not worth taking all the risks.
It is always recommended to find happy and satisfied customers who are ready to provide honest and constructive feedback on your product/service. If you are not able to find any satisfied customer, there might be some problem with your product which needs your attention.
Impactful Testimonial Video
Your customer’s experience might come as a surprise for you. You will get to know about the different ways your product is used by different customers. You might hear about customers finding solutions that you never expected. Such kind of information is quite valuable both for the marketers as well as the prospective customers. We suggest you find such customers and listen to their stories and experiences.
- Use customers who are really satisfied with your product or service
A lot of marketers try luring customers for giving positive testimonials in exchange for perks like discounts, special gifts, etc. However, this may affect the way they talk in the testimonial video.
Usually, it incorporates a positive bias in the testimonial video, and many marketers may think it is beneficial, but it isn’t for the long term.
Talking too highly about a product may confuse a customer while affecting the credibility of the content of the testimonial. As a marketer, you must encourage the customer to give an honest opinion about the product.
Also, negative feedback about a product isn’t so bad as every product has its downside. A little number of constructive criticism assists in building trust and credibility. Negative feedback helps customers identify products and go for them as per their priorities.
- Asking the right questions
This is a very important aspect to take into consideration while creating a testimonial video. Once you find the customers to talk about your product/service, it’s necessary to ask them the relevant questions. There is a possibility that a lot of them won’t exactly know your expectations. Therefore, you have to lead and get them to provide valuable feedback.
Asking the right questions is quite helpful as it stresses the problem your products/services solve. This is something your viewers will be looking forward to hearing while watching the testimonials.
By studying the problem from different angles, you can get the customers closer to the solution.
You must also focus on the factors that make your products stand out from the competition. This gives you a chance to show the thing which makes your brand special. Not only this, but you will also be able to qualify your customers as per their needs and preferences.
We suggest you compile a list of queries and send them to your customers beforehand. This gives your potential customers time to think about the possible answers they would like to give while shooting the testimonial video. Also, it guarantees a better response as keeping the questions as a last-minute surprise may not result in clear feedback.
Here is a list of some questions that you can possibly ask your customers:
Why were you looking for this product or service?
How did the product or service make your life easier?
What issues did you face with the product?
What are the results after using the product or service?
Tell one thing you love most about this product/service.
- Build an emotional connection
Providing statistics and facts about your brand might convince some people. But before getting into your customer’s minds, it is important you reach their hearts too. Therefore, building an emotional connection becomes vital. If your prospective customers are able to connect with the emotions of your subject, it transforms into a robust marketing tool.
When a prospective customer watches how a particular service or product has helped them overcome their problems, they get highly convinced.
Technical Factors to Keep in Mind while creating a Good Testimonial Video
Besides the above key points, a marketer must also take note of the following technical factors while creating a testimonial video.
Create a simple, clear yet strong video script
Preparing a strong script is essential for a successful testimonial video. Your script should be well-structured with a smooth flow. Take a look at the basic structure of a script:
Introduction – This is where the customer elaborates his/her problems and how your product or service can solve it.
Middle – Here the customer tells why they selected your brand among all the brands that are available.
Conclusion – The customer finally wraps up by informing how the product/service met their needs, and whether they are happy with it or not.
Make sure the image & sound quality is perfect
A good testimonial video is one that showcases quality content both in terms of sound and image. So your audience would know that you give importance to every little detail. Therefore, you must ensure that the video has enough clarity as well as the sound is audible without any background noise.
To make your video appear even better, add subtitles to it. According to a study, there was a 40% rise in views of subtitled videos.
The internet is packed with a variety of free video editing softwares which can be used to enhance the quality of your testimonial videos. Essence Studios compiles a list of the top 20 video editing software which you can use to make engaging testimonials for your customers. You can also include Explainer videos along with your testimonial videos to make them more visually appealing.
Utilize excellent filming techniques
It is not necessary to spend years developing excellent filming skills, but you must at least gain knowledge on some basic shooting & editing techniques.
Choose the right setting for filming your testimonial video – You can also consider shooting at your customer’s workplace if there are apt locations with perfect lighting. What you need is a professional and comfortable environment for your subject so that you get excellent results from the testimonial.
Focus on the Composition – usually, ‘long-sided’ interview technique is useful when you are taking an interview of your subject.
Use a substantial amount of B roll – Using B-roll adds realism as well as visual interest to your testimonial video. If the interviewee already has a good B roll, you can use it while shooting the testimonial.
Add graphics, text, overlays, etc to make your testimonial more visually attractive. Though, these are not necessary but definitely make a video look more professional.
Components of a Successful Testimonial Video
If you are wondering about the secret recipe of a top-notch testimonial video, you have landed at the right place. A great video testimonial is one that is captivating and convinces the customer in a way that they make a buying decision right away while urging them to click on the ‘Make Payment’ button.
Take a look at the 3 main characteristics of a top-quality testimonial video:
- Offers clear results & benefits
A good testimonial video offers accurate results as well as measurable statistics. It showcases the benefits of a product rather than its features. A vague statement like ‘nice product’ doesn’t really resonate with the demands of a customer.
The market is full of several nice products and services, therefore what’s special about your product or service. How is it better than your competitors? How does it cater to your customer’s specific needs?
In simple words, a testimonial video must tell why the customer prefers your product or services. It must showcase the tangible benefits that your customers are able to relate to.
- Showcase authenticity
Authenticity is a vital part of a great testimonial video. Around 86% of consumers claim that they consider authenticity while supporting a brand.
Consumers are smart enough to make out which testimonials are paid and scripted. This is why it’s important for marketers to create authentic and genuine testimonials.
- Tell a strong story
A buyer is driven by emotions too. A testimonial video isn’t a commercial showcasing your brand. But instead, it works as a way to build trust with the consumers.
This is why a strong story becomes important. As per research by Headstream, if consumers like a story of a brand, 55% are likely to purchase the product in the future, 44% will reshare it, and 15% will purchase it immediately.
Therefore, a good customer testimonial must have a strong story along with a flow, so it doesn’t get boring for the viewers. Telling a strong story also forges a connection with the customers.
Final Words
To conclude, I would say – let your existing customers inform your potential customers. A perfect testimonial video offers credibility and is efficient enough in convincing potential customers. This eliminates the need for spending loads of money on paid advertising.
If done right, the testimonial content successfully persuades potential customers to make purchase decisions by using real-life use cases.
What influences your buying decision? Will you purchase a product or service after watching a testimonial video? If you think you will, it’s high time you start creating testimonial videos for your own brand. The above information will guide you in creating a good testimonial video for your product or service. Read more interesting blogs like how to create stop motion animation software.