Word of mouth advertising is the most powerful form of marketing. Testimonials from satisfied customers give your business credibility and boost sales. Collecting and sharing these testimonials online can be an affordable and effective marketing tool for your business.
Be a collector
You should regularly solicit testimonials from your customers. Make it routine to ask for a testimonial immediately after completing a project so that your work is fresh in their mind. You can never have too many testimonials, and it is important to have a variety of recent ones on hand. You don’t have to use them all – select the best and most relevant.
If you want to offer something to customers who provide testimonials, it is best to do so after they provide their honest feedback. If a customer is truly enthusiastic about your work, they will be happy to recommend it to others without an added incentive.
Make it easy
You want to make it as easy as possible for a customer to provide a usable testimonial. Have a feedback form or questionnaire on your website. If a customer offers verbal feedback, ask them if you can use their quote in written form. One thing you can do is have testimonial postcards printed so that when you complete a project for a client, you can send one already addressed and stamped in an envelope. They simple write their testimonial on it and drop it in the mail.
However you request a testimonial, be specific about what you want to be included. Also, make sure you obtain permission right away to share their testimonial online.
Get creative
Be creative when soliciting customer feedback. If you’ve completed a big project for a client, ask them if they would grant you a brief video interview. A video testimonial is a hugely powerful form of advertising and fantastic to share on your website, Youtube and other social media channels.
Customer driven review sites are another exciting online trend that can be very positive for small businesses. On review sites, like Yelp, you can set up deals for customers to unlock when they publicly check-in to your business. If a satisfied customer is also an active blogger, ask them if it makes sense for them to write about their experience on their blog.
Your Facebook page and other social media channels are great forums for your customers to post reviews. Also, if someone tags you or your business in their Facebook status in a testimonial, you can use that as it will show up on your wall. A recommendation on Facebook is even better.
A variety of honest customer reviews on third party sites will boost your web presence and your reputation, with very little investment on your part.
Share strategically
There is nothing more persuasive than a satisfied customer, which is why you should let testimonials speak for your business at every opportunity. Keep your website updated with new testimonials. If you start to offer a new service or product, promote it with a recent and relevant testimonials. Post them prominently on your website and social media – wherever you promote your business online.
When using testimonials, be selective and strategic. Target your testimonials to your individual clients and don’t always use the same ones for everyone. When marketing your services to a particular client, share testimonials from similar clients and include a few others to show the cross section of the clients you work with.
The most important thing you can do to ensure great testimonials is provide an excellent service or product. You have to earn your testimonials, but once earned they will pay you back tenfold. Simple, honest feedback from satisfied customers will get people talking about your business.
