Typically, testimonials come in two forms – written and video. Both are effective, touching its audience visually, emotionally, and mentally. Testimonials provide credibility for your company’s products and services, leveraging the power of word of mouth. Additionally, testimonials enhance your brand, verify your expertise and establish and/or deepen trust.
Testimonials should be leveraged by placing them in as many places as possible. Common venues include online such as your blog, social media, website, and eNewsletters. In print, testimonials are effective in brochures, direct mail and sales slicks.
Do you wonder how powerful testimonials can be? Let’s look at it behaviorally, at a personal level. Think about your own buying behavior – the last time you made a purchase on Amazon, for example. Do you fit into any of these categories?
- 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
- Positive reviews make 73% of consumers trust a local business more
- 49% of consumers need at least a four-star rating before they choose to use a business
- Responding to reviews is more important than ever, with 30% naming this as key when judging local businesses
- 68% of consumers left a local business review when asked – with 74% having been asked for their feedback
- 32% of consumers read local reviews on mobile apps this year (a growth of 14% from 2016)
- Consumers read an average of 7 reviews before trusting a business
If you’re like most buyers, several of these statistics ring true; solidifying the fact that testimonials, recommendations, and product reviews play a significant part in influencing our buying decisions. Stay tuned. In a future blog, I will discuss various types of testimonials.
