Customer Testimonials: The Best User-Generated Content

(This post is the third in a six-part series about repurposing content. Today, we’ll look at how to generate and use customer testimonials). 

Content helps to communicate what your business does and how you do it. Before contacting you, potential customers may do some preliminary research, and chances are they’re looking at your website. Including customer testimonials on your website and in your marketing materials helps people to connect to your business.

How to Solicit Testimonials

Customer testimonials may be solicited, or sometimes they come in the form of an appreciative email. Ask satisfied customers if they’d mind saying a few words or leaving a positive review on a review platform of their choice. 

Here are some other ways to gather reviews:

Make a members-only group

Engaged customers are your best ambassadors. Create a members-only group on Facebook or another platform, and invite your biggest fans and most engaged clients to join. In the group, give users the opportunity to ask questions and engage with members of your business. Early access to information or products gives users a reason to remain active in the group. Asking these superfans to leave a review for your business is relatively easy. 

Customer Q&A

From your member group or your support desk, you may find that there are sets of questions that are asked repeatedly. Standardize the answers to the most common questions and use that as content for your website and members group. Link your Customer Q&A in helpful places on your website. Each question can be the starting point for a blog or social media post. If customers ask you questions directly, answering them in a timely manner goes a long way in establishing a relationship with them. If you’ve answered their question thoroughly, follow up with a request for a review. 

Interview a brand enthusiast

Interview a satisfied customer and use their words in your newsletter or on social media. Even better: Ask them to do a short video interview – your prospects may find a video testimonial to be more compelling than a written quote. 

Respond to the reviews you have

People like to feel seen and heard. Replying to reviews, even if it’s a simple, “Thank you,” can show potential reviewers you’re actively engaging with reviewers. If someone leaves a negative review, you can acknowledge their experience and then give them direct contact information so that the matter can be resolved. If you haven’t been acknowledging or responding to reviews, try it. You will likely see an increase in the number of people leaving reviews once you add a personal touch. 

Review-generation software

There are several ways to set up automation surrounding customer testimonials. You can use marketing automation to send a series of follow-up emails to clients. You can also use a review generation platform that specializes in automation around review generation. Setting up templates and a process for soliciting reviews makes the process more manageable. 

Proven ROI

Online reviews lend credibility to your business. In the following graph, see how the number of reviews increased for one BoxCrush client. This client is relatively new to his field. When he onboarded with BoxCrush, he had only a handful of reviews, and only one in the first half of 2019. BoxCrush used review generation software with customized email and SMS text requests to start increasing that volume. 

Six months and 42 additional reviews later, this client still enjoys a 5-star rating, and appears a lot more established in his field when potential patients find his listing on Google. 

How to Use Testimonials

Once you’ve gathered testimonials, you can use them in several ways to boost your marketing efforts, placing them where they’ll have the most impact, such as: 

Dedicated testimonials page

You can create a “What people say about us” page to aggregate testimonials, (see the BoxCrush testimonial page here). In some cases, pulling out quotes from a longer testimonial will have more impact.

Alongside a CTA

Any time you can pair a personal testimonial with a decision point or call to action, you’ll see higher conversions. Look for quotes that address common hurdles or sticking points, to make potential customers comfortable with their choice.  

In a case study

When you write a case study that demonstrates how you solved a problem for a client, a quote from your satisfied client reinforces the ideas you’re trying to convey.

On a product or service page

A relevant endorsement alongside a product or service conveys authenticity, regardless of where the viewer is in the decision-making process. 

Image captions

Caption images on your website with positive quotes from happy customers to subtly communicate customer satisfaction.

In email marketing

Make messages even more personal and compelling with relatable stories about customers just like your reader – show your problem-solving, life-improving chops with real-life examples.  

Get a Head Start

Ready to start collecting testimonials? We’ve got a review request card template that you can download, modify, and print – this business card-sized handout helps remind your customers how they can provide a review. Download the template today by clicking the button below. 

Ready to start boosting your reputation? Contact BoxCrush to get started.