Testimonials and case studies are two of the most effective marketing tools to manage your brand’s reputation. As potential clients read through a testimonial, they can picture themselves in that person’s shoes and see how they can solve their problems with the solutions that you provide. They help you communicate one of the most important marketing messages, described by marketing guru Seth Godin as, “People like me do things like this.”
While businesses recognize the importance of testimonials, many struggle to find effective ways to capture them and integrate them into their marketing efforts. Over the years, our team has worked with clients in various industries capitalizing on the power of testimonials for brand reputation management. Here are a few things we’ve learned about how to manage your reputation.
The Power of Testimonials to Manage Your Reputation
Brand reputation is essential for building relationships with customers – both existing and potential. Testimonials play an important role by enlisting your most enthusiastic brand advocates to deliver some reputational equity on your behalf.
Here are just a few statistics that speak to the importance of testimonials and customer reviews:
- 72% of consumers say positive reviews and testimonials make them trust a business more. (Source)
- 95% of people say that reviews – whether positive or negative – influence their purchasing decisions. (Source)
Acquiring more customer reviews also has a significant impact on the ROIs of your marketing efforts. According to Bazaarvoice’s Conversation Index Volume 8, when users engage with reviews on your site, three things are sure to occur.
- Consumers are 58% likely to convert.
- Your chances to generate more revenue per visitor increases by 62%.
- Users are likely to increase purchasing by 3%.
How to Get More Testimonials & Customer Reviews
Now you know why testimonials are important, here are our tips on how to get them:
1. Use Customer Survey Platforms and Tools
In today’s digital world, there are a variety of tools you can use to easily capture customer testimonials and feedback. While we’ve used several survey platforms to capture customer responses for our clients, Green Apple recently began using the Delighted survey platform to capture feedback on behalf of our clients.
2. Monitor Your Google Reviews
Google is also an important source for customer testimonials, especially as people use the platform to search for your brand. Maximizing the potential of Google reviews starts by setting up a Google Business Profile page and then finding creative ways to generate more Google reviews from happy customers.
3. Check Out Your Facebook and LinkedIn Reviews
Your Facebook and LinkedIn pages are also great places to generate reviews. If you don’t have any testimonials, consider asking your followers to leave reviews and incentivize them for sharing their feedback.
How to Use Testimonials to Generate New Business
Once you’ve curated a library of testimonials and customer reviews, how do you maximize their potential? Here are a few ways to turn customer testimonials into solid content marketing that improves how you manage your brand reputation and generates new business:
1. Strategically integrate testimonials throughout your website.
Testimonials are a great way to support the claims you’re making on your website. That’s why it’s important to include them throughout your website — on your home page, specific products/services, or even your contact page.
2. Create social media graphics with testimonials.
Social media is an excellent platform to promote reviews because it also gives you the ability to tag the reviewer and generate even more reach. Because social media is a more visual platform, it’s a good idea to spend some time making your customer testimonial look sharp and catch the eye of your audience.
3. Produce video testimonials.
Creating a video testimonial is another way to provide visually-engaging content for potential customers! A video testimonial can be used on several different platforms, including your website, social media, email campaigns, and in sales meetings.
Want to Capture and Leverage More Customer Testimonials?
Green Apple Strategy uses a variety of tactics to help our clients gather, analyze, and leverage essential customer feedback. From content development to PR and social media management, Green Apple Strategy can craft a marketing approach to help you attract and retain qualified leads. Reach out to us today for a consultation.