Have you thought about your video testimonial marketing lately? If not, then it’s something that should be high up on your list of priorities. After all, there’s no endorsement quite like one from a genuinely happy customer who wants to spread the word about your product or service.
Deciding to do a customer testimonial video is one thing, but making it is where the hard work starts. That’s why we’ve put this guide together, looking at how to make a customer testimonial video to market your business.
The importance of word of mouth
Word of mouth is one of the oldest forms of marketing, and it also happens to be one of the best even in today’s landscape. An impressive 73 per cent of customers say they trust a business after reading a positive review.
For all of the marketing tricks out there, organic opinions still reign supreme. Consumers are just much more comfortable trusting other consumers than they are the word of your business. Essentially, it doesn’t matter how great you think your offering is – it’s all about what the people using it think.
What is a customer testimonial video?
So how do you capture the thoughts and opinions of customers? By using video testimonial marketing, you can share the message of your customer base with the world while increasing your business numbers.
Many marketers use customer testimonial videos as opposed to written reviews because they offer a live insight. You can implement one to illustrate the value of your product or service in video review form, adding more vibrancy to the testimonial in the process.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t focus on written reviews, too, as they certainly have their worth. But using video testimonial marketing gives your reviews another dynamic and brings them to life.
Handy tips to make an excellent customer testimonial video
Find the right way to ask your customers for a review
Candidates for your video testimonial marketing should be familiar with your business rather than brand-new customers. The longer they’ve used your brand, the more comfortable they’ll be being an advocate for your offering.
It also may be worth approaching them via email. Speaking to them on the phone may be somewhat uncomfortable and make it feel like you need a direct answer. However, an email gives them time to think about your offer, and they may be more inclined to accept if there’s no pressure involved.
Lastly, make sure that you’re completely transparent about what you want – detail how the testimonial will work and what will be required from their side. You will get them on board earlier if you lay out the format and what they can expect from the experience.
How to ask the right questions
So you’ve got customers onside and ready to tell the world about your brand. That’s great! But there’s still a little way to go. The last thing you want to do is press record and let them have at it. Instead, you want to create a tightly-knit video that hits all the main points to make your brand stand out.
Therefore, you need to be ready with the right questions to ask. Think about the problems you’re trying to solve with your products or service and what it was about the experience with your brand that made it stand out for the customer.
Also, think about what made them happiest about using your company. Was there a particular thing that you did, or was it the overall experience? By getting customers to answer these questions you can paint a picture of your brand and give the audience more insight into your company.
Shooting the video
Think about the angle and scene: where will you film the video? Will it be indoors or outdoors, in an office or somewhere more casual? All of these elements will contribute to the type of video you create, as will the angle.
Lighting is key, so you should test the setting of the chosen location to see if it offers the right amount of light. You should also ensure that the people in the video are clearly visible, with their faces in the shot and voices well heard.
If it’s someone’s first time doing a testimonial (or being on camera), it might be worth considering a quiet location where they feel comfortable and can fully focus without outside pressures and noise.
Making them feel comfortable is essential. Your customer is doing you a massive favour by agreeing to be in the video, and you should do everything possible to calm their nerves. You want them to speak confidently about your brand, which means they need to be comfortable in front of the camera.
Once you do start filming, leave the camera rolling and capture as much footage as you can. At the time, you may not feel like you got everything you needed. However, when reviewing, it often turns out that you captured more than enough compelling content.
Editing is the last and most important part of the process. The video will need to look sharp, so you’ll need to edit it to ensure the finished version looks polished and is ready to go live. Video testimonials should also be relatively short to keep the viewers’ attention, which means you’ll need to edit it down to achieve a good run time.
In-house or using an external video production company?
Filming and editing are two primary components of a video testimonial, and you want to make sure you get them just right. If you have experience in filming and editing (or have team members with experience), then you may want to keep it all in house.
However, it’s worth exploring external options and hiring a professional video company. They will be able to tap into their experience and execute a watertight video that hits all the right spots and showcases your brand in a good light. The in-house option may be the cheaper one, but you want your video testimonial to be a success. And working with a professional filming company can help you achieve that goal.
Summary: making a customer testimonial video that markets your business
Customer video testimonials have the power to add authenticity to your brand that marketing campaigns can’t. They’re real and showcase genuine people talking about authentic experiences. Capture that, and you won’t need to make any magic happen because your customers’ words will speak for themselves.
George Hughes is a former television Director and the Founder of London based video production company, Small Films. His company helps brands to communicate with a wider audience using strategic video content.
If you are looking for a testimonial video company to shoot your next film, then do get in contact with Small Films.
