How To Create Testimonial Videos That Will Make Your Business Shine

When shopping for a new product or service, customers often want to know what other customers have to say. Testimonials can carry a lot of weight when it comes to winning or keeping a customer. 

Video testimonials are especially powerful because they allow you to see and hear real live customers.

A website without video testimonials is missing a huge opportunity to capture its audience’s attention and give them helpful information that will turn them from a potential customer to a new customer.

If incorporating video testimonials in your marketing strategy seems overwhelming, keep reading because we’ll explain:

  • Why video testimonials are beneficial
  • How to create them in a few steps; and
  • How Ridgeline Media can help

Table of Contents

Why Is It Beneficial To Create Video Testimonials?

According to Forbes, 70% of marketing professionals say that video converts better than any other marketing medium.

Testimonials play an important role in your marketing strategy because potential customers will trust a former customer quicker than they will trust a company representative or employee. And for good reason.

Think about it. Who has the most to gain from positive reviews? The business owner, right? And because of that, their comments about the company will always be positive and glowing. However, a customer usually doesn’t have anything to gain by leaving a review, which frees them up to be honest and open about their experience.

Video reviews can be more effective than written reviews for several reasons:

  • Written reviews are often ambiguous and basic, without specific helpful information.
  • It’s difficult to know if the review is reliable when they are anonymous or include only the customer’s initials.
  • Video testimonials offer in-depth descriptions.
  • Videos include actual customers, making their stories more believable and trustworthy.
  • When done well, videos can be scripted, filmed, and edited to produce a high-quality product.

How To Create a Testimonial Video in 6 Steps

Creating quality video testimonials can be complicated or overwhelming, but these steps may help get you on the right track.

#1: Identify Your Target Audience

Before creating your video, you need to know: 

  • Who your audience is
  • What they’re looking for; and 
  • What message you want to convey to them

Thinking through these points ahead of time will help you create a video that is relevant and one that resonates with your audience.

#2: Choose a Customer To Feature

Think through your current customer base and select a customer who’d be willing to share the positive experience they’ve had with your brand. The person you choose should be engaging and believable to your target audience.

Need help finding your next star customer to feature in your video? Keep reading — we’ve got tips below to help you know how to identify the ideal candidate.

#3: Create a Plan for Your Video

Planning ahead can save tons of time during filming. Plan out all the details of the video, including:

  • The setting
  • The message to convey; and
  • Specific questions you’ll ask the customer

It may be a good idea to also provide a script to make sure the video filming goes smoothly and covers all the pertinent information.

#4: Record the Video

How you record the video and the equipment you use can make the difference between a first-class video and an amateur, DIY attempt.

To create a top-notch video that’s genuine and engaging, make sure to:

  • Use high-quality cameras and microphones
  • Create good lighting
  • Unclutter the background
  • Help the customer be relaxed and comfortable

#5: Edit the Video

Videos never come together from start to finish without some bloopers along the way. Without a doubt, every customer video testimony will need some editing.

Follow these tips for a seamless editing job:

  • Use video editing software
  • Add necessary graphics or effects
  • Keep the video short and focused
  • Highlight the key points of the customer’s experience

#6: Publish the Final Product

Once the video is recorded and edited, it’s time to publish it so your potential customers can view it. 

When deciding how to publish it, think of all the places where new customers are apt to be looking for your product or service. 

It should be no surprise that online platforms are extremely popular when it comes to finding information. A CSA report suggests that 81% of people research products and services online before making purchases.

So, when deciding locations to publish your testimonial video, include online options like:

  • Your website
  • Social media
  • Paid advertising platforms

If these steps seem a bit daunting, or if you don’t have the equipment, personnel, or expertise to pull off a convincing testimonial video yourself, consider hiring a professional.

The team at Ridgeline Media Marketing has the know-how and experience to create videos designed to deliver results. 

Get to know our team and our process here, and let us create your next video aimed at increasing traffic and boosting sales.

how to create testimonial videos

How To Find Stars for Your Testimonial Videos

When thinking about how to create a testimonial video, choosing the right customer is one of the key ingredients to your video’s success.

If you run a successful business, you probably have a steady stream of customers. But randomly picking one of your current customers is not the best strategy to find an aspiring actor to star in your next testimonial video.

It goes without saying that you want to find a customer that’s happy and highly satisfied with your product or service. But how do you find the one who will help you produce a winning video?

Use the following criteria to identify your next ambassador.

Contact Customers Who Have Already Given You Positive Feedback

Though it might be tempting, avoid the urge to ask a new customer to give a video testimonial. A new customer will not have a strong history with your product, and their testimony may seem forced or insincere.

On the other hand, long-standing customers will have a believable narrative that is validated by experience. Their loyalty to your company may also make them willing to share their story.

Though you may have many repeat customers, look for a customer who has already given you positive feedback. 

Consider customers who give unsolicited and repeated praise. Those are the kinds of customers who love your company and are eager to share their positive experiences with others. 

Email Them With All the Details

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of possible customers, send them a detailed email asking them to provide a video testimonial. 

In your email, include details like:

  • Thanks for their previous feedback
  • Examples of how you’ve used that feedback
  • The request for a customer testimonial
  • How the video will be used in your business

Sending an email rather than calling them on the phone gives the customer a chance to think over your offer without putting them on the spot. Do everything you can to make your chosen customers feel comfortable and honored, and give them time to make a decision.

In the end, if a customer declines your offer, simply move on to the next one. Be careful not to pressure them to accept your offer. Having a customer that remains loyal is more valuable than their assistance with your video.

Don’t Be Tempted To Offer Incentives

Though offering incentives might seem like a good way to recruit customer testimonies, they can actually backfire and negatively influence their testimonial.

You want to make sure your customer’s testimony is unbiased, and you also want them to feel comfortable telling their storyboth the good and the bad. Offering an incentive can make them feel bribed, and that’s no way to treat a valued customer.

In the end, potential customers will likely see through a testimony that’s been coerced. At the same time, a genuine and sincere testimony is refreshing and easy to spot.

Contact Ridgeline Media Marketing To Help You Create a Testimonial Video That Will Wow

If you’re ready to use testimonial videos to promote your brand, and you’ve got a particular customer in mind, why wait to get started?

Ridgeline Media Marketing is poised and ready to help produce a quality video aimed at creating the results you’re looking for.

Whether you’re hoping to …

  • Increase traffic
  • Boost sales
  • Build relationships; or
  • Make the most use of your time and energies

… our video production team can make your video marketing dreams come true. 

We take care of everything, including:

  • Marketing strategies
  • Scriptwriting
  • Production
  • Editing; and
  • Distribution

Leave the details to us, and we’ll strive to create a video that will wow both current and potential customers.

See our work for yourself by checking out our customers’ testimonials and our portfolio.

When you’re ready to get started, simply take the first step by scheduling a strategy session.

how to create testimonial videos