How To Effectively Use Testimonials
August 15th, 2007 by Megan Mahan
I’m leery of testimonials in any capacity, whether they’re on a piece of direct mail, television advertising, or web sites. That’s because most of them seem to be doctored, ill-fitting in context, or stuffed with product or company hyperbole.
Nonetheless, the business world continues to use them–InsureMe included. So I was glad to spot Copyblogger’s 5 Tips for Knockout Testimonials this week, as it provides some great fodder for using testimonials to build the credibility of your brand, instead of undermining it.
Specifically, Copyblogger writer Chris Garrett reminds us that effective testimonials are free of hyperbole and address a “potential sticking point that a prospect might arrive at.”
In addition to specificity, testimonials can also be rendered effective by:
Not over-editing. Testimonials work best when you can tell they’ve come from a real person. Like Garrett says, grammar and diction quirks indicate that the rave review came from a real customer.
Using testimonials where they fit. If there’s a specific point you’re trying to make, place like testimonials on that page. For example, don’t put a testimonial about customer service on a page that details your pricing or credentials.
Not faking it. Garrett reminds us that it’s not worth the risk to fake testimonials: “Most people have a well-trained BS detector and can smell a fake a mile away.”
Include the specifics. Ax general statements where you can. For example, if a client offers a testimonial and says she saved $100 per month on her auto insurance through you, don’t omit that figure in place of “I saved so much money!”
Of course, to publish testimonials on your web site or marketing lit, you’ll have to first acquire them. At InsureMe, we try to update our testimonials at least once per year.
Recently, our own Jeb Foster embarked upon the brave mission of contacting agents on our service and asking them to say nice things about us speak about their experience with us. We’ve also used positive survey comments to bolster our repository.
In close: While I agree that testimonials are helpful, I disagree with Copyblogger about their immense value. Remember that consumers are skeptical, and testimonial overkill should be avoided. So keep your expectations in check, and pepper your pages with specific, concise and authentic testimonials, and let the customer evangelism spread.
