Where To Use Testimonials in my Marketing

As discussed in last week’s article, testimonials and customer success stories can be a make or break aspect when it comes to acquiring new clients. Once you have received testimonials, it is equally if not more important to know how to share that information with would-be clients so they can see the validity of your offering. This is what makes testimonials so powerful to begin with - an external party shares their success story, allowing other prospects to envision how using your product will yield similar results. So, you may want to try these approaches when incorporating testimonials into your marketing: 

• Social Media 

Sharing testimonials from past or current clients on your professional social media profiles is useful because it functions both to entice and engage other prospective clients who may have use for your service, and uploading to social media can also allow you to find and encourage other professionals to collaborate with you. When you cultivate the reputation for satisfying your customers and your professional social media pages back that up, it’s almost as if though your social media is selling the product on your behalf - answering questions about your validity, success rate, and ultimately helping your prospects visualize themselves working with you, just like your previous clients have. So, put your testimonials to work for you online! 

• Cold Marketing Materials

When reaching out to “cold” prospects, keep in mind that many people can feel an innate urge to distrust what you have to offer simply because your business is a foreign concept to them. Cold marketing materials, whether they be emails, text blasts, or physical materials definitely offer the opportunity for you to let your past successes speak on your behalf. Focusing your outbound marketing around your client stories and accomplishments brings a sense of realness and trust that you can’t accomplish through other means, no matter how good your writing or design skills.

• Warm Marketing Materials  

When you establish a tentative relationship with a prospect that is in their “discovery phase” i.e they are still deciding whether or not to work with you, your reassurances and affirmations can only go so far. Having an email/website link/reference document with some of your success stories can give that added edge that helps you win over the client and turn them into a success story as well. Depending on your product or industry, you may find it worthwhile to cap off the beginning of your first presentation or fact finding conversation with your prospect by referencing testimonials from clients whose needs were similar. Again, this can be very industry dependent, but the more specialized your service or offering, the more evidence you will want to present to your client that your solution will satisfy the client’s needs.

By following these suggestions, you can put your testimonials to work on your behalf, allowing you greater opportunities to generate more business and close more deals. Wondering how to generate client testimonials to begin with? Check out last week’s SetAds article here: How to Get Reviews for your Business.