As you may have noticed, we’re in the middle of a serious ad blitz here at VerticalResponse. When we were devising the campaign, we considered a number of different approaches and decided that instead of tooting our own horn, we’d let our customers do it for us. If you visit our homepage, then you’ve seen the results – valued customers offering testimonials about the benefits of VerticalResponse.
Here are answers to some questions you might have:
Why Customer Testimonials? When a customer is willing to have their face, name and company splashed all over your website – or across city buses and billboards, as was the case with some of our clients – it gives the ads an unmatched level of credibility.
How Do I Find Candidates? If you don’t already stash customer feedback somewhere, you should start. Just be sure to get their approval before using endorsements. Oh, and be sure to include the full name, company name (for B2B) and their locale. This conveys the impression, "hey they're real customers" - they're not just "John from NYC".
Also, if you know you have a good customer don’t be afraid ask them for their testimonial, you may be surprised what you find. People are much more likely to offer unsolicited complaints than unsolicited compliments, so if you don’t actively probe for information, you may miss out on some of
your best endorsements.
What Makes a Good Testimonial?
Steer your customer so that they get pretty specific on why they love your product or how they use it. The goal is that the audience can envision how they might use the service in a comparable way to achieve similar benefits.
Oh, and keep it short, you'll lose your reader if it's a novel.
How Can I Use Testimonials to the Greatest Effect? Since testimonials are the most authentic endorsement of your company’s work, you should place them in a spot where they’re readily visible. We don’t expect everyone to buy space on the back of a bus, but finding a high-profile location on your website is a good start.
Another thing to consider? The "type" of company or "person" giving the testimonial - how will your audience relate to them? People tend to be more receptive to messages from those they can relate to, so if you want to grow a specific type of customer, it’s best to highlight that type of customer. If you’re seeking a broader audience, then you’d do well to feature customers from a variety of backgrounds.
Whatever approach you take, customer testimonials are a great way to spread the word about your company without spending a fortune on creative and ad placement. Speaking of which, we’re always seeking more candidates for our ad campaign! All interested parties are welcome, especially our friends from beyond the U.S. borders. If you’re interested in offering a testimonial or perhaps appearing in one of our ads, send an email to janine@verticalresponse.com.
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