With marketing taking all types of shapes and sizes, it has become essential to use the most effective ones that directly leave an indelible mark on the audience. One such type is testimonial advertising, which helps connect with all the potential customers and build more trust. You can check numerous testimonial advertising examples online to witness its effect in action.
In this blog, we will outline all the different ways in which testimonial advertising proves useful for promoting the business and augmenting the sales numbers in the best way. We will also cover the top testimonial advertising examples so that you get the correct idea of creating your own.
So, look no further as we discuss everything about testimonial advertising from scratch!
What Is Testimonial Advertising?
Testimonial advertising is a marketing strategy that involves the use of approval statements, recommendations, or positive reviews from satisfied customers to promote a product or service. In this approach, companies showcase the real-life experiences and opinions of customers who have had a favorable interaction with their offerings. Testimonials can take various forms, including written statements, video testimonials, audio clips, or even images featuring customer feedback.
The primary goal of testimonial advertising is to build credibility, trust, and authenticity around a brand by leveraging the positive sentiments of existing customers. By allowing happy customers to share their stories, companies aim to influence potential buyers and demonstrate the value and satisfaction associated with their products or services.
Testimonials serve as a form of social proof, reassuring prospective customers that others have had positive experiences with a particular brand. This can be especially impactful in industries where trust plays a crucial role in decision-making. The personal touch of real-life testimonials makes the advertising more relatable and persuasive, as it taps into the emotional and experiential aspects of consumer decision-making.
This advertising strategy is widely employed across various marketing channels, including websites, social media platforms, print materials, and commercials. However, for testimonial advertising to be effective, it is crucial to ensure the authenticity of the testimonials, as misleading or fabricated endorsements can undermine the trust-building efforts and reputation of a brand. There are other types of advertising such as snob appeal advertising to capitalize on the perceived exclusivity of a product or service, and fear appeal advertising to evoke emotions of fear and urgency.
Types Of Testimonial Ads
There are four prime types of testimonial advertising. Here, we will understand about all four types.
Text
One of the most basic types of testimonials comes in the form of texts. The text testimonials are recommendations written by the customers. Product page reviews, Yelp reviews, and customer reviews are some of the top examples of text testimonials.
Images
The next type of testimonial ad is images that will convey the customer’s positive message in the form of images and pictures. These ads use the power of pictures to showcase the positive experiences of the customers.
Videos
In this type, customer shares videos of their positive experiences that you can display on your YouTube channel or other online presence.
User-Generated Content
Under this type of ad, you take advantage of user-generated testimonials that can come in the form of text, images, or videos. You can use these ads according to your custom preference and type and squeeze the most out of them with the correct placement.
Why Use Testimonial Advertising?
This type of advertising is highly effective as it changes the speaker of the ads. With these ads, you shift the focus on your brand’s customers and further promote your brand’s products and services to your target audience which further elevates the trust and authenticity of the products and services.
Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the oldest tactics in the marketing domain and testimonial ads take this tactic and revamp it in the online arena. They are more powerful than traditional ads as they are personal recommendations from customers that offer a welcoming feel.
However, this does not mean that your target customers will start believing reviews from anyone. You have to avoid fake testimonial reviews and opt for real-live testimonials that are coming from your actual customers about your products and services. They have to be unique and authentic and the customer should be a real person.
These things make these ads effective with which you can expand your customer base and attract more without going through any unnecessary hassle.
Key Things To Remember In Testimonials Ads
Testimonial ads have a lot of potential to promote your brand’s services and products and grow it to the next level. Here are some key things that you need to consider so that your ads can be effective and target the correct audience in the right way.
What To Ask
The first thing that you need to consider is the “What” in the testimonial ads. You have to ask the right questions as you will get the correct answers to some extent through them.
Here are some of the vital questions that you can work on before creating the actual ad.
- What is the specific problem that you are addressing and how do your products or services offer a solution to it?
- What is the future of the solution offered by your products or services?
- What are the other things that you used to solve the problem that led to the innovation of your product or service? Make a short comparison for all options.
Answers to these questions can come long so you may need to adjust the size accordingly.
When To Ask
You have to be critical about the timing for asking the testimonials from your customers. It depends on the type of products or services that you are offering to your customers. Here are some instances when you can ask for testimonials from your customers.
- The first instance of asking for a testimonial is right after the successful delivery of a service. In case you have face-to-face interaction with your customer, then you can ask for the testimonial right away and you will get a powerful one immediately.
- Another instance of asking for a testimonial is when you are wrapping up your project. You can ask your client for feedback. At this time, the customer will give you a value-packed testimonial that will bring wonders for your business.
- Another instance of asking for a testimonial is after 20 to 30 days of a product purchase. If you think that the customer has to invest some time to understand the usage of the product, then you should wait for some days and then ask about client feedback as a testimonial. The customer will have enough time to understand the perks and cons and will give you correct feedback.
Length of Testimonial ads
The length of testimonial ads depends on the type of ad and content. For example, text testimonials are shorter than videos and blog posts. In general, 50 words are enough for testimonial ads but the number can change according to the brand’s preference.
Some Additional Tips To Consider
- Make sure that you pick the testimonials that add value to your brand. Don’t select the vague or irrelevant one. Your target audience will resonate with the selected testimonial so pick wisely.
- Make sure that you are able to highlight the USPs of your product and services with your testimonials. If your product or service is one of a kind then highlight it and make sure that your target audience is aware of the unique features of your brand.
- You can experiment with testimonials on your website, email campaigns, social media posts, and print ads. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box and try to include vibrant and eye-catching graphics to further enhance the value of your testimonials.
Key differences between Testimonials and Endorsements
Testimonials and endorsements are related concepts in marketing, both involving the promotion of a product or service through positive feedback. However, there are distinctions between the two.
Source Of Approval
Testimonials typically involve the direct expressions of satisfaction or positive experiences from customers who have used a product or service. These endorsements come directly from individuals who have first-hand experience with the offering.
Endorsements, on the other hand, may involve public figures, celebrities, or influencers expressing support for a product or service. Unlike testimonials, endorsements often feature individuals who may not have personal experience with the product but are lending their credibility to promote it.
Nature Of Support
Testimonials are personal and often anecdotal, focusing on the individual’s actual experience and satisfaction with the product or service.
Endorsements may be more generalized and can involve a public figure simply stating their support or approval without necessarily detailing a personal experience.
Brand Image In Public
Testimonials are often used to create a relatable and authentic image for a brand, as they showcase real customers and their positive experiences.
Endorsements, especially those featuring celebrities, may be used to enhance the perceived status or desirability of a product by associating it with well-known personalities.
While both testimonials and endorsements aim to build trust and credibility for a product or service, the key difference lies in the source and nature of the supportive statements. Testimonials rely on the genuine experiences of everyday customers, while endorsements involve the backing of individuals with a public or influential presence.
5 Testimonial Advertising Examples To Look Forward
From large-scale businesses to small startups, everyone is using the power of testimonials to showcase brand integrity and reliability. Have a look at the top testimonial advertising examples that will help in understanding the effect of testimonial videos in attracting the right customers.
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Grammarly’s testimonial Ad
This ad sends a powerful message right here explaining the precision of making sushi the right way. He, then, shifts the focus to writing along the same lines calling it a lifelong pursuit. The video shows a simultaneous connection between writing a perfect sentence and creating a perfect roll. Then he starts with the main part by saying that English is his second language and that Grammarly helps in correcting all his writing mistakes owing to which he can publish books in English.
Salesforce testimonial Ad
This is another example of a testimonial advertisement that focuses on the brilliant effect of relatable storytelling. This testimonial ad is a live example of how using Salesforce helped a woman to succeed as a company director by living to their best potential. Ever since humans evolved, one thing has never changed and that is the way he shares his ideas, thoughts, and concepts. This ad fosters the same message and helps the viewers to wonder how Salesforce can empower them to become successful.
Google Ads Testimonial
Chuckling Goat is a great brand that found its success with Google ads. This video showcases the power of Google ads and how a simple business idea managed to expand to 6000% growth within 4 4-year time span. This video testimonial is authentic and presents a perfect opportunity to increase brand awareness and improve sales.
Dove Testimonial Ad
Who doesn’t remember the timeless ad of Dove representing mothers who feel their skin has become as soft as a newborn baby? This helps in adding more value and detail to your regular ads. This ad is a gentle reminder of how these products are super effective in providing a high level of softness. This will attract the right kind of customers looking for credibility in the product. This ad may be old but really touched the customers on a completely different level.
Slack Testimonial Ad
This fast-growing company, Slack also came up with a terrific testimonial ad in which different team members were interviewed and a humourous touch was added to improve engagement. It clearly states the amazing team experience that the members felt while using Slack. It built a lot of credibility and got millions of views for its remarkable storytelling that everyone could relate to.
Some Last Words
Now that you are well-versed with all the above-mentioned testimonial advertising examples, it is time to use them properly for the right output. Believe it or not, storytelling plays a pivotal role in making your testimonial ads a powerful lead magnet. These ads prove to be really helpful in making a lasting impression and connecting to the audience at the right spot. So, make it a point to know your target audience so that your testimonial spreads the right message at all times.
