What is a testimonial? Meaning, templates and tips to help you write one.

What is a testimonial?

A testimonial is an important tool that a company can use to show potential customers how valuable their products or services are. The meaning of testimonial is a brief statement from a satisfied customer that describes their experience with your company.

Different from a case study or success story, a testimonial is the written form of a ‘thumbs up’ from past customers. Essentially, your customer felt happy and was willing to share their experience with your brand. It’s social proof that your company is worth supporting.

You can showcase customer testimonials on your website or on social media as compelling reasons to buy from your business.

What are the benefits of a customer testimonial?

A testimonial can go a long way to demonstrate why a customer should trust your brand. It’s essentially an advertisement to encourage future customers to buy from you.

Here are some of the main advantages of a testimonial:

Build your business’s personality.

A testimonial is a great way for satisfied customers to speak about your brand. An array of positive testimonials highlights that you’re hard-working and worth investing in.

Tell a great story.

When customers share a personal anecdote about your company, other potential shoppers may feel inspired to make similar purchases. It’s a great chance to highlight how your business solves problems.

Connect deeper with your audience.

Similarly, testimonial examples on your website can help foster a better connection with your audience and build your reputation and trustworthiness.

Provide social proof.

Testimonials demonstrate to potential customers how past customers have found your products and services, so they may feel more comfortable taking the plunge with your business.

Gain valuable feedback.

Testimonials are also a good opportunity to gather feedback on how your customers feel about your products and services. This information can help you improve your offerings.

The different types of testimonials.

There are a number of different types of testimonials, depending on what they’re used for. From customer and client testimonials to social media and influencer endorsements, take a look at these testimonial examples:

Customer testimonials.

A customer testimonial is a statement provided after a customer has tried your product or service. If satisfied, they may be happy to provide an overview of their experience with your company. It could be in a written format that you can then use on your website or in marketing materials. These reviews may also appear on marketplaces or review sites, like Amazon or Yelp.

Client testimonials.

A client testimonial is an account of how your client found working with your business. It may include a story of the problem they were facing and how your company fixed it. Net Promoter Score (NPS) could be used to gauge client satisfaction and identify potential clients to ask for a testimonial from.

Video testimonials.

A video testimonial is the same premise, but in video format. This is more dynamic and engaging – and some may even find it more authentic than a written testimonial. The personal touch can resonate with viewers and help increase your credibility. Create eye-catching videos with a blend of customer quotes.

Influencer testimonials.

You may seek testimonials from social media influencers to endorse your business’s products and services. Influencers can be a powerful marketing tool in boosting your credibility and increasing your brand exposure to their followers. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be utilised to share testimonials to a wider audience.

Case study testimonials.

A case study testimonial is a longer-form blog or article that goes into more detail on how your company worked with a customer. You could either request that they write the blog post for you or provide a testimonial that you could transform into an article.

It could describe the customer’s problem, why they chose your business, their journey with you, and the benefits they found from choosing your product or service.

Interview testimonials.

Interview testimonials are similar to case studies. They take a deeper look into the customer’s experience with a question-and-answer format, encouraging the customer to provide information about particular parts of their experience – from customer service to aftercare. An interview could work in a video or written format.

Where to include your testimonials.

The testimonial is there to spread the word about your good work. The more people who read the testimonial, the better. So, you may consider using a variety of avenues, including:

• Website product or about pages. Including testimonials on your product pages could give them the nudge they need to commit to the sale. You could also mix in the testimonials on your ‘about you’ page to help resonate with your audience.
• Website homepage Add testimonials to your homepage to build trust from the moment a potential customer clicks onto your site.
• Social media channels. Promoting happy customers on social media can do wonders for your marketing. Utilising these online platforms allows you to connect with a wider audience.
• Flyer or poster. Add testimonials to flyers advertising your products and services to help encourage sales.
• Email marketing. You could even include customer testimonials to your email marketing campaigns in welcome emails or product announcements.