Did you know that 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to pull the trigger on a purchase after reading a trusted review? Yeah, testimonials are that powerful.
Customer testimonials are a powerful marketing tool and an incredibly important type of B2B content in the marketing strategy. They are typically used to support sales during the consideration and decision stages of the sales funnel. They help the customers feel more confident about making their purchase. Satisfied customers sell everything.
A solid testimonial will reduce the perceived risk of such a purchase and speed up the decision-making process. It readily provides them with social proof - seeing others have a good experience makes people trust in the product and allows them to learn more about it. It makes it that much more likely for the potential customer to give your company a shot.
Basically, customer video testimonials are statements from real people, who are talking about their experience and customer satisfaction with the product, service or brand. Testimonials come in different formats - written reviews, video interviews, social media content, or direct quotes. The common thread? They're all about the positives.
The key is for testimonials to be provided by real customers. That's where the magic is, it's what gives them the authenticity and credibility, far beyond what any kind of a flashy ad can provide. Your potential clients are great at sniffing out fake testimonials from a mile away. Do not be tempted to use those! Customer feedback needs to be real to be trustworthy.
They show off why a product or service are worth it. Testimonials are evidence of a positive experience, positive feedback or positive reviews, with whatever the company has to offer. People trust their peers, so hearing about someone else’s good experience makes a world of difference.
As trust in a company grows, so does its credibility. Positive testimonials help establish a company's reputation based on real experiences of satisfied users. New and potential customers may hesitate to commit to a service or a product. A good testimonial lowers the perception of risk, reassuring the customers that they will also have a good experience with this company.
The best part? Testimonials can highlight things a company might not even think to advertise, giving new customers even more reasons to buy. Good testimonials don’t just list benefits, they help a brand stand out by showing what makes it unique. Satisfied customers sharing their stories make the brand feel more human, relatable, and memorable.
Testimonials are best to appeal through positive emotions, which makes the brand relatable and memorable in the eyes of the customers. They also consistently underscore all the positive aspects of the brand - quality, consumer service, innovation. Together, those features shape the public perception of the company and reinforce the brand identity.
Strategically placed testimonials (think websites, ads, sales pages, dedicated testimonials page, social media platforms) can seriously crank up conversion rates. They help turn those “on-the-fence” customers into buyers.
Keeping them fresh and updated is also a smart SEO move, giving your site more chances to rank higher. And let’s not forget - video testimonials or social media shoutouts? They’ve got the potential to go viral. That kind of exposure can take a brand’s reach to the next level, spreading the word far and wide. Plus, the more positive testimonials a brand collects, the stronger its reputation becomes.
Yes! Buyers absolutely need to feel safe with their decisions and trust simply cannot be bought! Trust is a feeling or belief that someone is genuine and honest, that they will not hurt you. That something - a product or a service - is safe and trustworthy. That your inherent risk in this situation is as minimal as possible and you can commit to what you've intended - whether it is a purchase, a contract, or a business partnership.
Trust can only be earned.
Recent research by Forrester has identified several "trust levers" that companies should understand throughout the market and industry space:
The first three are the big players, but all of them should be reinforced through messaging, actions, products, and customer experiences. B2B buyers often "play safe" during purchase decisions, all they want is to reduce the risk. The more familiar they are with your company, the more they will trust you.
And trust drives purchases, keeps them coming back, and even turns them into brand advocates. Great testimonials lead to well-informed, trusting customers, who then will be happy to tell other about their good experience - in even more of new, glowing testimonials!
The core of why testimonials are so effective at building trust and reputation is the magic of social proof. In short, the way we are socially and behaviorally wired is that we distrust the unknown, and at the same time trust the opinions of others, especially when they are positive. A great testimonial is simply proof that interacting with your brand leads to good results, happy customers, and general success and satisfaction. That's powerful stuff!
There is no shortage of statistical evidence showing that social proof of such positive interactions immensely improves marketing and brand recognition results. 92% consumers consult reviews prior to purchase and 97% of those who do, claim that online reviews have helped them decide what to buy. Sales increase by 34% and spending by 31% when testimonials are being used. Products and services which provide 5 reviews are 270% more likely to be purchased than those that show none.
However, testimonials have to be accurate and up-to-date. 83% people consider reviews older than 3 months not helpful anymore. Authenticity is a crucial factor when 86% of people make their purchases, and 60% of them consider testimonials and reviews to be the most authentic kind of content. Similarly, 72% of buyers trust images and videos coming from authentic customers more than stock product or service visual content.
Video is by far the best and most engaging way to do testimonials, and here's why.
You’re not just reading about someone’s experience; you’re actually seeing and hearing them talk about it. There’s something about watching a real person’s face light up when they talk about how awesome something is that just hits different. People are way more likely to trust a video because it feels real, like you’re hearing from a friend instead of reading a review from a stranger.
You’ve got the visuals, the sound, maybe some cool editing - it’s like a mini-movie. You can show the product or service in action, which adds another layer to the story. Instead of just reading about how great something is, you can actually see how it works and what makes it special. And when you throw in close-up shots or cutaway footage, it keeps things fresh and holds people’s attention longer.
Whether it’s on social media, your website, or in an email, or any other digital marketing materials like newsltters, video grabs attention right away and is more likely to be shared. On platforms like Instagram or Facebook, videos start playing automatically, which makes people stop scrolling and watch, and if they like it - share your video testimonial. And we all know that video gets way more clicks and engagement than text does, especially when it’s something like a testimonial where people want to see and hear from a real person.
And let’s be honest - video lets you be really creative. You can mix in customer quotes, music, and even some extra footage to make it feel more dynamic. It’s not just someone talking now - suddenly, it's a whole vibe. By adding different narrative elements, a story arc, by showing the customers as relatable and reliable "characters", you can turn the testimonial into something people actually want to watch. That way, they’re not just hearing about the experience, they’re feeling it. And that leaves a way bigger impression.
When you’re putting together a video testimonial, the first thing you have to nail down is keeping it real. The more natural, the better. You want the person talking to sound like themselves, not like they're reading a script. The more they open up and talk about their real-life problems and how the product helped them out, the more people are going to relate. Those genuine emotions are what really connect with an audience. Show them that your company has empathy for their problems and knows exactly how to help them out. It's also a great idea to make the viewers chuckle and smirk as they watch. But tread lightly, as the difference between "quirky, amusing" and "cringe" is a really narrow one.
Another trick? Make sure there's a story with a beginning, middle, and end. It's kinda like any good movie - you want a clear path from start to finish. The customer starts with a problem (the beginning), then they find your product and it solves that problem (the middle), and finally, everything’s all good (the end). This gives the testimonial a flow and makes it way more engaging than just random praise.
Lastly, visuals are your best friend. You don’t have to stick to just a talking head - throw in some footage that backs up what they’re saying! If someone’s talking about how your product makes their life easier, show them using it in action. If the service or product helped solve a showstopper issue in some company's large project - let them show off the pressure and drama! This makes the story more real and helps people picture themselves having the same experience. When the visuals line up with the story, it’s more memorable and leaves a lasting impression.
Certainly the one by Slack stands out. There's a Sandwich Video, Inc. (the creators of this video ad), with problems managing their communications. The reversal is that it's Slack who approach them, in order to create a testimonial for Slack. It's fun to watch, has engaging visuals, and is really subversive. Throughout the video, graphical overlays provide the viewer with a lot of information about the product, helping keep the viewing time under two and a half minutes.
It explains what Slack brings to the table, makes us smile, and never feels fake or boring.
Another set of great testimonials are those presented by Salesforce, through their Trailblazers series. For example, Cisco is a Trailblazer has key players of the company, from the Senior VP of Operations, through VP of Worldwide Sales, all the way to the company's CEO, speaking about their experience as customers of Salesforce, providing the social proof of quality reinforced by their positions and authority.
The testimonial describes in detail how Cisco is all about 24/7 availability and connectivity, and how the Salesforce software and services enabled them to stay constantly connected with their own teams and customers. Very good visuals and music frame the testimonial well, without being overbearing.
Testimonials don't have to stick to the monotony of "pretty CGI and talking C-Suite heads", either. For example, this Westfield testimonial stands out from the crowd not only because it contains statements from multiple of their own customers, but also because it's fully animated!
The style is simple and doesn't exactly scream "high production value", however it matches the simplicity and blots of color typical of the well-known corporate Memphis style. It's short, sweet and to the point, conveying the entire message within one minute.
Lastly, this one is from Yext, and their customer, Three - a challenger on the UK mobile operations market. With quality visuals and great music, it does a stellar job of showing off the UX and functionalities of the "Answers" customer facing product.
In the first seconds it puts in front of us, in bold colorful numbers, a huge success story - 400 000 searches in the first month of Answers being online, converting to 230 000 clicks through. A comparison to a Google-like experience is made, and a declaration of Answer "revolutionizing" Three's site search. Not only the conversion data, or the ability to influence the decision making process of their customers is shown off. The testimonial also underlines how the product reflects Three's core values, the goal of being a customer-driven organization, and how Yext enables them to be that.
With a great testimonial, your customers will feel safe, even comfortable about the idea of interacting with your brand, service or product. Your clearly shown empathy will ensure they feel really seen and cared for. This will make them more open to purchases, shortening the consideration and decision stages of purchase.
Trust and good will generated by a great testimonial will enhance the reputation and brand recognition of your company. The reputation and brand recognition will cause new customers to flock to you, and given the social proof make it easier for them to commit to your services and products.
An exceptional testimonial could not only be used to trend on social media, but in best cases could even go viral for all the good reasons, skyrocketing your online presence and SEO results. All of those and more will in turn rapidly enhance your sales.
You've read all of the above and are amped up to boost your brand with incredible B2B testimonials.
We have you covered! Reach out to us at Black Rabbit, and let’s get started now!
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