Using Customer Testimonials in the Digital Age

Customer testimonials have always been a powerful marketing tool, but the digital age has increased their value and breadth. Through social media networks, email marketing campaigns, and organically-updating web pages, the ability to connect with customers and use their positive experiences to your advantage continues to expand. Each and every customer testimonial provides a more relevant, believable account of your product or service than any marketing materials you can produce.

The first step toward fully utilizing customer testimonials in the digital age is making sure that everyone who comes in contact with your company knows how and where to leave feedback. Follow up sales with quick email surveys, but remember, stress customer-written answers over multiple-choice questions. Being able to aggregate responses into percentages and trends can be helpful for your company to learn from, but personal success stories and testimonials are what you're looking for when it comes to marketing. Often, attaching discounts and specials to these surveys can help customers spend more time on them and supply you with usable content. Additionally, utilize social networks like Facebook and Twitter to encourage your loyal customers to speak up.

Once you've got credible testimonials from supportive customers, don't sit on them. Whether it's bold quotes on the front of your home page or a special tweet to tout a recent success story, use your online presence to blast out your positive reviews. Prospective customers will gain interest and assurance in your offerings, and the customers who supplied the testimonials will know that their opinions and experiences are valued. Of course, you will always want to make sure that your customers give permission to use the testimonials through these channels before you distribute any material.

Once you start using customer testimonials to your advantage, don't stop with a few short quotes and thumbs up. A full length case study or success story can be a powerful tool to add to your website, often doing more work than pages and pages of company-written copy. It's unlikely (i.e. impossible) that a customer will just volunteer a couple pages of praise, so go out on a limb and contact some of your favorite customers. A quick interview over the phone or in person can drum up enough material for you to produce an extensive case study. When prospective clients can see a success story from start to finish, you will eliminate doubts and win their trust, often before you even talk to them.

In the age of Testimonial 2.0, acquiring, expanding, and broadcasting positive reviews from your customers has never been easier or more powerful. Take advantage of every good word and start turning your customers into your spokespeople.