Creating Compelling Video Testimonials That Convert Visitors to Subscribers

How to raise conversion rates and improve account lifetime value

Videos of satisfied subscribers or members on your site can help you raise conversion rates and improve account lifetime value.

Why? Truth is, anyone can write up a fake customer testimonial and post it to their site. Due to the “in-the-moment” nature of video testimonials, there is an extra layer of authenticity that will help to convince potential subscribers that your product or service is of value. Plus, most visitors to your site would prefer to watch a short video than read your value proposition, no matter how well-written it may be.

Even if you have never produced video before, the tips and tricks below will get you started!  It is not as hard as you think, you can even get started using the video on your phone! That said, remember to test how these ideas relate to your subscription business and your customers. Create your plan for measuring and tracking the impact of videos on your conversion pages and evolve based on the data.

Outline:

5 Tips for Creating and Using Testimonial Videos

#1. Keep them very short

Think of your video testimonials as the multimedia equivalent of the pithy customer text quotes you might have on your site under the heading, “What our subscribers say.”

The sweet spot for length of a video testimonial is less than 30 seconds, just enough time for a customer to make one or two compelling points about your subscription.

Very few people will sit through a two-to three-minute marketing video. So instead of featuring one customer talking for several minutes, create a library of several customers speaking for just a few seconds each. That way, prospects can watch videos in rapid succession and hear several different points of view without getting bored.

You can save the longer videos for other marketing content, such as video case studies.

skype-video-call

#2. Don’t worry about professional production quality

The most important factors of a testimonial video are the lighting and the sound – you should at least be able to hear and see the person speaking!

Other than that, it’s OK if the video is recorded by a webcam, Skype chat, or handheld video camera. In fact, these non-professional videos have an authenticity that can make them more compelling.

#3. Prompt subscribers with a question

Don’t ask subscribers to record a “testimonial,” because it’s such an open-ended term and people might not even know where to start. Or, if they do start talking, they might not be able to focus their thoughts and they’ll start rambling about different aspects of your site.

Q-in-circle

Instead, focus their thinking with a specific question designed to elicit testimonials about your site, such as:

  • “Tell us why you are a subscriber”
  • “What’s your favorite feature of our site?”
  • “Tell us how our site makes your job easier (or saves you money!)”
  • “Why would you recommend us to your peers?”

Another approach is to position the request as a pure customer service campaign, asking subscribers to share their feedback whether it’s good and bad. You’ll still get good testimonials from satisfied customers, but you might discover areas for improvement or find subscribers that need some special attention from your team.

#4. Use videos in several places on your site

Short testimonial clips give you the flexibility for use across your site. Think about the key entry points or steps in your conversion funnel where the face and voice of a current subscriber can convey the value of your subscriptions.

Good places to embed videos include:

  • Subscription offer or registration pages
  • Your homepage
  • Product pages
  • A dedicated testimonials page
  • Blogs

#5. Share on social networks

Video testimonials also make great content for SEO and lead generation, so make sure to include them in all your social media channels. Include keywords in the video titles, tags, and descriptions to help you command more listings on search result pages.

For example, you can post all your subscriber testimonials to a branded YouTube channel. You also can post them to your site’s Facebook page and in your Facebook videos collection. Be sure to Tweet a link each time you add a new video to your site, blog, or Facebook page.

A Three-Step Strategy to Solicit Video Testimonials

For anyone starting out a testimonial program, the hardest part to is get started! That is true for people creating a testimonial program for the first time and veterans.

If there is one learning you take away, remember that your library of video testimonials should be continually refreshed with new videos.

Here is a three-step strategy to launch a video testimonial campaign and automate the process for collecting new testimonials and content for your conversation pages:

Step #1. Priming the pump

Before you launch a campaign asking subscribers for video testimonials, it’s best to have an example or two in the can to show them what you’re looking for.

Start by reaching out to a few of your best subscribers, those who you have a close relationship with, or who have provided you feedback in the past. You can be a little more hands-on with these subscribers, working with them to ensure they’re hitting the right points about your business while keeping their comments short, sweet, and honest.

Step #2. Launching a big push for videos

Once you have two or three samples ready to go, you can use them in an outreach effort to your entire subscriber base.

One approach is to send an email campaign asking subscribers to share their own video stories using an online video recording service.

– Consider offering an incentivecarrot-on-stick

You may want to give subscribers something in return for their time and effort. Incentives have helped marketers successfully lift response rates to email list-growth campaigns or survey requests, and they can do so for testimonial solicitations.

The incentive can be something small, like a $10 Amazon.com gift card or an exclusive eBook related to your site’s content. If you need to keep the budget under control, limit the giveaway to the first 50 or 100 respondents.

– Secure the copyright

Have your legal counsel prepare terms and conditions that grant your business the right to use the subscriber’s likeness and words for marketing purposes and give you copyright over the final video.

But don’t just have a “terms and conditions” document hidden somewhere on your site. Sometime during the recording process, make sure you spell out in plain language that by sharing a video, the subscriber is granting you rights to use it on your site and post it on social networks.

For example, consider putting a short phrase such as “I grant [your brand] all rights to use this video…” above the button that subscribers click to submit their own video.

– Special approach for B2B sites: Gather video testimonials at major trade shows

If you’re sending a reporter or staff member to an industry event, plan to have that person bring a small video camera to record as many subscriber comments as possible.

Start a few weeks before the event by emailing your database and posting to your Twitter feed to ask which of your subscribers are planning to attend the event. When you start getting responses, ask those attendees whether they’d be able to meet up for a quick video recording session.

– Make sure subscribers have permission to offer a testimonial

Remind your subscribers to get permission from their boss (or their corporate legal team) before they agree to record. Some companies have strict rules about using the brand name in third-party marketing, and you definitely want the subscriber to be able to mention their name and company in the testimonial, especially if it’s a well-known brand that will carry weight with your prospects.

– Bring a waiver to sign

Print out several copies of a waiver that grants you the right to use the person’s name and image for marketing purposes. That way, the staff member on-site can secure the proper permissions at the same time they’re recording the videos.

Step #3. Automate Requests at Key Subscriber Touchpoints

Collect new testimonials on an ongoing basis by reaching out to subscribers when they’re likely to be happiest about your content or service.

A good way to do that is through a triggered email request that’s tied to key actions in the subscriber lifecycle, such as:

– An automated email that’s sent after a trial member converts to a paying subscriber. The message can thank them for their subscription and ask them to record a video explaining why they chose to subscribe.

– An automated thank-you email sent after a subscriber renews, asking them to share the benefits they got out of their subscription.

Another idea is to embed a “record your own video” link on your subscriber testimonial page. That way, subscribers inspired by the videos they’ve just watched have a simple way of sharing their own story.

Technology & Vendor Options

camtasia-logoFor a do it yourself approach, with HD-quality video on your cell phone, creating authentic video testimonials is as close as your pocket. Edit those phone video’s with online tools, free tools on your phone or even software like Comtasia and you will be off to a quick start with your testimonial program!

There are a number of video testimonial options available that can bring your testimonial program to the next level:

  • tag: Video recording, and streaming service.  Freemium model.
  • Authntk: Consumer generated video platform. Contact sales for pricing.
  • Boast: Allows your customers to share praise for your company directly from your website or their mobile phone. Starts at $19/month.
  • Bravo: Video testimonial software. Starts at $49/month
  • Modulates: Video review and “engagement” platform. Contact sales for pricing.
  • StoryBox: Create testimonials via generated content and video. They even have an Instagram option. Starts at $100/month
  • VidRack: Collect and share fan videos via a browser. Free option and enterprise edition with customization available.
  • Vocal References: Video testimonial platform, free 14 day trial. Starts at $20.83/month
  • WishPond: If you want to create a contest to create video testimonials, this would be an option. Starts at $5/month.

Video Testimonial Examples:

Slack:  We love this one (we use #slack and enjoyed this!). It is a professionally produced video, quirky and fun!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6zVzWU95Sw

HelpScout:  Professionally produced testimonial video, well done!  https://vimeo.com/102381171

via VidRack: Some user-generated examples of testimonials, you don’t need a professionally produced video all the time. User-generated videos can be very effective! http://vidrack.com/examples/

It’s true that almost anything could be written by you to be used as a positive review or case study on your website. But when you have someone in front of a camera giving their short and sweet testimonial, it packs more legitimacy than any self-praise you could come up with.

Tell us about your video testimonial program! What has worked?  What has not worked?

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