Testimonial videos are everywhere these days, and that’s because they work. Video testimonials take written reviews to the next level by actually showcasing real-life customers. In these videos, customers discuss the problems they were dealing with, why they chose a particular company, and the positive outcome of working with that company.
Audiences tend to respond strongly to people they can relate to. Seeing how a company’s products or services improved a customer’s life is often the tipping point that converts leads to sales.
So…how do you create an effective testimonial video? The answer is simple—you need to a) tell a story your audience will care about, b) remember to be authentic in your messaging, and c) ensure the story is told from the perspective of your customer, not your company.
The Power of Storytelling
You don’t remember every book that you’ve read, but you do remember the stories that impacted you. What was it about those stories? Most likely, it was how you felt as you were reading them. In fact, there is some science behind why we establish a connection with both real and fictional characters.
When we listen to someone who is telling us a story, different areas of our brains are actually working. According to neuroscientist Dr. Paul Zak, a person’s brain actually releases oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the love hormone, when they hear a good story. oxytocin helps us create connections and bonds with people (real and fictional).
Okay…so what does this have to do with testimonial videos? Well, if your testimonial video tells a good story, your viewers will establish a connection with the person in your testimonial video (your customer), and that potential connection is what can help convert leads into sales. But… to create a good story, you’ll need the person telling the story to be authentic.
Being Authentic
Your audience can easily sniff out an advertisement from a mile away. If you want your viewers to stay, make sure your story is believable, emotional, and from the heart of your customer, not from the heart of your PR or marketing team.
Your target audience will relate to a customer who is in a similar situation to them. However, if the person in your video sounds like they’re speaking directly from a script, they’re not going to be as believable.
Think about advertisements in podcasts—the podcaster wants you to believe that they personally have had an experience with a specific product or service. The line between “believable” and “unbelievable” is how that podcaster delivers the advertisement.
Scripts do help guide the video and ensure it doesn’t go over time, but an effective testimonial still needs to feel sincere and authentic. When you let your customer tell their own story, your video will come off as authentic and relatable, which in turn will help you build credibility and trustworthiness.
Providing a Narrative Voice
Are you seeing a pattern yet? Your catalyst for success is your own customer. The testimonial video itself should be told from the perspective of your customer.
Although you should create a video script, you need to give your customer the opportunity to tell their story in their own way. The script is there to help guide them, but they should not be reading from a piece of paper. Before starting any testimonial video production, you’ll want to work with your customer to outline a script to be a guide with a clear introduction, middle, and conclusion.
Introduction
The introduction of your video will usually involve your customer discussing the problems they were experiencing. Here’s what you need to think about: is there a common issue among your target audience? If so, recruit a customer you’ve helped to solve that issue and focus your testimonial video on that specific problem.
Middle
The middle section of your video script discusses why your customer chose you as the solution provider. Do not put words into your customer’s mouth. Let them tell you why they chose you. Of course, you can always send your customer questions to help guide them, but the script itself should be centered around the customer’s own experience.
Conclusion
In the last part of your video, your customer will explain what the final outcome of working with you. How did your business resolve the problem? Were they happy with the outcome? Did they see any specific results? This last question is especially important. The conclusion should have a driving impact that showcases just how life-changing your solution was for your customer.
Tell Your Story With Help From MODI
Still have questions about testimonial videos? MODI is ready to help! Founded in 2019, we’re a professional video production company that specializes in video marketing, including testimonial video. If you’re not sure where to start with your video testimonial or how to create an authentic script, get in touch with us today to schedule your discovery sessions.