Today’s consumers are inundated with social media ads, and they’ve become experts at spotting overhyped claims. Testimonial advertising helps a product or service stand out from the competition by offering real proof of its worth.
Customer testimonials are the digital version of word-of-mouth marketing, which you can use on any of your marketing channels. They’re powerful tools that capture attention while building trust and credibility.
Learn more about how testimonial advertising works, why it’s so effective, and how to use testimonial ads to market your brand.
What is testimonial advertising?
Testimonial ads are bite-sized customer success stories that businesses share with their online audience. They’re a marketing strategy using the positive experiences of actual customers to demonstrate the value of a product or service.
The ultimate goal of testimonial ads is to convince potential customers they can achieve similar positive results: “If it worked for them, it could work for me too!”
Testimonials can improve your marketing efforts by transforming your brand’s claims into credible customer stories that connect with potential customers. They can range from influencer testimonials to verified online reviews from everyday people.
Benefits of testimonial advertising
Here are a few of the main benefits of testimonial ads:
Builds trust and credibility
Most of us are naturally skeptical of marketing claims; we know that traditional ads have actors and can manipulate the results of their products. But look at testimonial ad examples and you’ll see real customers who endorse the brand after using it in their daily lives. This authenticity resonates with audiences who perceive testimonials as unbiased and therefore more credible than traditional ad copy.
Provides social proof
Testimonials serve as social proof, or the idea that we look to the actions of others to guide our own behavior. By featuring real people, testimonials bridge the gap between skepticism and belief. Testimonial ads from people similar to your target audience can be particularly impactful and help your customers envision themselves using your product or service.
Creates emotional connection
Customer testimonials with a strong emotional pull can create an authentic connection with your audience. By sharing these first-hand accounts and stories, you humanize your brand and allow viewers to engage on a deeper level. It feels more relatable and compelling to hear about someone’s experience using a product or service than it does to read an impersonal marketing claim.
Drives conversions
Customers often share similar concerns about a product. Testimonials can address potential customers’ most common hesitations and potentially increase your conversion rates. They provide the reassurance that is sometimes needed to make a purchase and can be the deciding factor for customers who are on the fence.
5 tips for successful testimonial advertising
- Choose authentic testimonials
- Target the right audience
- Highlight specific benefits
- Use strategic placement
- Include a call to action
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when creating a testimonial ad:
1. Choose authentic testimonials
A real person with genuine enthusiasm for a product is often more compelling than an actor delivering lines. Encourage your most loyal customers to leave a testimonial. You may want to offer a discount or reward, but if they feel pressured to do so, the feedback you receive in return may not be genuine.
2. Target the right audience
To make your testimonial ads more effective, collect testimonials from each of your customer groups and then match them to your audience segments. This personalization can help you connect testimonials with the customers most likely to be persuaded by them.
For example, you might share short clips of young professionals discussing your product on TikTok, feature busy millennials on an Instagram post, and retirees in a longer Facebook video testimonial ad. Making sure that your testimonials are seen on the platforms where your customers are most active will enhance engagement with your content.
3. Highlight specific benefits
Avoid generic praise like “This product is amazing!” Instead, choose testimonials that clearly explain the specific benefits of your product or service. Focusing on these details makes the testimonial more impactful and persuasive. Guide your customers toward sharing detailed feedback by creating prompts for them to leave a testimonial through surveys, email follow-ups, or a pop-up after making a purchase.
4. Use strategic placement
The ideal platform for a testimonial ad depends on the format of the customer feedback. By including video testimonials in your social media posts, you can grab your audience’s attention and increase awareness of your product. You can also use written testimonials with star ratings on product pages to influence buyers at the point of sale. Try varying the formats and locations of testimonial ads to maximize their effectiveness.
🌟Resource: Beyond Star Ratings: Get Ecommerce Reviews From Customers
5. Include a call to action
Give your audience something to do after a powerful testimonial. Whether the call to action is to visit your website, sign up for a free trial, or learn more about the product, make sure it is obvious. Point the audience in the direction of the next step in the purchase process. A clear and compelling call to action increases both the likelihood of a sale and ongoing engagement with your brand.
Examples of testimonial advertising
Here are a few different types of testimonial ads to inspire your own marketing strategy:
Quote testimonials
The brand Coyote Vest, which specializes in protective gear for pets, created a dedicated testimonial page on its website to share quotes from real customers who have used the company’s vests to protect their pets from coyote attacks.
The page title “Does the CoyoteVest work?” immediately addresses a common customer question. The stories and customer photos that follow directly demonstrate the product’s value in keeping pets safe, providing compelling evidence and reassuring potential buyers of its effectiveness.
Video testimonials
Video testimonials serve as a powerful tool for Barner, an eyewear brand known for its blue-light-blocking glasses, to establish a stronger connection with potential clients. Rather than relying solely on text, the website’s video testimonials page features footage of actual consumers discussing the advantages of Barner’s glasses, creating a more engaging and immersive experience.
Hovering over each video ad reveals brief review summaries, which Barner uses to further promote user engagement. With benefits like “comfortable to wear” or “now my eyes are relaxed,” these teasers persuade viewers to watch the full video testimonial to learn more about the value of the product.
Product reviews
Including product reviews in your marketing strategy allows your customers to become ambassadors for your brand. Their personal experiences speak for themselves and save you time and marketing resources while helping you build credibility with potential buyers.
The apparel brand Kirrin Finch is a prime example of how to use product reviews to your advantage.
The company’s website has a dedicated Reviews section that is easily accessible from the homepage and displays more than 2,000 customer reviews for its menswear-inspired clothing. In addition to fostering trust, the brand’s decision to feature consumer-generated content likely helps its search engine optimization (SEO) ranking, which increases its visibility to potential buyers searching for similar products online.
Testimonial advertising FAQ
What is the difference between testimonial ads and endorsements?
Testimonials feature real customers sharing their genuine reviews and opinions. Endorsements, on the other hand, come from celebrities, industry experts, and influencers, and are typically paid-for partnerships. While testimonials emphasize authenticity, endorsements rely on the celebrity status of the person promoting the product or service. Technically, both are testimonials, but in marketing circles, the word “testimonials” more often refers to content featuring everyday people.
How do advertisers use testimonials?
Advertisers use testimonial ads in text quotes, interviews, videos, and customer case studies to cater to different audiences. By strategically placing testimonials throughout the user journey—including on website landing pages, email marketing campaigns, and social media posts—advertisers can maximize their impact and drive conversions.
How effective are testimonial ads?
Testimonial ads are highly effective in influencing consumer behavior. A survey by Power Reviews found ratings and reviews are the single most important factor impacting purchasing decisions, underscoring the importance of incorporating client feedback into your marketing strategy.
