Are client video testimonials more effective than written testimonials? The answer is a resounding yes… but… it has to be done right. And what do I mean by “right”?

Let’s take a look at the basic elements of an effective client video testimonial that will help you close more business. Like many things in life, this can be divided into three parts: Technical, Content, and Delivery.

On the Technical part, an effective client video testimonial must:

Be short (2 minutes or less). People have a short attention span and will not watch a 5-minute testimonial.
Have good video quality. Even if what the person is saying is relevant, if all you see of their face is a silhouette against a bright background or the camera is constantly moving, you will not keep watching.
Have clear audio. If you need to make an effort to hear the person’s voice among background noise, you will not even start watching.
Branding. The video must feature your company name and logo and, most importantly, information to help the viewer contact you. Remember that people may watch a testimonial in places other than your website.

On the Content part, an effective client video testimonial must be relevant to your target audience, which is, of course, potential clients. Viewers have to be able to learn:

Why did that client decide to work with you
How was the process of working with you
What problem or issue did you solve for that client
What kind of results did you produce for them

If all that client says is how much they love you and what a great person you are, well, that’s nice, but not really effective.

The last element is Delivery. Without that, the first two elements are irrelevant. You must have a plan on what to do with your client video testimonials before even creating them. Here are a few suggestions:

Your website. Create a “Testimonials” page on your website and display the videos there. Make it easy for a visitor to find it.
Social media. Post your video testimonials on your YouTube Channel, your Facebook page, your LinkedIn page, and share it as much as you can.
Email campaigns. Include testimonials as part of a newsletter or other marketing campaigns.
Video ads. Integrate snippets from video testimonials as part of video ads on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

That’s it. Follow these basic guidelines and you’ll start seeing results from your client video testimonials very quickly. Remember to ask prospects if they watched a testimonial and if that influenced their decision to call you. That is the best way of checking their effectiveness.

I hope this was helpful. See you at the next “Video Lion”!