Turning client testimonials into digital marketing gold

Client testimonials are a golden opportunity for your business. They can help build trust by providing a valuable, firsthand endorsement of your products and services. The fact that a client is willing to take the time out of their busy schedule to praise your business is a major positive in itself. Testimonials can do far more than populate a section on your website: they can be turned into valuable marketing assets. Here we look at some practical ways to make client testimonials work harder and smarter for you.

Building trust

Client testimonials are powerful; they have the potential to build trust far more effectively than standard marketing messages.

Real words from real people help cut through the noise and validate your brand. They can humanise your brand, highlight key benefits, demonstrate actual results and help drive potential clients to your business.

Telling a story

The best client testimonials are not simply filled with plaudits - instead, they tell a story. Ideally that story will outline the problem a client faced, explain your solution and how it helped, detail the results and review what you are like to work with.

Once you have that story, use it in as many places as you can. Websites, emails, social media and proposals are all channels where you can amplify the message from a positive client testimonial.

Careful placement

Feature testimonials on your website. Place them carefully and strategically where they will greet visitors and help tip the scales for sales conversions.

Your homepage, service pages or a dedicated ‘success stories’ section are all useful places. On these pages place testimonials close to calls to action, reinforcing trust at decision points.

In addition, you can use themed testimonials that align with the landing page’s focus.

Nurture your email campaigns

Successful email campaigns are increasingly difficult to achieve as firms battle to stand out in crowded inboxes. However, a well-placed testimonial can make a significant difference.

Use snippets from testimonials in nurture campaigns, newsletters or case study follow-ups.

Dropping a client quote into your email marketing campaigns to prospects adds a layer of authenticity that generic pitches lack.

Share the love

Your social media channels are where conversations and engagement happen. Testimonials can help spark these into life. Turn testimonials into branded graphics, video clips or carousel posts. Show your followers that your clients love what you can do for them.

Build trust with case studies

Nothing beats hard data to back up a good story. By featuring testimonials in detailed case studies - complete with real numbers like revenue growth or time saved - you give your digital marketing campaigns a backbone of proof. Prospects love seeing the practical details of how you’ve helped others.

Bring words to life

A written testimonial is powerful, but a video testimonial takes the authenticity up several notches. Visual and auditory elements convey emotion in ways text cannot.

If a video isn’t feasible, try using a headshot alongside their quote or a branded quote graphic for social media.

Boosting credibility

No matter how and where you use them, testimonials can amplify your digital marketing campaigns by building your credibility with potential clients. Client testimonials aren’t just nice to haves - they have the capacity to turn happy clients into your best marketing assets.