We all understand the power of the referral, which is probably the oldest form of marketing (we can imagine Caveman Ogg pointing to Caveman Ugg and his fine portfolio of stones). So, we know that any type of a customer testimonial, or case study, is important to a company’s marketing efforts.
But what makes some customer testimonials more effective than others?
In the last 15 years or so, Picturelab has produced all types of testimonial videos for all types of brands and organizations. We’ve interviewed dozens of top executives including the CEO of Zoom, but we’ve also interviewed people who were struggling in life and unhoused. We’ve filmed scientists at NASA, bioengineers, doctors, and government leaders. There have been entrepreneurs, athletes, people struggling with various health issues, etc, etc.
But what makes all of these different types of videos effective can be summed up in one word:
Empathy.
Customer testimonials are more than just stories.
Every marketing video needs to tell a story. Whether it’s a commercial or an explainer, they usually present a problem, or some need that needs satisfying, and then the solution. That’s usually sufficient for the purpose of the commercial or an explainer, which are often top funnel devices.
The testimonial, however, needs to do more than that. It should take those stories and add a stronger human element. A customer in a customer testimonial is a real person who is sharing the experience with your brand, product, or service. It’s important for your testimonial to convey that real human experience so that your audience will connect with the customer.
We often ask interviewees to talk in length about themselves and their overall experience. Much of it will be edited out, but we want to ensure that there’s enough material to include in the video.
Testimonials tend to be longer than commercials or explainers. An average testimonial is about 3 minutes in length. Commercials and explainers are typically at about 30 seconds and 90 seconds, respectively. The extra time is needed to ensure that the audience can connect with your customer to create that sense of empathy. In doing so, it will be much more effective when the customer begins raving about your brand.
Customer testimonial videos should avoid distracting elements
We’ve had customers want to spice up their testimonials with some edgy editing, music and graphics. Although nothing should be off the table, we found that these types of videos are more distracting than cutting edge. We understand that companies often want to convey their brand personality through the video, but we recommend saving that for a separate brand video or an explainer.
The testimonial video is about the customer and their experience. When there are too many distracting elements like fast cutting and in-your-face graphics, it tends to take away from that experience and the result is a lack of connection that your audience has with the customer.
Having said that, there have been times when some elements were needed to make a video more interesting. Especially during the pandemic when almost every testimonial was self-recorded, we often had to incorporate some interesting graphic or editing technique to off-set the poor recordings. But that should be the exception and not the rule.
The testimonial is a powerful way to amplify your brand with a voice other than yours. Though it’s ultimately just recording a person talking about a product, it needs to capture your audience by creating a sense of empathy.
Our team here at Picturelab are pros at this. Connect us for a consultation with your customer videos. We have offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles/Orange County areas, and can be reached at info@picturelab.com.