How to Get Video Testimonials from your Customers?

Naveen Selvaraj - May 20, 2021

Written testimonials are doing a good job, but (and that is a big but) video testimonials give a unique sense of trust that written testimonials don't.

This is because written testimonials are easier to create, and with that, there is no guarantee that a real customer gave it.

On the other hand, video testimonials are harder to fake, and therefore they are more powerful and convincing.

In this blog, we will see the step-by-step process to get a video testimonial: how to approach customers, what to ask them, how you can edit your videos and make them appealing, and finally how you can utilize them.

Points to consider before creating a testimonial video

There should be a story in your video. Without a story, people won't be interested in watching your video.
Plan your video but don't script it. A customer testimonial video is all about showing the human side of your business. So you can't do it when your customer is talking like a robot.
Make your testimonial videos emotionally appealing. Yes, facts are important but, since we are emotional creatures, the emotional aspect of your videos is what will make your business sell.
Your video should be of good quality. When I say good quality, at least the lighting and the sound should be perfect.

How and when to pitch to your customers?

It's all about the timing.

Timing is crucial when pitching to your customers. Preferably you should ask your customers for a testimonial when they achieve success with your product or when you just completed a project successfully for them.

Since they are happy with the results, there is a perfect chance for them to accept your proposal for a video testimonial. You can also contact them at the end of the year or quarter generally when businesses evaluate performances.

The next thing you have to focus on is giving them a reason to say yes.

Your customers are probably busy with 100 other things, and with your request, it may seem like one extra thing to clear off from their plate.

This is where the incentives come in. People respond well to incentives, and that's why when you pitch to your customers, try giving them some sort of incentives like an Amazon Gift Card or free goodies to compensate for the extra work they are going to do for you. You can also give them discounts on their subscriptions.

If you have exceeded your customer's expectations, they will most probably do it for free, but if not, this incentive will give them a nudge.

Here is a sample email template that you can use to pitch to your customers:

Subject: Can you help me out?

Message:
Hi FirstName,

I have a quick favor to ask.

Would you be open to taking part in a short video interview and sharing your experience with us?

The interview will typically be no longer than 10-15 minutes, and it will be all about you describing your experience with us.

To give you an idea of how the video is going to be, please click here
.
I would be willing to compensate you with [Insert Incentive here] for taking your valuable time to help us with this.

Please let us know if you are interested, and I will get back to you with the next steps.

Thanks so much, FirstName.
{Your Name}

How to pitch to your customer for video testimonials?

And once they respond positively, you can let them know how you intend to conduct your interview.

What to ask your customers?

You need a good story, and if you ask your clients to speak about their experience randomly, they may not be able to give you what you want. So you have to prepare a questionnaire to extract a story and direct your customers in the right direction. You can send these questions beforehand so that your customer gets prepared. Here are some of the questions you can use:

What was it like before you had our product?
What problem were you trying to solve with our product?
Where did you start your search?
How has the product affected your business?
What prompted you to consider this product?
What was the obstacle that almost prevented you from buying our product or service?
What features sold you on buying this product?
What made you happiest about working with our company?
How has the product affected your business?
What have you been able to achieve since using our product or service?
What has exceeded your expectations since working with us?
What's the main reason you recommend our product or service?
What about our business surprised you the most?
Would you recommend the product? If so, why?
Was there anything we could have differently?
Is there anything else you want to add?

Remember not to make your questions too specific. Keep it open-ended so that you get those non-robotic natural answers.

What tools to use?

It depends on how you want your video to be. There are five different ways you can get a video testimonial:

Using a professional setup: When I say a professional setup, I mean having a controlled environment with professional lighting, microphones, a camera, and everything. It depends on the type of business you are in. Like if you are a graphic designer and want a testimonial from your client, this type of testimonial can be inefficient since If you are not experienced with shooting techniques, you may have to hire professionals for this.

Use remote video testimonial software: There are many video testimonial software that you can use. This software is cheaper and efficient. You get the option of sending the emails directly from these tools along with your questionnaires. And once your customers agree to give you a testimonial, you can share a link, and they can click on that link and start shooting the testimonial video. These tools also come with branding and editing features.

Using a screen recorder: You can also capitalize on-screen recording tools to get your video testimonials, especially if you want your customers to showcase your work. Once your customer agrees to give you a video testimonial, you can provide them with a license key for a screen recording tool and ask them to use that to record the videos. I am asking to use licensed screen recording software because you can ensure that the video is recorded in the highest quality along with crisp audio and is readily available for you on the cloud to access and review.

Using video conference tools: This is by far the cheapest and reliable method to get your video testimonials, but it's not free of caveats since it involves a steady internet connection and you and your client being available simultaneously. A significant advantage of using this method is that you can ask follow-up questions to whatever your client is talking about.

Using your clients' cell phone: This is another way of getting video testimonials from your clients without going broke. The only problem is the audio quality. If your client records the video standing at a distance from his phone, the audio can be really noisy.

How to edit your videos?

Once you are done filming your video, the obvious next step is to edit it. Use our beginner-friendly AI video editor to turn your raw videos into stunning masterpieces in just minutes with AI. Simply upload your raw footage and choose the visual enhancements or elements you want to add, such as subtitles, b-rolls, background music, and text animations. Vmaker AI will automatically incorporate them into your video, effortlessly elevating its quality.

Add the name and title of your customer. Incorporate other supporting text, such as quotes, and add your company's branding (colors, logos, etc.). Also, to make your video more engaging, add overlay texts and graphics.

☛ Bonus Read: How to edit videos online with Vmaker

Where and how to use your video testimonials?

Once you are done recording your video testimonials, it's time for you to capitalize on them whenever and wherever possible. Apart from using your testimonials on your website, you can use them on your social channels, email campaigns, and paid campaigns. You can also use these testimonials to upsell your products or services to your existing customers.

Conclusion

Just keep one thing in mind that testimonial videos are all about your existing customer telling stories of how your product helped them solve their problems. So try to make your video in such a way that this gets reflected.

And when you are contacting your customer, make sure that you are doing it at the right time and also give them a good reason to get onboard with your plan.

And while you are shooting your videos, make sure that at least your video and audio quality are intact. There shouldn’t be any noise in either the video or audio.

A well-made customer testimonial video can do wonders for your business. And since this is the sort of content that can help you improve conversions, it's worth the effort and investment.