How to Effectively Use Testimonial Graphics and Videos to Build Trust
Let me ask you a question. When choosing where to go on vacation, do you trust a travel brochure more, or a friend who’s been there and recommends it?
The friend wins every time – because it isn’t an ad or marketing message. It’s a real and unbiased opinion of the destination that builds trust and makes you more likely to consider it.
And you’re not alone – research shows that 89% of global consumers check online reviews as part of their buying journey, proving just how influential real opinions are. This also illustrates why testimonials are so important and powerful for your business.
Whether it’s a glowing review or a heartfelt thank-you, testimonials give potential customers and clients the reassurance they need to feel confident in your product or service.
How Do You Get Testimonials?
The first step is figuring out how to get reviews. You have two choices: either wait for them to happen organically, or you can ask for them.
Taking a proactive approach is way more effective, so don’t hesitate to ask your customers for feedback. If they’ve had a great experience with your product or service, most will be more than willing to share.
Personally, I find TrustPilot useful for automating review requests via email. For my design service clients, I prefer sending them a personal email with a link to my TrustPilot profile, and ask if they’d review their experience.
In order to get insightful testimonials, I recommend asking 1-3 questions to get them thinking about what you could mention in their review.
Here are some example questions you can ask:
- What was the problem or challenge that you had?
- What made our offer stand out from competitors?
- How was your experience with our product/service?
- Can you share any measurable results or improvements?
- How do you see our product/service benefiting you in the future?
- If you were to recommend us to a friend, what would you say to them?
These kinds of questions are designed to encourage your customers to provide valuable, specific feedback for more persuasive, and relatable testimonials.
What Should You Include in a Good Testimonial?
When you ask for testimonials or when you’re gathering good feedback for social proof examples, ask if you can use their name.
Depending on your industry and audience, you might want to use their full name, especially in a B2B context where well-known people adds credibility. However, in many cases, just a first name and last initial will work just fine.
Including a location can sometimes be useful. However, the icing on the cake would be to have a photo of the person – although nice, to have it is not essential.
Remember, the goal is to create a genuine representation of your customer’s experience that will resonate with your target audience.
Graphic and Video Testimonial Examples
Testimonial graphics are a great way to visually showcase customer feedback, making it more engaging and memorable for your audience.
These graphics typically highlight a customer’s quote alongside their name, photo, and any relevant details, such as their job title or company, to add credibility.
Incorporating design elements like brand colors, logos, and on-brand typography ensures that your testimonial graphics will be visually appealing and aligned with your brand’s identity.
Below are a few examples that demonstrate how to use testimonials effectively in marketing.
1. Profile Photo Testimonial Graphics
These types of graphics include the profile photo of the customer or client. The image above is an example of one of the post templates available in the natural elegance social media templates kit.
Having a photo of the customer or client goes a long way to helping to increase people’s trust in the review and helps make your offer look more professional.
2. Stylized or Branded Review Quote Graphics
Designed with your brand’s colors and fonts – these feature customer testimonials and work really well for sharing on social media.
3. Review Screenshot Images
These review images are simply the actual screenshots of customer reviews from platforms like Facebook or Google, providing authentic, unaltered social proof.
They work really well on sales pages as they give people confidence in your offer as screenshots prove that other people have already had positive experiences with your product or service.
4. Simple Text Only Testimonial Graphics
These minimalist graphics focus solely on the customer’s words, with clean typography and a simple design they are ideal for including on your homepage or within your email newsletters.
5. Talking Head Video Testimonials
These are usually fairly short video clips where customers speak directly to the camera, sharing their experience with your product or service. They are often cited as the most effective kind of testimonials to have.
6. Animated Testimonials
Animated testimonials like gifs are wonderfully attention-grabbing visuals that can be easily shared on blog posts and email newsletters.
7. Background Video Review Quotes
These combine a video background such as product usage footage with overlaid customer review quotes, as the screenshot above shows.
They are a great way to share testimonials to video-centric platforms like TikTok. You can also include them in presentations and webinars.
Creating Visual Testimonials Using Canva Templates
Canva is a fantastic tool for creating professional-looking testimonial graphics, even if you’re not a designer.
Most of the social media Canva templates available in my shop also include testimonial designs, so you’ll have ready-made layouts at your fingertips.
Whether it’s for social media, your website, or emails, using Canva templates makes it super simple to create great looking visuals.
Where and How Can You Use Testimonials to Build Trust?
So where can you share these testimonials? Everywhere you can.
On social media for example, testimonials are a great way to drive traffic and mention your product without seeming too pushy. Share a few per week and rotate through them, sharing them again and again.
Here’s a list of where you can feature your reviews online:
- Social media posts
- Online ads
- Email newsletters
- Free guides/lead magnets
- Marketing materials (such as brochures)
- Webinars and presentations
- YouTube videos
- Press releases
Of course, it is your website where testimonials can get people to click the buy button. Below is a list of where you can include reviews on your website:
- Website homepage
- About page
- Dedicated testimonials page
- Product pages
- Category pages
- Sales pages
- Landing pages
- Blog posts
- Case study pages
- Portfolio pages
- Services pages
As reviews can make a big difference in convincing people who are on the fence about purchasing, it’s worth working through the lists above to ensure that you have testimonials in as many places as possible!
Start Building Trust with Your Testimonials
Ready to get started? Chances are, you already have some testimonials you can put to use.
Take a look through your emails or browse comments on your social media posts.
Be sure to ask for permission before using any feedback in your marketing. If it’s a comment on a platform like Facebook, you can simply take a screenshot.
For email testimonials, ask if you can include the person’s name along with a location, such as their city or state. While it’s great to include a photo if possible, don’t hesitate to use the testimonial even if a picture isn’t available.
Make it a habit to keep an eye out for any unprompted positive feedback. Use these testimonials across your marketing channels – they’ll go a long way in building people trust in your business.
