If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times – people buy from people, and there’s no better way to establish credibility than with glowing testimonials.
If you know about digital marketing, you’ll know about EEAT. If you don’t, let me enlighten you… Google evaluates the quality of digital content in the EEAT framework. It stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness. If your content demonstrates those qualities, Google will rank it higher.
Testimonials are a fantastic way to demonstrate trustworthiness, so my advice to you is, get some and use them!
Where do your testimonials come from?
Google Reviews
If you want to improve your Google search ranking, grow your Google Reviews! I have clients that leave business card sized requests printed with a QR code linking to their Google Reviews, which they leave by the customer’s kettle when they finish a job.
You could also put a link in your email signature or invoice.
LinkedIn Recommendations
After doing some work with a connection, you can send them a personalised message requesting they leave you a LinkedIn Recommendation that is displayed lower down on your profile.
If you make a point of mentioning that you’ll do this beforehand as you wrap up your business together, you’re more likely to get a quick response. You can even ‘take the liberty’ of drafting an example or ask them to mention particular phrases or services.
Facebook Reviews & YouTube Comments
Whereas LinkedIn recommendations are requested, Facebook Reviews and YouTube comments are unsolicited. Testimonials like these used by potential customers to get a true measure of a business and so are very valuable to you.
Facebook allows you to have the review section in the main navigation of your page, whereas YouTube doesn’t have an official review platform, but customers do often browse the comment threads.
Email / WhatsApp / Text
Even if you do have a Google Business Profile or LinkedIn Profile, many customers and clients prefer to contact you directly with kind words and feedback. When you’re wrapping up business with someone, there’s nothing stopping you from asking for that feedback.
Phone calls and meetings
Once again, be brave and ask for feedback! If someone says something great about you or your work, why not ask if you can quote them on that?
Non-personal review platforms
There are other platforms for specific industries such as trades and hospitality, where you can find reviews of your business.
Trustpilot, TripAdvisor, Which? Trusted Traders and Checkatrade are well-known platforms that you may need to subscribe to, to appear on. Depending on your marketing budget, it could be beneficial.
How to use your testimonials
Thinking about what type of content works best in marketing, if you can get a happy customer or client to record a short video of their positive feedback, that’s fantastic! A walk around their new conservatory, for example, or a ‘talking head’ video would be great.
Images are also more attractive than a post containing only words. Canva is a good platform containing templates you can use to create eye-catching testimonial posts. You can use a photograph of yourself, the customer, or the work to illustrate a few poignant words in quotation marks…
The point I’m trying to make with this advice is, when you get a positive testimonial, don’t let it hide away – share it everywhere; in your newsletter, on all your social media, on your website and even printed in your next run of brochures or leaflets. Celebrate that fact you are valued, and your customers have a positive experience of working with you.
And for Google’s benefit, boost your trustworthiness by asking for and collecting great testimonials.