Posted by Catie Foertsch on Thu, May 20, 2010 @ 01:12 PM
Done correctly, a video testimonial is a very valuable sales tool for your company. Here's a list of do's and don'ts to help you create knockout video testimonials.
First, the Dos:
1. Broaden your vision. 
If you create a video testimonial that's a quick, simple statement about your business, or one that provides generalities instead of specifics, it won't do you much good. It won't give your prospects and leads the information they need to know if you're a good fit for them. So instead of a short, general testimonial, create a video testimonial that functions as a case study.
2. Create a structure for your case study before you start to film. Watch one of our testimonial/case studies to see how we put them together. Of course, you can use any structure you want, but remember that the goal is to lead your viewers through the progression that will help them see that you're a great solution for their problem. The formula we like to use is:
- Name, company name, who are your customers?
- What were your problems/challenges?
- Why did you choose our company?
- How have we helped to solve your problems?
3. Give your subject the questions beforehand,
so they can think about their answers. They'll appreciate your thoroughness, and they'll be less nervous because they know what to expect.
4. Be ruthless when you edit. If your customer likes to talk, you may wind up with half an hour of tape - or more. But your video testimonial must be much, much shorter -four minutes long is a good target. So you'll have to cut out a lot of material. Start with just 30 seconds of the customer telling about their business, and devote the rest of the case study to your main topics -problems and challenges, why they chose your company, and how you solved their problem. Remember that they'll naturally talk about their company a lot - but that's not the point of the testimonial/case study. Don't feel guilty about only using what you need.
5. Construct a Case Study page on your website, and put your testimonial there. 
Use text to make the same points the video does - to give the search engines something to chew on and to give the same information to those who might not want to watch a video. You can also elaborate on things your testimonial subject touches on, if you want to give more detail.
6. Find other uses for extra material from the raw video. You'll probably get a lot more material than you can use in your case study. Don't pitch the rest - go through it and extract chunks you can use in a blog post, or in an email newsletter. Or posted on YouTube.
Now, the Don'ts:
1. Don't settle for general statements or short answers. If your happy customer is a little nervous about being videotaped, he or she may give you answers that are very short. But that won't give you enough to work with to construct your case study. So if you find that you're not getting much material from the person you're filming, change the questions you're asking. For example, instead of asking "Who are your customers?" you might say, "Tell me about your customers. Who are they? What are they like? What do they expect from you?" You might even try just having a conversation with them, to help them loosen up, and then working your questions into the conversation.
2. Don't give in to the temptation to make the edited version too long. 
You may get 30 minutes or more of absolutely excellent material and it may kill you to have to edit it down to four minutes. But remember - people don't watch long videos on the web. No matter how good they are, your viewership will drop off. So keep it short. And use some of that material in other places (see number 6, above)
3. Don't park your finished testimonial on your website and forget about it. Editing your raw tape into a finished testimonial case study is just the beginning. Now you have to use it to connect with many leads and prospects as possible. So put it up on YouTube. Use it on a landing page and write about it in an email newsletter. Send a link to relevant prospects.
Video testimonials are an excellent tool to connect with potential customers. And happy customers are generally willing to help by allowing you to film them. Using these dos and don'ts will help you create knockout marketing and sales assets that speak directly to your leads and prospects, and will help you turn them into customers.
Posted by Catie Foertsch on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 09:00 AM
We've been working with Grafton Suburban Credit Union for a while now, to create videos for their lobby TV screen and to help them understand how to use video on the web. Recently we asked CEO Ed Lopes if he'd do a video case study for us. We could have asked for a straight testimonial. But, by making the video about the credit union, its challenges, and how we provided solutions for those challenges, we're creating a video asset that is MUCH more helpful as a sales tool than a plain vanilla testimonial could ever be. Here's a brief clip that's not in the final case study. In this clip, Ed talks about when "the light went off" about using video at the credit union.
How to create a video case study
When you're working with a happy client to create a video case study, it's important to get a few details about their business so that similar businesses can identify. Then, after the 'who we are and what we do and who's our customer' section, you can ask about the challenges they face that are directly related to your product. After that, ask them to discuss the solution you provided and how that's been working for them. With some products, it's possible to measure success, so if possible ask if they can quantify how your product has been helping them.
Then, edit the video to create the case study. You want your case study to be short - about four minutes max - and you'll have extra video you can also use, like we're using Ed's video clip in a blog post.
Why do video case studies work?
Video case studies work as sales tools because they allow your prospects to see your product or service through the eyes of a business that's similar to theirs or that's facing similar challenges. While it's easy for you to say you solve a particular problem, it's a LOT more convincing if one of your customers talks about the solution you provided.
How to use a video case study
Place your video case study on a dedicated page on your website, and add a text discussion. Your sales force can now use that page as a powerful sales tool. You might also think about placing the video case study on a landing page, and then using it in your lead generation program.
Bottom line
Testimonial marketing is effective because people trust the authentic voice of a customer, and like to buy a product or service that's worked for someone else. Using a video case study is much more powerful than a straight testimonial, because it also gives information that's directly related to the problem your lead or prospect is experiencing.
(Check out the full Grafton Suburban case study here)
Posted by Catie Foertsch on Tue, May 26, 2009 @ 06:53 AM
Video testimonials are powerful marketing tools, but some are better than others. Here are some tips to help you make very effective video testimonials for your website.
- Effective video testimonials should not be "cheerleader" testimonials that are full of words like "awesome" and "terrific" but give little solid information.
- Structure your testimonials like case studies, and use each one to examine a particular aspect of the products or services you deliver.
- During the testimonial interview, ask your customer several questions that lead to detailed answers. You want a lot of raw material to work with.
- During the editing process, take just the kernels of excellence that give the viewer the important information in a short time frame. Assemble those kernels into a watchable, short testimonial. Two to four minutes is the length you want.
- Place your testimonials throughout your website. If you have a page that talks about a particular aspect of your product or service, place a testimonial on that page that shows a customer who's very happy with that particular product or service.
The bottom line: testimonial marketing is very powerful, and effective, well-made video testimonials take it to a whole new level.
Posted by Catie Foertsch on Fri, Apr 17, 2009 @ 11:55 AM
Business Concepts, Inc. is very good at what they do. But how do you know that before you hire them? They can tell you how good they are. They can show you attractive, well-designed marketing materials. But they can't prove with 100% certainty that they'll be as good as they promise. And that's a problem all businesses have. How do you get potential customers to believe that your product or service does what you say it does?
The answer is to give potential customers direct, visual access to your satisfied customers, and to let your satisfied customers sell your product. Nobody can sell what you do better than someone who's bought it and is glad they did. Like Peter Gracey, president and co-founder of AG Salesworks, one of many satisfied Business Concepts customers:
Companies use testimonial marketing because testimonials work. You have a better chance of selling your product to me if I can watch someone I identify with as they talk about buying from you and being glad they did. So, if I'm a software company, I want to know if your product worked for other software companies. If I'm an entrepreneur, then I want to watch an entrepreneur talk about your product. And so on.
Customers who like your product will usually be happy to do a testimonial for you. Some may refuse because they're camera-shy, but most love to help out a company they believe in. So ask them. If you plan to make several testimonials, why not hold your own Video Testimonial Event? Invite several happy customers to your location, have a little food, make it fun for them and more efficient for you.
Then, place your testimonials on your website. Where? Don't quarantine them on a single, dedicated testimonial page. Video testimonials are one of your best marketing tools - so don't make people hunt for them. Put them right out there in plain sight. Place a general testimonial on your home page, and a more specific testimonial on a page that's more specific to your product. Put a testimonial on each of your most-visited pages, to make sure visitors to your website get the message: people who buy your product are glad they did.