The Importance of Testimonials for Your Business

Testimonials are an extremely important part of the success of your business. On your relationship-building journey, which is lined with credibility and expertise, testimonials from loyal customers are a critical part of the presence of your business.

What is a testimonial?

Testimonials are written or recorded statements that support your credibility and level of expertise. They also strengthen your reputation by expressing the trust that other people have in you and your business offerings. They are a wonderful tool that helps you to attract a deeper interest from perspective clients and existing clients and will ultimately make you and your business increasingly more successful.

Why are testimonials so important?

When it comes to all businesses (large and small), the success of the business depends heavily on word of mouth. Testimonials are formal forms of expression that support that concept. They are extremely powerful tools when it comes to strengthening your branding. Testimonials strengthen the credibility of you and your business and as you know, people will not do business with you if they don’t trust you and find you to be credible. You will be surprised at how many valuable testimonials you will be able to collect, not just by asking your business connections for them directly but also through discussions that have been generated from your blog postings and other online discussions that have occurred as a result of your online presence.

How to use testimonials most effectively

• Which ones to use: Any time you have a positive interaction with a business associate and they express an interest in any of your business offerings, it is a good opportunity to ask them for a testimonial. If you have given them a free Ebook, ask them for their opinion on the book and if it is positive, subsequently ask them for a testimonial. If you have gone above and beyond for one of your potential customers or existing customers, ask them for a testimonial afterwards. Testimonials are not only about selling your products and/or services. They are also about your successful, positive interactions with other people. They are the embodiment of the relationship that you share with those people.
   
• Verifying if they are sincere: If at all possible, try to verify that the testimonial that you have received from your business associate was actually written by him or her. You should be able to tell fairly easily if the testimonial did not come from that person.
   
• Where to place them: There are many opportune places where you can put your testimonials. You can put them on your blog, website, brochures, sales pages, press releases, direct mail letters, etc. You should make full use of your social media channels to spread the word regarding your testimonials. As soon as you receive a new testimonial, make sure to share it with as many people as possible in as many places as possible. That will serve a double purpose. First of all, it will strengthen your reputation and presence online and second of all, it will serve as a thank you to the person who was nice enough to take the time to write the testimonial for you.
   
• Written and video: It is great if you are able to obtain both written and video testimonials. Both media are effective and work in different ways. Video touches people visually and emotionally and written testimonials touch people emotionally and mentally. It is also good from a convenience perspective. There are many people who prefer written or video testimonials, depending on how busy they are and how important convenience is to them.
   
• Who should write testimonials: It doesn’t need to come from a customer of yours necessarily. Testimonials can come from several different people. As stated earlier, they are not necessarily connected to selling. They are absolutely connected to your relationships with your business connections and your positive interactions with them.

Conclusion

Credibility is essential to the success of your business. Strategic and intelligent use of testimonials can go a long way in promoting your business. The more online visibility and stronger reputation you have and continue to maintain, the stronger your business will become.

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