A video testimonial on its own is not necessarily useful for your business. But a good review, or even better - a great review - now that’s a whole other story.
What makes a video testimonial outstanding? Well, first the reviewer needs to be interesting and engaging. That part is somewhat down to your business's level of effort as you have to ask enough people for feedback to ensure a high percentage of positive video testimonials.
Second, the review needs to answer questions of value about your product or service. With a little coaching, and a targeted strategy, you can prompt your customers to answer the most valuable queries relevant to future prospects through carefully selected "seed" questions.
To help get you started, we’ve assembled 18 of the best questions to ask customers to help turn a good video testimonial into a great one.
It's important to set the scene so that potential customers know what specific service or product is being recommended to them. Consumers seek information that is applicable to their particular needs. Getting testimonials from a wide range of customers can extend your reach. Further, by understanding how and why your customers use your products, you can better market and sell them. Encouraging the reviewer to describe the problem they were looking to solve when working with your business, potential customers can envision a resolution to their needs or challenges as well.
Additionally, having the context around said challenges, and which product/service they eventually chose, will help you to use that video in a more targeted situation. For example, if the video is about product X, put it on the product page for product X. Or in ads about product X. Or in emails to prospects who have expressed an interest in product X.
Whether the reviewer is a first-timer, or has been working with your business for years, this question carries a lot of weight. If they're a loyal patron, positive feedback illustrates the consistency and quality of your product/service and demonstrates the trust that has been built between you and your client base. If they're a new customer with a lot of good things to say, their approval demonstrates to prospects that their own experiences will likely be positive right from the start, and that your business values all of its customers rather than just the long-term ones.
Transactions are more than just facts and figures. People want to know what kind of experience they can expect from your business, and they want to hear it from consumers they can relate to. This question elicits an emotional response more likely to resonate with the undecided while increasing consumer confidence in your brand.
If you’re most interested in a testimonial that focuses on the in-store customer experience, send requests for user-generated review videos soon after that interaction - the same day in most instances. The experience will be top-of-mind even though the customer will not have specific feedback on the product yet. This strategy may even result in two separate reviews from the same happy patron.
Whether by digital word-of-mouth, such as text or video reviews, or via your brand’s marketing content, asking your customers how they found your business can give you credibility. If the reviewer heard about you through your company’s advertising, and had a positive experience with your product or service, this illustrates that your value propositions are as good as you claim. On the other hand, if the reviewer heard about you through other delighted customers, this enhances the peer-built trust that makes video testimonials so effective.
Always important is to set yourself apart from the crowd. It's one thing for a customer to say that they had a positive experience, but another thing entirely to say that your product or service is the best in the business. Humans are hard-wired to think about everything in relative terms. Prompting a comparison may shift their expectations favorably and highlight what makes your product unique.
As we know, video testimonials can be used to persuade potential customers. It’s good practice to ask the reviewer to elaborate on why they would recommend your business to others, as opposed to a question that only elicits a “yes” or “no” response. That simple addition of the "why?" can definitely be the difference between a mundane and a great review.
According to Forbes’ findings, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it on video, compared to 10% when reading it in a text. Asking reviewers to summarize their experience with a few choice adjectives maximizes viewer retention and is simply more fun, digestible and engaging as opposed to a long-winded response.
Asking a customer to address the audience as they would a friend prompts more natural, conversational and authentic content. It encourages the reviewer to speak more passionately about your product or service, and makes potential customers feel that they are listening to a trustworthy peer as opposed to an advertisement. A casual style may also make the feedback more appropriate for social media, thereby increasing the number of places it makes sense to share customer video reviews.
Social proof is a powerful decision-making factor. When you ask your customers to speak directly to your other customers, you’re facilitating trust. Any tips coming from your current happy customers will be far more valuable than those coming from your business. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to showcase those invaluable voices!
We like this question because it puts the attention on the reviewer. It goes deeper than asking them to talk about your businesses and allows them to discuss why your product/service works for them personally. Video review questions like this one are relatable to viewers and encourage them to identify with your customer base.
This question is a great way to determine how your customers use and view your business. Do you give a discount to repeat customers? Do you go out of your way to gather and implement customer feedback? This question will get your customers thinking about what makes your business special and is a fantastic way to attract prospects.
Was it your hands-on and attentive customer service that amazed your customers? Or was it your willingness to help solve any problems that came up during the transaction? Asking your customers what you did to challenge their expectations is a great way to learn what it is you’re doing right and keep doing it. It’s also an indicator of public perception of your brand.
Prompting your customers to identify specific motivations for why they use your product and how it has affected their everyday lives is one of the best questions to ask for a testimonial. It gets your current customers thinking about how your product has fit their needs and helps prospects identify a need for your product.
People buy things to solve problems, and if one person has a problem, chances are others do too. Encouraging customers to share the ins and outs of why they sought out your product gives others the chance to do so. It presents your product as a solution that is proven to work.
Understanding the deciding factor for your customers is a great way to help your prospects recognize what elements of business matter most to them. Did your customers choose you because you had the lowest price or is it your impeccable customer service? Maybe they chose you because of your sustainable business practices? No matter the reason, asking this question gives you insight into your consumer base and can help make you more marketable in the future.
While nobody wants to hear negative feedback, it’s a necessary evil. It’s important to make note of what your business needs to work on so you can keep your customers happy. All feedback is valuable, good and bad, and you should never waste an opportunity to hear and learn from your customers, even when collecting video testimonials.
Things go wrong sometimes, that’s just life. It’s how you handle a situation that matters. If your team went above and beyond to offer solutions for a customer or guarantee a good outcome, you should ask video testimonial questions to highlight it. It looks great for your team but also demonstrates to customers that you care about their experience.
This question gives the reviewer an opportunity to share their thoughts and help make their testimonial truly unique. It's a personal approach that makes the audience feel as though they are being spoken to directly, which creates a higher level of trust and familiarity.
Overall, the questions you ask your customers can mean the difference between a good review and a great one. By asking the right questions, you can make your testimonial strategy work best for your brand. Seed questions like those above will help to gather genuine, digestible, and unique feedback that builds a foundation of trust and credibility between you and your target market. To learn more about how to leverage this expanding medium, check out our Complete Guide to Video Testimonials for Businesses.
* Updated on 1/25/23 - Originally published on 11/29/21