Testimonials are “earned” admirations from customers based on their use of a service or product from a particular brand. You have probably seen text-only testimonials on official company websites of different brands. But what is a video testimonial?
A video testimonial is a short video of the customer(s) admiring the positive experience he/she has had with a brand’s products/services. It could be one customer per video or several customers appearing after one another in the same video.
Now, validation and persuasiveness matter in marketing. Testimonial video works as a gateway for customers to make their final decisions regarding a particular product or service. Apart from achieving set marketing goals, a great testimonial video can boost conversions.
Also, a perfect testimonial video bridges the gap of customers concerns, needs, and interests. Furthermore, a buyer’s journey would reach the point of succession so long as the testimonial builds trust and credibility. Statistically, more than 93% of businesses attest to the fact they gained new customer with each video post on a social media platform.
You could adopt a documentary-style approach and extend the shooting period for longer takes to intake everything customers think about the product or service. Though this method may not render a professional outlook, it will undoubtedly create a story to help customers connect with the product.
Moreover, one of the benefits of video testimonials is that it has become a vital marketing tool to showcase the product offering to the world. Think of video testimonials as a review that should be unbiased, unprejudiced, and nonjudgemental to garner a positive reaction.
For this article, we have simplified the process for you to create great testimonial videos that tap right into customers’ psyche to purchase your product or service. Take a look at some valuable testimonial video tips along with great examples you can draw inspiration from.
Add Human Touch without Getting Personal
The creative testimonial videos leave a lasting impression for a reason. Although scripting holds its importance, don’t rely on it to make your video testimonial stand out. Your testimonial video ideas should be clear and active without sounding robotic.
Creative testimonial videos leave a lasting impression for a reason. Don’t leave out the human touch, but be cautious of not making it sound too personal.
Selection and Preparation of Questions
Ideally, your product testimonial video should be short and simple. However, it should have the panache of a conversational rhythm that should be able to capture the attention of the viewer in an instant. Keeping that in mind, select and prepare your questions that strictly focus on the product or service. The more segmented your questions are, the better the information.
Contextual relevance: Never leave out “why” and “what” when you are making a video testimonial. Set necessary geographical parameters to help viewers understand the background of the customers.
Explore possibilities with each question: Phrasing questions is one of the most important aspects of this preparation. Try to rephrase each question as if every single one may turn into a different answer from the customers.
Interviewee Requires Space
A great way to prepare your questions is to adopt a journalistic mindset and cross-examine the interviewee. That said, expect even a simple question to sound complex – It is only fair that you give the interviewee enough time to think and articulate the right answer for your questions.
Importance of Filming Location
The decision to choose the filming location should be solely based on the comfortability of your clients. Though it depends on the nature of the product, you can either go with the office location to have a professional executive outlook or select an outdoor space for a more relaxed environment.
Shooting Criteria
Lighting
You don’t have to get Roger Deakins as a cinematographer to get the lighting right. You should choose the minimalist three-point lighting set up that can showcase clear facial representation. For a testimonial video, your focus should be on the main light instead of the backlight. Fill light, however, can be tailored to complement the shooting location and external factors within the frame.
Get the Right Microphone
Your video testimonial’s audio representation matters almost as much as video. If the interviewee is going to be sitting in front of the camera, select cardioid or shotgun mics. For an outdoor location with extraneous noise – you can choose omnidirectional mics that can also perceive voice from multiple viewing directions.
Choice of Camera & Positioning
The digital age requires a digital camera. You want your video to have the best resolution and pixel quality. Therefore, get a camera with 4K shooting compatibility. Also, if you don’t want to come across as an amateur – avoid the usage of a DSLR camera.
If the client is unaware or shy regarding the alignment of camera positions – You can help them to navigate the changing camera movements. Though it would be suitable if your client sits on the left or right to not have direct contact with the camera. Close-up, for instance, can be used to highlight the experience of emotional depth in customer testimonial videos.
The Power of Editing
You should believe when the renowned filmmakers hail editing as the magic component of the filming process. It also answers the eternal question, “How long should a video testimonial be?”. You can shoot additional raw footage that can be later trimmed to make the best customer testimonial videos.
Also, stick to the available footage instead of tweaking the information provided by your customers in the interview. Editing can build a layer upon layer of rhythmic tone in your client testimonial videos. Additionally, voiceover can also be incorporated to get more artistic, pleasant, and interactive video testimonial experience.
Utilize Everything in Post-Production
The possibilities are endless when it comes to post-production and editing. You can amalgamate graphic designs at a specific time of the testimonial, add a textual background, fine-tune sound-mixing, and sort out color irregularities. Color grading is quite essential since it can balance out the brightness and contrast ratio.
If finding a feasible location is out of the question, you can use a green or blue screen to add a custom-designed background. Similarly, you can use special effects software to eliminate any visual clutter in the video background.
The Last Word
Sure, the process of scripting, editing, and choosing the right shooting technicalities are crucial. But all of the aforementioned choices shouldn’t hinder your creativity from improvising. And that’s the secret – Think of multiple scenarios and alternative for each finalized decision you make to create client testimonial video examples.
You don’t have to bear the burden of making great video testimonials on your own when you can acquire a professional testimonial video production service that understands the mechanics of structural detail while keeping the lively narrative to deliver the best testimonial videos.
Larry Mutenda is a Digital Marketing Consultant who runs a marketing agency, Mammothic Group Inc. with several companies that specialize in digital marketing, video production and animation.
