88% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations.

And for 97% of people, online reviews and testimonials have a significant impact on who they buy from.

In other words, any business that wants to attract and convert potential customers must find ways to incorporate real-person social proof in every part of their marketing and sales.

And that’s where testimonial ads come in.

But what is a testimonial ad?

Why are they important?

And what are good examples of testimonial ads?

In this guide, you’ll discover what types of customer quotes work best in boosting conversion rates and driving business growth.

 

What is testimonial advertising?

Testimonial advertising is the process of utilizing customer testimonials to highlight your product benefits in real-life situations.

It’s an honest and unsolicited testimonial of a customer’s experience with your company, solutions, and support, providing more context about what potential customers can expect when they work with you.

Just like reviews, they describe experiences people have with your product.

You can collect them manually or with the help of text or video testimonial software.

But when comparing testimonials vs. reviews, it’s essential to understand that reviews will usually be displayed outside of your website and be out of your control, while you can manage the testimonial ads yourself and control where they appear.

 

Why are testimonials important?

It’s hard to imagine running a successful business without showcasing your customers’ success stories.

In fact, the importance of testimonials has launched a range of powerful solutions, such as Trust or Endorsal, which allow companies to easily collect and showcase testimonials.

But why do real customer reviews work so well? Here are just a few of the many compelling reasons:

• Instant credibility. One of the main reasons testimonials can have such a significant impact on your business is that they give your claims instant credibility. If you utilize believable testimonials from actual customers, you can eliminate a lot of the skepticism and get the attention of people who might have otherwise scoffed at your promises.
• Relatable language. When trying to increase conversions, the way you present your arguments can matter just as much as what you’re saying. People tend to connect with language and phrases that have an emotional charge and are familiar with rather than dry corporate speak that lacks clarity. And that’s why testimonials from real people will always be more relatable than anything you could say yourself.
• Cover various angles. You can enhance and strengthen almost any feature or benefit by including a testimonial that highlights it from a customer perspective. This is extremely helpful in sales pages, where you want to cover your product from many angles. It can also be helpful in a series of emails, where each feature can be enhanced with customer stories about how it helped them.

 

Types of testimonial ads

Even though testimonials come in a variety of different forms, most of them can be grouped into two main types:

• Static testimonial ads

Static testimonial ads encompass all testimonials written down and presented in text form.

These types of testimonials are very popular to use on websites, social media, emails, or anywhere else where they can seamlessly blend in with the design and the text around them.

The biggest downside of static testimonials is that almost everyone uses them, and unethical companies have been known to fake them.

So consumers have learned to be skeptical unless you bolster them with additional proof elements.

• Video testimonials ads

The second type of testimonial are video ads, which add a dynamic and in-person element that can be very engaging to viewers.

Instead of having a picture of a customer next to a block of text, you can display a recording where they express their opinion in their own words.

Testimonial videos hold much more credibility because they are much harder to fake.

 

3 Tips for creating effective testimonial ad campaigns

Boosting your marketing using testimonials comes down to a few key tactics that impact your success.

Below, you’ll find the most helpful tips that will allow you to get more testimonials and become laser-focused on where and how to use them.

 

1. Understand your audience

Not all testimonials are created equal.

A compelling customer testimonial needs to show potential customers the specific benefits and overall value of your product. It must also be relatable to their situation.

When selecting the testimonials to use, prioritize those testimonials that will have the biggest impact on persuading your prospective customers.

 

2. Highlight key advantages

Another crucial part of running effective testimonial ads is showcasing different features and benefits that suit the campaign’s goals.

For example, if you’re introducing a new feature or product, it’s good to have a testimonial that talks about it specifically and not just about your brand in general.

 

3. Experiment with different marketing opportunities

Most companies aren’t taking full advantage of the possibilities that come from testimonial videos and ads.

You can use the opinions of satisfied customers on your website, social media accounts, emails, paid ad campaigns, and more.

 

Inspiring testimonial ad examples that you can learn from

The best way for business owners to understand how testimonials work and can enhance their business is to look at specific testimonial ads examples.

You can use these examples when developing surveys to get testimonials for your own company.

Let’s go over them below.

 

Testimonial videos

Video content is 1200% more effective than any other type of content.

And that makes it the most engaging way to get people’s attention and present your customer experiences on your website and in marketing campaigns.

 

Example #1

An excellent example of a video testimonial is this video from the Felder Group, where a person sits down and talks about how they use products and their advantages:

This is a longer example, but your video testimonials can be much shorter, allowing you to use more videos in your marketing and increasing the likelihood of more people taking the time to review.

 

Example #2

The video testimonial from Aplos Fund Accounting shows how impactful a simple testimonial video recorded in a living room can be.

What’s even more impressive is that it maintains a smooth flow and covers all of the essential points in just a couple of minutes:

If you go through the testimonial, you will notice that it’s not a continuous recording.

It’s masterfully cut to zero in on the most critical pieces of information.

You can use the Trust video editor to ensure that the message is concise and to the point.

You can also provide guidelines or questions to the client to allow them to cover the details of their experience in a logical way that’s easy to present.

 

Where to get

The main reason many businesses fail to use video testimonials is that they can be hard to get.

At least without the right tools.

But with Trust, you can automate and streamline the video testimonial request process, encouraging your best customers to leave a review and even providing them with clear steps they should take.

 

Text testimonials

The most popular way to display testimonials on your website is through text testimonials.

But to make the most of this type of user-generated content, you must be creative in displaying them throughout your website.

Using a tool like Trust, you can showcase your testimonials in a Wall of Love, which is a beautiful-looking compilation of testimonials.

You can also use pop-ups, widgets, floating star reviews, and badge reviews with an average rating to enhance your social proof elements and ensure that they back up your claims throughout your website.

 

Example #3

Testimonials must be relevant, to the point, and believable to be effective.

And Upcoach does a great job of encompassing all three in the way the company displays reviews on the home page.

The review features a real person from a real company with a picture, which helps build trust and establish credibility.

And it also uses engaging language that shows just how big of an impact Upcoach had on solving a specific issue that is likely similar to what prospective customers are looking to solve.

 

Example #4

Sometimes, the best way to use text testimonials is to display them in numbers.

That way, the sheer number of satisfied customers can make a positive impression on the reader and help them believe the company’s claims.

When you visit the FormulaDesk website, you are greeted by dozens of lengthy reviews from raving customers.

These reviews cover various aspects of the solution and make it clear what specific problem it helps solve.

 

Where to get

One of the best things about text testimonials are the many opportunities to get them.

If you’ve been in business for a while, you probably have plenty of reviews on Google, Facebook, Amazon, or Yelp.

You can also run surveys and collect quotes there.

Social media posts and interactions can generate authentic testimonials that will feel natural.

And finally, you can always rely on Trust to help you collect amazing reviews on autopilot.

 

Success stories

Success stories are an excellent way to show real-life scenarios where your product left a positive mark, told by people who trusted you, and reaped benefits from the decision.

You can turn your video testimonials into engaging content that will generate thousands of views because they’re interesting to viewers.

 

Example #5

One of the best video testimonial examples that do this comes from HubSpot.

It’s part of a mini-series of success stories that showcase a variety of customers and how HubSpot products help solve problems:

This testimonial has a really good production value and combines the unique advantages HubSpot can offer small companies into an engaging story.

Hearing multiple people at Kettlebell Kings talk about how HubSpot helped save money, reduce the need for new employees, and accelerate growth can be persuasive to similar companies looking for this type of solution.

 

Example #6

CyberArk is one of the best video ads examples that shows how you can create a compelling customer success story from a simple video ad.

Without the need for a complicated video shoot, it focuses on showing how a healthcare non-profit was able to shore up its data security by finding the right solution.

By mentioning specific features like Privilege Access Management, it paints a clear picture for prospective clients dealing with the same issues.

 

Where to get

Customer success stories can be more complex to create than other types of testimonials on this list.

However, the good news is that if you have happy customers, you have the building blocks to make that happen.

The key to succeeding with customer success stories is highlighting the transformation that took place for a customer, showing how your product helped, and building a compelling story around it.

 

Influencer testimonials

Influencer marketing has been on a steady rise for the past decade.

And the reason behind its success is that it combines the power of a product being reviewed with the built-in authority and reach of a social media figure.

And while you may be worried about partnering up with an expensive influencer, the truth is that you can always niche down and focus on the quality of the followers rather than their overall numbers.

 

Example #7

An experienced influencer can take your product and present it in a way their audience will love.

And that’s why this testimonial review by Heidi Nicolle is a good example of just how impactful even a short testimonial video can be:

At a time when short video content on platforms like TikTok is incredibly popular, you can often find success without needing to showcase a comprehensive or long review.

In just a few seconds, Heidi Nicolle manages to convey the key benefits of the product and create a desire for the viewer.

 

Example #8

For some products, providing more detail about their value and the different components makes sense.

In that case, YouTube influencers are the perfect option:

Joe’s Daily is an excellent example of a channel that combines professional production, a detailed product review, and a built-in audience that is likely to be interested.

 

Where to get

Getting influencer testimonials is different from other types on this list.

Instead of turning to your customers, you’ll need to find a social media influencer with the right audience.

And then, you’ll need to negotiate the terms of their promotion, establish goals, and find a way to present your product.

 

Collect more testimonials with Trust

One of the key aspects of collecting testimonials is that it needs to be a continuous process for it to be effective.

And that’s why you need to have a reliable system for consistently getting user-generated content from satisfied customers.

With the help of Trust, you can streamline the entire process.

Trust offers multiple methods for approaching your customers for a video or quote testimonial at the right time.

What’s even more important is that it makes writing or recording the testimonial extremely easy for the user, improving the customer experience and making it much more likely that they will follow through.

One easy method for collecting customer reviews is to create a personalized testimonial request form.

It’s basically a dedicated landing page that makes it easy for people to share their text or video feedback about your business.

You can collect testimonials, 5-star ratings, existing video reviews from YouTube (or other platforms), customer photos, customer consent, and more.

This ensures you collect all the information you need to publish and use the testimonial, avoiding back and forth.

Once you set up the testimonial form, you can share it in multiple ways.

You can either set it up as a dedicated website page that you drive traffic to or get your marketing team to set up an email sequence, social media promotion, or SMS campaign to get your current customers to leave a testimonial.

 

Bottom line

Using customer testimonials is one of the best ways to build trust with your audience and add credibility to your claims.

But to make the most of what testimonials can offer, it’s no longer enough to add a few anonymous quotes to your website.

You need your testimonials to be engaging, include both video and text formats, and blend seamlessly with your website design and user experience.

With Trust, you can not only include video testimonials, floating star reviews, pop-ups, and a Wall of Love on your website but can also set up easy-to-use testimonial request forms that will generate new testimonials on autopilot.