If you say it yourself, you’re bragging. If someone else says it, it must be true.
That’s why testimonial advertising works. It’s much more convincing when a customer is willing to tell others about how good your service is. Most advertising is so filled with empty claims that no one believes them. But when we see testimonial advertising, we connect to that person, and feel we can believe his words.
Testimonial Advertising builds trust
Testimonial advertising focuses on your quality, your service, your products or services, and speaks to your customer in a very personal one-to-one way. A heart-felt testimonial talks to your customer and addresses their concerns, and reassures them in a way that no sales pitch can. That’s because it’s not a sales pitch. It’s a satisfied customer giving an honest, unbiased opinion. Are you starting to see how testimonial advertising can be more effective than a catchy ad or jingle?
Customers like to buy, but hate to be sold. Testimonial Advertising helps because we’re all skeptical. We need something…anything…we can believe to overcome our skepticism. Who do you think they’ll believe? A Madison Avenue advertising campaign? A long list of your product’s benefits? Or “the guy next door” who tells them how your product solved his problem, and can probably help you, too?
The answer is clear: using testimonial advertising can be one of your most effective marketing tactics.
When testimonial advertising works
Think about your own shopping habits: when you’re ready to buy something, you probably ask friends about their own experiences: the car they bought, their skis, or their blender. “Word of mouth” is the original form of testimonial advertising, and the most convincing. It’s just you and your friend, with no outside influence. When a friend tells you that she’s received great results at her gym, or she likes her dentist, she’s giving you a personal testimonial.
What do you do if no one offers a “a good word” about a company when you need it?The toughest part of Testimonial advertising…can be getting the testimonials. In the next part of our series, let’s talk about getting quotes for your testimonial ads.
Click here to follow the story about Testimonial Ads.