3 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Video Testimonials

As a business, there are few things more important to us than our reputation, and we do everything we can to do great work and delight our clients.

But how do you share the results of that hard work with potential clients or customers? One of the best ways to improve your business’s image is to use testimonials from happy customers. These can come in many forms, but in essence they are all references from people who have done business with you and are willing to vouch for you.

People have become so used to using this kind of “social proof” to make decisions that as of last year, 78% of people say they trust online reviews just as much as recommendations from acquaintances. The more you can do to make your testimonials relatable, the more effective they will be – and seeing the person behind the review is a prime way to achieve that.

With the availability of high-quality video cameras that don’t break the bank (including the one in your phone), video testimonials have become much more popular, and they aren’t even difficult to make.

I’m here to show you the top 3 reasons your business should use video testimonials.

1) The Emotional Connection

When I see plain-text testimonials on a website with no name or picture attached, I’m a little skeptical.  That type of testimonial can appear to be coming from the business being recommended, and it’s hard to judge how honest they are.

The beauty of video testimonials is that not only do they show you who the review is coming from, but give you an emotional connection with the person’s story. You hear the facts, but you can also see the authenticity and emotion in the person’s face. This emotional connection opens the door for trust, which is vital to a great business-to-customer relationship.

2) The Power of Trust

Word-of-mouth marketing is a very effective tool that has become even more important with the rise of social media. When devoted customers agree to film video testimonials, you should share them not only on your website, but across your social media presence. Consumers are more likely to trust people they have a relationship with – so what more powerful sales tool can you have than real people vouching for you and your business in front of your network and their own friends and connections on social media?

Quality video testimonials bypass the skepticism and immediately build trust, even with someone who has never heard of your business before. They can play a major role in establishing brand credibility, and compared to questionable plain-text testimonials, videos can establish a valuable connection with your consumers. Pair this with the fact that 100 million people watch videos online each day, and it’s no wonder that businesses are seeing such positive results from their video testimonials.

3) They’re a Powerful, Inexpensive Tool

The best thing about video testimonials is that you can create them with something that’s in your pocket right now – your smartphone. With simple software like iMovie, you can create video testimonials in just a few hours. Here’s a blog post I wrote about video blogging with your smartphone, and video testimonials work exactly the same way.

There are benefits to hiring a video production company, but that’s not in the budget for many businesses. Luckily, there are very few marketing tools that are as powerful and cost as little as creating your own video testimonials.

Now go out and take advantage of the fact that you have access to a high-quality video camera in your pocket and film your own video testimonial!

Before I started working at VIEO, I was a professional videographer, so I’d be happy to answer your questions about using video testimonials for your business. Ask me anything you want in the comments!

This post originally appeared on VIEO Design's blog. VIEO Design is a HubSpot Partner located in Knoxville, TN. 

Plan to incorporate video testimonials into your next website – use VIEO's Website Redesign Checklist to help.