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Especially when they’re coupled with photos (or videos) of real, live, happy customers, testimonials persuade prospects that your product or service is the solution they’re searching for. (A bonus is that testimonials also give you insight into how to attract new customers and keep your existing customers coming back.)
One of the best ways to showcase social proof is to sprinkle testimonials anywhere they support the rest of your copy. For example, I feature three on my homepage. Unbounce intersperses several on their beautiful page for PPC marketers. My client The Shift Network features tons on each of their sales pages (here’s one example).
Those are standards for best practice.
Now what do you do if . . .
Continuing to feature friendly-faced testimonials just about everywhere you can is still the key. On your homepage, sales pages, landing pages, in certain kinds of emails, etc.
And for CPI, I took it a step further. Here’s how. Try this if you, too, have (or plan to get) lots of success stories on multiple topics.
CPI gets loads of positive feedback. (That’s the opposite of a problem!) What they struggled with was that feedback staying with the staff who work directly with the customers, and not making its way to the marketers whose job is to spread the word.
Without the voice of the customer, we as marketers were missing a primo tool for persuasion. Our CMO solved that problem by securing TechValidate services. Together, Marvin and I worked with TechVal to strategize and collect both qualitative and quantitative data from thousands of customers. The next step was to edit and publish hundreds of testimonies on TechValidate’s website. (That took my intern an entire summer … only cuz she was fast.)
Our next hurdle was that we now had so much fantastic information that it was hard to drill down. Sales couldn’t find the data specifics that could bolster their calls. Prospects couldn’t find the info that would speak to their specific pain points. Customers couldn’t find the pieces that could help them onboard their colleagues. Everyone was looking for a different needle in a mountainous haystack.
We needed to develop a way to filter all the information, and to host it on CPI’s website. So I wrote and led the development of an Outcomes Hub that allows users to drill the information down to what they’re looking for.
To accomplish this, I worked with not only a magical front-end developer. I also worked with the best web designer I’ve ever collaborated with as a copywriter (so far).
The page we created showcases customer testimonials, and links to deeper case studies. It enables users to filter the information by five categories, each with different options that are unique to different issues in different industries. Spotlighting data we gleaned through TechValidate surveys, articles and academic studies authored by our customers, and a coworker’s outstanding podcast interviews with our customers, this is the ultimate in social proof. The team says it’s crucial to closing sales.
Whether she was collecting hard numbers, telling compelling stories, or both, Erin’s writing highlights the measurable impact our company and our customers have on making the world a better place. Her work evolved our messaging, contributes to the financial growth of our organization, and equips our team with effective sales tools.
Marvin Mason,
Chief Customer Officer at CPI
As we speak, this page is being redesigned as part of CPI’s new website build (ask me about that too—I wrote the forthcoming copy!). The elements of this page will be integrated all over the beautiful new site. In the meantime, here’s a screenshot of the current page 1:
Quick bites of data like those above are great for visitors who are browsing. And each bite above links to deeper details. Because for prospects who need thorough stats, data, and success stories to be assured of your value, a case study or ten is a must.
I can tell you some simple ways to get great testimonials. And I’m a damn good case study writer. (Check out one I wrote!) If you need a showcase-page strategized, case studies written, or both, hit me up.
I write success stories that sell.
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