How do you define a testimonial? Put simply, a testimonial conveys an individual’s thoughts or feelings toward a product or service.

In marketing, praise from a happy customer is one of the most important tools a company can use to show potential customers the value of its products and services. Not only that, they help your business build trust with customers, which ultimately leads to increased sales. And it goes without saying, a satisfied customer is your brands best advocate.

Testimonials are powerful marketing tools

Leveraging testimonials is a powerful tool you can use in your marketing efforts and there are many ways you can implement them in your strategy. Let’s spend a few minutes highlighting three ways to take advantage of them.

1. Display testimonials on your website.

Think about your favorite websites? Now go visit a couple of them. Chances are you’ll find a customer comment or two prominently displayed on the homepage of the site (or sprinkled throughout the site.) Your website is your front door for customers to learn about and purchase your product or service. So it makes sense you use this valuable real estate to tout what your loyal customers are saying.

2. Use testimonials in your social media efforts.

Do you ever find yourself at a loss for fresh social content? Testimonials are a great way to engage customers. They are usually short in content making them perfect for sharing across your social channels. If you want to take it a step further, try video testimonials. Start by asking your customers to submit a short video reviewing your product or service and their user experience. Conclusion? A customer providing insight into how your company positively impacted them can be very powerful.

3. Incorporate them in your email marketing.

Email marketing is yet another way you can incorporate customer praise. First, tie it into your email content. For example, if you’re promoting your top-selling coat for the winter season ahead, include two or three customer testimonials all raving about varying benefits (value, warmth, style, etc.). Second, email is a great way to collect customer testimonials. So, try to include a link to a feedback form and ask customers to submit a testimonial for potential use in upcoming marketing initiatives.

Overall, I think you’ll agree it’s easy to see why testimonials are a popular strategy in advertising your business products or services. If you haven’t considered implementing them into your marketing initiatives, what are you waiting for?