Telling someone about your product or service is important, but having someone else share about their own experience can really move the needle.
Video testimonials are a powerful influence in the buying process. But it’s more than simply setting up the camera and asking a few questions. Whether this is your first video testimonial, or you’re working to improve your process in order to get better content, these tips and questions are here to help.
Tips for Exceptional Customer Testimonial Videos
These five tips can mean the difference between an awkward interview and a powerful testimonial.
1. Make your interviewee feel comfortable
Remember to get comfortable with the subject—and make sure your interviewee feels comfortable too—before firing off your interview questions. This might mean you start the camera rolling before you actually go into the meat of the interview.
2. Get the backstory
When possible, gather the backstory in advance so you can ask more specific questions that you "know" the answer to and encourage your participants as they go.
3. Provide coaching
Don't be afraid to coach the interviewee to answer questions in a specific way to provide context for the viewer. For example, rather than, "Yes, I found the course very helpful," encourage them to say, "When it comes to the XYZ course, I found it to be really helpful for ABC."
4. Go deeper
Don't accept surface-level answers and be willing to dig deeper. Ask questions like "What did you mean by X" and "How did that make you feel? Why?"
5. Focus on the story
Be diligent about the story. Spend some time thinking about the arc of the story in advance so you can ask questions that will paint the entire picture of the challenge, journey, climax, and resolution.
Video Testimonial Questions - The 5 Types
These questions can get you on your way as you look to create video testimonials that tell the full story and can be used in your sales and marketing efforts.
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Problem-focused questions
- What was the problem you hoped to solve by purchasing this product/service?
- How did that make you feel?
- How were you solving this problem on your own in the past? What was that like?
- Had you tried other products/services? Why didn't they work?
Motivation questions
- Why hadn't you purchase a product/service like this before?
- What made you look for a solution?
- What hesitations did you have in buying the product/service?
Product/Service specific questions
- How did you hear about this product/service?
- What interested you most about it?
- How did you hear about it?
- Why, specifically, did you decide to move forward/buy?
Product experience questions
- What was your experience like working with/purchasing from us?
- What was the best thing about product/service XYZ?
- Any specific features you like more than others?
Resolution questions
- How has this product/service made your job easier/better/faster/etc?
- How has this impacted you personally/professionally, etc?
- Would you recommend this product/service to a friend or colleague? Why would you encourage them to buy? What would you say about it?
How to ASK testimonial questions so you get the answers you're looking for...
Now that you know what questions to ask, how do you use them in the video testimonial process? Here are a few examples to put it into perspective:
Example 1: "We were talking earlier and you mentioned that you used to be terrified to present in front of a group, but watching you now, I would have never guessed that. Can you tell me a bit more about what you felt like when you tried to present to a group before going through this speaking program?"
Example 2: "You've been using product XYZ for a little over 6 months, right? What are some of the features you find yourself using every day, and how do those make your job easier?"
Example 3: "There are a ton of services for XYZ out there. What made you decide to purchase this one?"
Finish the interview by asking if there’s anything else they’d like to add. Sometimes the conversational dialogue after the official interview is even more enlightening and garners better content than the Q&A itself!
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Video testimonials are a great tool to show your expertise through someone else's story!
Don't forget to thank your interviewee for investing their valuable time to help others see your products and company through their eyes (and your video marketing!).
