What are the benefits and drawbacks of using long-form testimonials?
Businesses should consider numerous aspects when they use long-form testimonials. For example, using these on your website could influence how others perceive your brand and play a role in your conversion rates.
Whereas short-form testimonials are strictly about the end result, long-form testimonials are more of a story. For this reason, they could form an important part of a customer’s decision to move further down the sales funnel (or vice versa).
- Conversion rates: Trust is a core element in a customer’s purchasing decision, and as a result, you should use long-form testimonials to fuel this. This is why it’s crucial to provide a comprehensive overview and demonstrate how your product/service may be relevant to solving other people’s problems.
- Brand reputation: In addition to your other marketing efforts, you should utilize long-form testimonials for brand reputation. While social proof can be relevant to conversion and trust, consider incorporating long-form testimonials to illustrate your assistance in specific situations.
- Trust-building: Establish rapport with your target audience, especially if they’ve not heard of your brand before or are still skeptical.
- Marketing: Distribute your long-form testimonials online after publishing them.
Despite the numerous advantages of long-form testimonials, you also need to ensure that you think about these aspects:
- Creation: Make sure that you allocate the right amount of time for your long-form testimonials, and if possible, hire a writer/content manager. You will need to consider the amount of time spent interviewing, refining the copy, getting approvals from the client, and structuring everything.
- Beware of bias: Your testimonials should be as balanced as possible, and for this reason, it’s important that you think carefully about the questions you ask.
How can I create effective long-form testimonials?
To create long-form testimonials, you will need to consider multiple factors. As a general rule of thumb, follow the framework listed below.
- Identification: Find a customer/client who has used your product/service and is happy with their experience. Ask them if they want to help you curate a long-form testimonial. In many cases, someone will likely be willing to.
- Research and preparation: Prepare some questions before the interview, and be sure to look at everything from a balanced perspective. You should also ensure that you have done additional research on the company; go through their websites and social media pages to get this information.
- Interview: Once you’ve agreed on a time to interview and prepared accordingly, conduct the interview. Ask about the problems you’ve solved, how you’ve done this, and whether the customer likes anything that is particularly unique about your offering.
- Post-interview: Start by analyzing the transcript and determining how you’ll structure your interview. Use a “problem > solution > benefits” framework. Leverage the customer’s actual words and emotions.
Example:
Consider bringing everything together with this framework: “I was struggling with an easy-to-use website builder until I discovered Hocoos. Thanks to its add-ons and AI site builder, I’ve been able to launch my business and start measuring traffic. I highly recommend Hocoos to any small business owner with limited technical skills and in need of a visually appealing and functional website.”
What are some examples of great long-form testimonials?
Long-form testimonials should show a customer’s journey from the problem they were previously having to the solution they found. Examples could include:
- “How This eCommerce Store Increased Its Revenue by 500% in 3 Months”
- “This SaaS Company Saved 15 Hours Per Employee, Per Week”
- “How This Blogger Increased Their Social Media Traffic By 200% in 5 Months”
Where possible, you should use statistics and other forms of quantifiable data. It’s also important that your long-form testimonials highlight specific features where possible.
Can long-form testimonials be used in conjunction with other marketing materials?
Yes – you should use long-form testimonials alongside other marketing materials where possible. For example, you may wish you pair them with the following:
- Brand logos
- Pictures of the customer (or a representative)
It’s also important that you share your testimonials online where possible, especially if you’re a B2B brand. Places to share them could cover each of the following:
- Social media networks
- Sales pitches when meeting prospective clients
- Downloadable PDFs
- Email marketing newsletters
You should also think about sharing long-form testimonials more than once. For example, you can share them as soon as they’re published and then do the same again in 3-4 weeks with an “in case you missed it (ICYMI)” disclaimer.
How can long-form testimonials build trust with customers?
Long-form testimonials can be a form of social proof, which is essential for credibility. A previous customer’s positive experience with a service can influence a potential customer’s perception of its value and effectiveness.
After reading your long-form testimonials, a customer should feel like they have a better idea of what you offer. Moreover, they should have quantifiable evidence that you deliver on what you say that you will.
What are the best practices for using long-form testimonials?
Before you start creating a long-form testimonial, it’s important that you know how to maximize their use. Some of the most vital practices to always keep in mind are:
- Authenticity: Your long-form testimonials must be based on real customers, and you also need permission to use their assets.
- Concise: Despite being long-form, your testimonials must still be easy to read; use short sentences and words that your target audience will understand.
- Customer voice: When developing your testimonials, you should use the same language that the interviewed customer would.
- Multimedia: Besides writing, you should also add a customer image if they approve. Brand logos are also important, and a clear CTA will be essential for telling readers what to do next.
Conclusion
While long-form testimonials have proven successful for certain businesses, carefully evaluate their potential impact on your marketing strategy. Investigating the potential impact of social proof on conversion rates is a key step in optimizing marketing strategies. You should also understand how you want to show others the types of problems you can solve.
Before you begin publishing your long-form testimonials, it’s vital that you think about the pros and cons. Make sure that you allocate the right amount of time to interviewing customers and developing your story, for example. It’s also vital that you share your content regularly so that others who may have initially missed it can see these testimonials later.
