Customer testimonial videos are a form of social proof, a powerful phenomenon where consumers look to others for opinions and advice. In recent years, social proof has become increasingly influential in shaping purchase decisions. For example, there are many social media influencers who have made successful careers by creating testimonial videos for products and services from a variety of brands.
The influential aspect of customer testimonials is even greater among younger generations. A recent survey by BrightLocal revealed that 69 percent of consumers would feel positive about using a business if its reviews describe positive experiences.
Customer testimonial videos are a type of online review that may be perceived as even more credible than written reviews because the viewer can see a face and listen to the review, versus just reading about it.
Why Testimonial Videos
Social proof in the form of customer testimonial videos is a powerful tool in a dealership’s marketing arsenal for the following reasons.
Builds trust and credibility. Consumers are more likely to trust the opinions of other consumers than they are to trust a brand’s own messaging.
Enhances your brand. Positive feedback from happy customers helps to offset negative reviews and perceptions of your brand. Additionally, testimonials offer evidence of your brand’s ability to deliver on its promises. When making a video, encourage customers to talk about why they like and trust your brand.
Offers relatable content. When a car shopper sees and hears opinions from people who they can relate to and like, they are more likely to trust the opinion. This is why it’s important to create multiple videos featuring a diverse group of customers.
Creates emotional connections to your brand. Emotions play a significant role in ANY decision-making. Video is by far the most powerful medium for creating that elusive emotional connection between a customer and your brand.
Provides video SEO content for your website. As users engage with videos on your dealership’s website, the ranking of your website improves. As a result, your site will receive more impressions and increased traffic and click-throughs from search engines; e.g. Google’s video indexing report is designed to help website pages with videos perform better.
Addresses customer concerns and fears. Testimonials can address common concerns and objections that car shoppers may have about your dealership. As you set out to create more customer testimonial videos, ask your sales team what the most common objections are. Try to make at least one video for each objection, in which the customer explains why they had fears or hesitancy, and what made them overcome those fears.
How to Get More Testimonial Videos
If you want more videos, make it easy for your staff. Keep a permanent camera and lighting setup in your showroom, so that salespeople will always be ready for impromptu video opportunities.
Train salespeople to proactively request video testimonials from satisfied customers. Provide guidance and training on how to create compelling testimonial videos. Offer spiffs for the salesperson who makes the most video testimonials every month (this goes for other types of videos as well, such as lead response videos).
Another strategy is to host a contest or giveaway that encourages customers to create and submit video testimonials in exchange for the chance to win a prize. This not only incentivizes customers to share their experiences but also generates valuable user-generated content for the dealership.
How to Use Customer Testimonial Videos
Once you have a handful of quality customer testimonial videos, leverage their worth with the following strategies.
Set up a dedicated customer testimonial page on your website and include testimonials on relevant landing pages, such as inventory pages and service or sales website pages. This ensures that potential customers encounter social proof at every stage of their journey on your website.
Share the videos across your social media accounts to maximize their reach and engagement. Social media platforms provide a powerful channel for distributing testimonials and reach a broader audience of potential customers.
Incorporate customer testimonial videos into email marketing campaigns to provide additional value and credibility to subscribers. Include them in email communications to nurture leads and drive conversions.
Videos Build Trust, Credibility
Utilize customer testimonial videos in digital advertising campaigns to enhance ad effectiveness and increase engagement. Featuring real customer experiences in ads can capture the attention of viewers and inspire trust and confidence in your brand.
Customer testimonial videos serve as powerful tools for building trust, credibility, and influence with potential customers. Incorporating these videos into your marketing strategy helps auto dealerships to effectively leverage social proof to attract new customers and foster stronger customer connections.
