How Video Testimonials Increase Product Demo Requests
The world of technology is a crowded place. New tech companies popping up like dandelions in basements and dorm rooms around the world. The marketplace can sometimes feel like a thousand people all yelling for attention at once—regardless of whether they are producing anything truly worth shouting about.
In this kind of environment, how can a brand establish itself as one that produces excellent work, one that isn’t just “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”? The one thing that will make you stand out from all others is social proof.
Social proof and the importance of testimonials.
Social proof is the name given to the psychological tendency to look towards others as a gauge for appropriate behaviors and good decision making. That means we decide to pick up a book at the library because Oprah recommended it.
We are more likely to visit a restaurant that has better reviews, even if the difference in ranking is just half a star. An entire industry has sprung up around becoming a go-to source for social proof, including businesses like Angie’s List and Yelp. Clearly, this concept is a big deal when it comes to business.
Video testimonials and authenticity.
That being said, not every testimonial carries equal weight. Anonymous sources are notoriously easy to fudge, and businesses are regularly caught paying for fake reviews in an attempt to boost their ratings. (Pro tip: don’t do this. The temporary bump in ratings won’t outshine the bad PR you’ll get when you’re inevitably found out.)
Reviews and testimonials from customers who actually have some skin in the game have more clout. This includes people who attach their name, photo, and place of business to their review. Since their personal and professional reputation is now at stake, they have more reason to be truthful.
Video testimonials are at the top of the pyramid when it comes to authenticity. People aren’t just writing out and editing a few words about a product, they’re sharing their voice, their mannerisms, and their story. There is an immediacy in speaking unscripted on video that can’t be replicated by the written word. It allows potential customers to identify personally with current users. This person is like me, and they believe in this product.
You can get the second half of that message with a five-star review on some third-party website. But the first half is trickier to communicate. You could try to get it across through long and potentially off-topic descriptors. Or you could put together a quick testimonial video and let happy customers from your target demographic literally speak for themselves.
Trust cannot be bought.
In the end, there are only two steps you can take to show the world that you are trustworthy.
- Strive to live up to your claims. If you say that your product can save you a half hour every day, or revolutionize the lives of people with diabetes, or make crystal-clear audio recordings on a budget, make sure what you say is rooted in reality.
- When you have proof of your claims, share, share, share. Share your own reasoning and experiences. Share the experiences of others with your product. And put these examples in a format that people want to engage with and believe in.
Trustworthiness may not be the sexiest marketing tool in the world, but it is the only one that will keep you in business over the long term.
Testimonial videos are out of most people’s comfort zones.
With little video marketing experience, tech companies tend to stick to star ratings and other measures of social proof that feel a little more familiar. Sign up for The Tech Company’s Video Marketing Playbook for more information about how you can integrate video seamlessly into your business this year.