How To Use Testimonials Effectively

If you have never heard of a product before, would you at least consider buying it if it came recommended  from someone you know? Given a selection of similar products, wouldn’t you rather try one that has had some glowing reviews even if you’ve never heard of them before?  A persons endorsement of a product can have a profound effect on the buying decisions of others. That  is the power of testimonials.

These days, testimonials are widely used for building credibility and generating buzz about a brand/product or service.  The world’s largest corporations spend billions of dollars in harnessing the power of a good endorsement.  In affiliate marketing, carefully chosen testimonials can be very effective in convincing prospects to try your product or service. Because of competition however, many  affiliate marketing programs try to increase their credibility factor by inviting celebrities to provide an endorsement. While this can be very effective, particularly if the celebrity has a large fan base, it can also be quite expensive.  Not every affiliate marketer can afford to pay a celebrity just to place their name on his site.  To compete, affiliate marketers turn to their own customers and members, specifically people who have had sufficient experience with the product and want to share their success.

A fully satisfied customer’s testimonial, if honest and well-written, may be as effective as that of a celebrity.  To do it effectively however, consider the following factors:

A) Be Specific – If a testimonial from a customer or another affiliate states that the program is ‘excellent’, it should be followed by a specific description of the program’s most useful features – what makes it excellent, how it has helped the customer or affiliate, why it’s reliable, etc.

B) Skepticism is good – Believe it or not, skepticism is good.  Phrases such as, ‘I wasn’t convinced at first, BUT…’ or ‘I have always used XYZ product and didn’t think of switching to another brand.  However, your product has ____ and ____ features that convinced me it was so much better.’

Even with the stated objection, a testimonial can be quite powerful if it is followed by a positive statement.

C) Avoid using fake testimonials –  You lie, you die. Someone will get wind of the falsehood, expose you and you lose your credibility.

D) Be selective –  Be picky:  find the best, especially the well-written and detailed ones.  Or, you could take the best sentences and phrases and post those in place of a paragraph.

Bottom line is this- use but don’t abuse..