You’re looking for something to read. Something thrilling, something unusual, something to escape the housework or your bad boss. You wander into your favourite bookstore and browse the shelves.
A cover grabs you! You pull the book out and immediately flip to the back and read the blurb. It sounds good. You may even read the first line. The first paragraph. If it’s really good – the first page. But…it’s a little out of your price range. Hmm, you think. Before you part with the cash, you’ll read some reviews. Maybe ask a friend if they’ve read it.
Ask any author and they’ll tell you that apart from book sales, the one thing they covet is reviews! Reviews matter! Enormously. Because most people buy online these days where reviews are easier to access than they have been in the past, consumers are reading reviews before buying your product, whether it’s books, coaching, or air-fryers. What they really want to know is – does the product live up to all the hype?
Word-of-mouth is the best form of marketing since Eve convinced Adam to invest in apples.
Marketing reviews come in two basic forms
- Written
- Video
We have a lot of stats about why video is the best form of marketing and here are two to start with. The most important two.
- Consumers retain 95% of what they hear, and 80% of what they see when watching a video.
- Consumers retain only 10 – 20% of the information of what they read.
But we will tell them everything they need to know about our product!
Consumers expect you to tell them the product is fabulous. They expect you to indulge and even stretch the truth. A book blurb can tell you it’s the most exciting novel ever written, that the romance will stay with you for life, that it will break your heart. But if 90% of the reviews say the book is boring and dull as reports on tenant-farmers’ profit margins in 1326, the sales are likely to be low.
People believe people, not companies. And here are 8 stats to prove it.
- 64% of consumers say that a testimonial video convinced them to buy a product or service.
- 67% of consumers say they are more likely to make a purchase after they have watched a testimonial video that demonstrates how a business, product or service helped another consumer with the same issues they have.
- 70% of people will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t even know.
- 89% of marketers say video testimonials are the most effective content marketing tactic.
- 90% of consumers say they actively seek out what a customer has to say more than what a business claims about itself.
- 92% of consumers will try to find a recommendation from a peer.
- 92% of consumers will look for online reviews and testimonials when considering a purchase, or researching a company, product, or service.
- 2 BILLION – that’s the number of consumers who are dedicated YouTube users.
Why do video testimonials work so well?
Which would you prefer – a text message or a coffee date? A text message can be misinterpreted, and often depends on the emotional state of the reader. But face-to-face is more engaging, more meaningful, and more memorable. You can see the other person’s expressions, gestures, and hear their tone of voice. You can tell if they are happy, sad, excited, depressed, fudging, or telling the truth.
Video testimonials are the marketing equivalent of a coffee date. Because they are word-of-mouth, they build trust in your company and your product. They are the most powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. Because they are usually short, engaging, sincere, informative, and, if done well, they can also be entertaining, you can put them almost anywhere – your website, social media, TV screens in your reception, and of course, on You Tube!
The most important stat you need to know
Companies with small marketing budgets can successfully compete with large companies for two reasons: Video testimonials are inexpensive to produce. And they could go viral! You can’t put a price on that.
Are you letting satisfied customers do your marketing for you?
You should be. Let’s talk.
Animation, Photography, Video – Opus Media. Films that win business.
Contact us on info@weareopusmedia.com or 0333 358 3335