10 Marketing platforms for influencer testimonials
Ads don't give you the whole story when you're looking to buy a product or service. It's either an honest portrayal of the product or the company is just trying to sell. There's no way to tell. So, how would you check its quality, legitimacy, or its worth?
This is where influencer testimonials come in – hearing about someone else's experience with a product can help you make a more informed decision. This is especially crucial for eCommerce product pages, where you can't physically inspect or test the item before making a purchase.
What are influencer testimonials?
An influencer testimonial is a review, endorsement, or inclusive service from a well-known personality. What this generation calls an "influencer" is essentially people with thousands of followers who are respected or looked up to by their audience. Their review or endorsement could be in the form of a blog post, social media post, video clips, or even just a few lines quoted on the product's website.
The review should come from influencers because of authority bias or the halo effect. This is when we believe that someone famous or an expert in their field is right on some issues. So, if they say the product is good, it must be good.
Influencers can sway other people's opinions. They have a pre-existing relationship of trust with their followers, so their endorsement carries more weight.
The same goes for people looking for product reviews before buying. It's a form of social proof. People trust the recommendations of those they admire, so with influencer testimonials present, people are more likely to consider buying the product.
Laws and regulations
If companies use influencer testimonials, it's necessary to be aware of the legalities surrounding this kind of marketing. Countries, specifically the United States, have specific guidelines that must be followed, and the brand's responsibility is to ensure that its influencer partnerships comply with these guidelines.
Rules and regulations when it comes to influencer testimonials
- There must be a clear and conspicuous disclosure of the material connection between the brand and the influencer. This includes letting the audience know if the influencer was given any free products, compensated in any way, or if there's any other relationship between them.
- The influencer must only make claims that are substantiated. This means they can only make statements about the product backed up by evidence. Any claims made must be able to be verified.
- The influencer should not make any false or misleading claims. This one is self-explanatory. The influencer cannot say the product is good when it's not, or vice versa.
Influencer testimonial examples
Now that you're clear on the legalities let's move on to some examples of influencer testimonials.
Videos
A great way to use influencer testimonials is by turning them into videos and placing them on your eCommerce product page. This helps create a more personal connection with the viewer.
Influencer testimonial examples of this would be an "unboxing" video (showing the product being unpacked and reviewed for the first time) or a "haul" video (where the influencer shows off the products they've purchased). You can also do a product demo or product review on your page. Plus, you can end your video with a call-to-action (CTA) telling viewers where they can purchase the product.
Disadvantage: Videos can be costly to produce, and it may be hard to find influencers willing to do them for free. This will involve props and preparation, editing, and post-production work, and it may take a while before you see results.
Instagram posts
Instagram has become one of the most popular platforms for influencer marketing, so it's no surprise that influencer testimonials are often in the form of Instagram posts. Celebrities frequently include a product post on their daily feed or stories to stress that product is part of their everyday lives.
Disadvantage: The challenge with using Instagram posts as influencer testimonials is that there's no guarantee that your target audience will see them. You're also at the mercy of the algorithm, which can be frustrating.
Tweets
With Twitter, influencers often give quick product reviews or recommendations in the form of a tweet. These can be more spontaneous and less planned than an Instagram post or video, but they're still very effective. Influencers use hashtags to make it easier for people to find the product they're talking about or even make the product trending (another term for talk of the town).
Disadvantage: The most significant disadvantage of using tweets as influencer testimonials is that they can be easily missed. Because Twitter is a platform with a lot of content, a tweet can quickly get buried under everything else and be forgotten.
Blog posts
Blogs are one of the most common platforms for influencer testimonials. Blog posts often give the chance to go into more detail about the product and show its features and benefits in a written form. You can also include relevant photos or videos along with the blog, and influencers even do a giveaway, a marketing technique to increase traffic on the product page.
Disadvantage: The main disadvantage of blog posts is that they can be time-consuming. It takes effort to write a good blog post, and it may also take a while before you see results with all the proofreading and revisions.
Like Instagram and Twitter, influencers also use Pinterest to give quick recommendations. They often create a "pin", an image with some text attached. These can be from blog posts, videos, or even random photos. Pinterest has been creating a buzz lately because even new products can go viral on this platform.
Disadvantage: The disadvantage of using Pinterest is that you need to have high-quality images to make your pins stand out. Depending on how you plan to get the pictures, this can be time-consuming and expensive.
Facebook is another famous platform where influencer testimonials are often found. On Facebook, influencers create a post or live videos to speak about the product. These are usually more detailed, like blog posts or quick recommendations. Influencer testimonials can also be a form of a status update or a photo with a caption where they target a specific audience like Baby Boomers or Generation X.
Disadvantage: The challenge with using Facebook as an influencer platform is that it's tough to stand out from the crowd. With so many daily posts and updates, it can be easy for an influencer testimonial to get lost in all the other content.
Case studies
A case study is a more systematic and formal method to review the product in-depth. However, this is not a common platform for influencers, and well-known professionals in the product field are the ones to conduct case studies and leaves testimonials to establish trust in the brand. Cast studies provide proof that the product works and can be helpful to those who are looking for more detailed information.
Disadvantage: Case studies can be long and tedious to read. They're also not common, so finding one relevant to your product might be challenging.
Testimonials from a company website
Testimonials are a first-hand account of the influencer's experience with a product found on a company's website. These are different from blog posts because they're usually shorter and to the point.
If you have multiple influencer testimonials, a dedicated review page on the company's website can be a smart way to showcase them. It effectively shows customers that others have succeeded with your product and helps build social proof.
Disadvantage: One disadvantage of using company website testimonials is that it can be hard to get influencers to write them. You may need to offer an incentive, such as a free product or service.
Ads
Advertisements of the product through commercial videos or banner ads on the websites are one way to use influencer testimonials. These are less common but can be very effective because it puts the product in front of a larger audience. The influencer testimonials in short quotations or video testimonials can add credibility to the claim.
Disadvantage: Using ads can be excessive. You need to pay for the ad space, and you also need to pay the influencer for their time.
Newsletter
A newsletter is a means to share influencer testimonials with people who have subscribed to receive updates from the company. It is a proactive approach to keeping customers updated on new products, deals, or promotions. Newsletters can be sent out weekly, monthly, or even quarterly.
Disadvantage: Customers can easily unsubscribe to newsletters if they lose interest in the content. It can be impossible to track how many people read the newsletter and whether or not they took any action from it.
Takeaways
In conclusion, influencer testimonials are an efficient and modern way to market a product and increase sales. These testimonials can provide credibility and offer a first-hand account of the product. When used correctly, they can be compelling in driving conversions.
But in order to effectively utilize influencer testimonials you need a way to collect responses, and then turn those responses into something that is powerful and usable, such as high-converting videos. Choosing the right platform is key to your marketing strategy.
Imagine if you could quickly and easily create short “snackable” testimonial videos, that you could then embed on your website or use on social media. Or maybe even a full case study showcasing exactly how your product can be used. That’s where Niva.io comes in.
Niva.io is an innovative way to create powerful stories that convert visitors into lifelong customers. It allows you to collect, organize, and showcase your testimonials in the most creative and efficient way. It’s ideal for any online business. So, whether you are a SaaS, eCommerce store, a coach, or course creator, you can easily turn your testimonials into stories that get results.
Remember consumers trust other consumers more than they trust brands. Influencer testimonials are what give consumers a voice to share their experiences. Their the driving force behind business today. And with us you can start collecting responses immediately and finally tap into the power of influencer marketing.
