Direct mailers should be familiar with a number of marketing concepts, and one is the testimonial. A testimonial is a spoken or written statement about the value of a product or service and the closest thing to word-of-mouth that direct mail can achieve.
There are a number of benefits to providing testimonials to customers. They can build trust and overcome skepticism while also helping build credibility and providing the benefits of your product.
The Effectiveness of Testimonials
- Build Trust: Testimonials aim to share positive experiences from previous customers with future customers. When the information comes from an experienced source and not just the company, that action builds trust for the reader.
- Overcome Skepticism: Testimonials can convince the toughest critics your product is worth their time and money. They help overcome negativity and convince the customer that your product can make a difference in their life.
- Authentic: Effective testimonials are believable and can never seem false or biased. The information comes from someone who has used the product and was pleased. Real people with real experiences equal authenticity in the eyes of consumers.
Choosing the Right Testimonial
What makes a testimonial successful? The best testimonials are positive but also provide detailed and substantial information. Here are some examples:
Ineffective Testimonial:
“I love this product so much! I am so glad I bought it! I am so satisfied with everything it does and would recommend it to everyone!”
While this testimonial is full of praise, it provides absolutely no information about the product and what made it so great.
Effective Testimonial:
“I am so glad I bought this product. It increased my sales by 10 percent in the first week, and I anticipate that this will continue to grow, to an increase of 30 percent by the end of the month! The product surpassed my wildest expectations. I would recommend this product to those looking to boost their sales in the near future.”
This testimonial is effective because it provides details about exactly what the product did for the bottom line, which makes the statement far more appealing to the reader.
The Power of a Good Testimonial
A good testimonial is influential, and should meet the following requirements:
- Benefits: Your testimonial should focus on the benefits of your product.
- Support Claims: If your product claims to do something, the testimonial should support that claim. If your product claims to clear up skin in one week, the testimonial might include someone talking about how their struggle with acne that cleared up by using the product for just one week.
- Relatable: It is important that your audience be able to relate to your testimonial. You can do this by providing the age and gender of your speaker; use someone your audience will connect with.
- Credible: Build credibility by providing the first and last name of the speaker, their location, and if possible, a picture. This helps to show that the testimonial comes from a real person, and helps establish authority.
Testimonials build trust, authority, credibility and authority. They are a powerful tool, and should be used in your direct mail marketing.
