The Best Way to Ask for a Video Testimonial

Video testimonials are a powerful way to attract new customers through capturing positive testimonials from your current customers. Video testimonials provide social proof, help build trust and effectively convert new customers.

In this article, we’re going to help you collect authentic video testimonials that connect, inspire and convert potential customers into happy customers.

Our tips on the best way to ask for a video testimonial, from both your clients and from your loyal customers. When you ask for client testimonials, these Vouch questions will help you to capture high-quality responses at scale. So you can start experiencing all of the wonderful benefits of video testimonials yourself and especially your marketing team, who can use these videos in their marketing materials.

Asking customers, and even your employees for testimonials is not a new strategy, however today more than ever, authentic video testimonials really matter as people strive for authentic experiences when it comes to making a purchasing decision. Add to this, a whopping 80% of users recall a video they viewed in the past 30 days, keeping your brand top of mind (Source: Hubspot)

Today, customer experiences is everything and with tools like Vouch, capturing positive feedback is now easier than ever. We even have testimonial template library that covers all of the most effective questions, when you want to ask for a testimonial.

How to ask for a video testimonial?

Before we jump into the specific advice for how to ask for a video testimonial, there are some handy best practice tips that should help when asking for any video testimonial, like "when" is the optimal time to ask for a testimonial?

In every testimonial request, there are two objectives to capturing customer success stories. The first is ensuring you get responses back - a fundamental part of any client facing marketing campaigns. Your testimonial campaign will fall flat if you don’t get responses, so encouraging your loyal clients and customers is key when looking for how to ask for a video testimonial. The second is making sure you’re getting the right responses back that fully fulfil your goals.

Video testimonial tools are a powerful tools for any business, and when it comes to how to get testimonials from customers, no matter of you are a B2B or B2C business - your customer base will always be one of your best marketing assets for positioning your business to potential clients and building stronger customer relationships.

Business owner, sales lead, marketing manager, here's the "how to ask for a video testimonial" process with a simple question and answer approach for your client base.

1. Encourage people to respond to your request:

• Add a personal touch. Consider making some questions optional so you can avoid any negative responses and keep response rates high - and not a daunting task. Responders may get put off sharing their valuable insights for certain questions, if they feel forced to answer others they’d rather skip. Unless they’re essential, mark any tricky or niche questions as optional. It’ll help your customers or clients move through faster and feel like a less daunting request that can result in negative feedback.
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• Show your face too. Use a profile picture or record a short intro on video, right within your request. In other words, leads by example, you can even add your logo, colors and branding with the Vouch app, so it's an incredibly tailored and personal experience, even if you are trying to capture a quick testimonial, or a collection of customer testimonials.

High-quality testimonials all have some things in common, they make your request instantly recognisable with simple questions. If you’re sending your testimonial request through Vouch, there are plenty of personalization options that’ll help build trust and put your clients and customers at ease - to craft individual testimonials that capture the magic you need.

2. Be specific about what you need when you request a video message:

• Sharing filming guidelines. An essential part of creating happy, satisfied clients for your testimonials. Poor lighting or audio can ruin a video, so ask your clients and customers to film their testimonial in bright natural lighting, with minimal background noise to mitigate this risk. It sounds simple, but you might be surprised with how many people forget! That’s why every Vouch video request is automatically sent with our filming tips, for a quick testimonial form a busy person, to lengthy reviews that can be used a case studies.

Ask the right questions. Open-ended questions are best kept to minimal, as your customers may not know exactly what to talk about. With more formal testimonial question layout, you can get to the heart of the benefits you’re trying to communicate and capture a positive review from satisfied customers. Consider the questions carefully, test and refine over time - and remember to ask for customer feedback on your process. Check out our suggestions for clients and customers later in this article for a head start.

• Set a time limit when you ask for a testimonial. Sure, with Vouch you can always edit your video testimonials to hone in on the more insightful moments, but setting a limit up front can also help keep your respondents sharp and on point when it comes to video customer reviews.
• Set the ratio. Think about the final destination of the video testimonial and ask your customers to film in portrait or landscape mode accordingly. Will it be shared on your website, or is it for a specific social media platform? If you’re using Vouch, you can specify this at the request stage, and even add a personal message to make it a breeze for your loyal customers.
• Let clients know if there is a deadline. Even include this in your testimonial request template. People may not be ready to film responses on the spot, so be sure to let them know when you need the testimonials by. If you’re using Vouch, you can encourage them to use the calendar reminders feature, this always helps when capturing powerful testimonials.

How to ask for a video testimonial from clients?

When it comes to how to ask for a video testimonial from clients, leveraging your existing relationship can help you collect the most high-quality responses.

Here’s how to ask your clients for great results:

1. Give them a heads up

Checking in with a client first is a great way of increasing the chance of a response to your Vouch request. This could be as simple as a phone call, Slack message, or email. Below is a customizable template that can be adapted as needed for any channel.

Hi [Client Name],

Following on from our last conversation, we are so excited that you have offered to help [Your Company Name] by sharing some quick feedback via a testimonial video.

Normally, these testimonials are very time-consuming (we would have to be in your office with a camera crew) but we are using a new product called Vouch which will allow you to record your thoughts remotely and quickly!

Here's how Vouch works:

1. We will set up a series of questions for you to answer and you will receive a link from Vouch asking you to share some thoughts for [Your Company Name]

2. When you are ready, you can click this link from your desktop or mobile. This will bring you into the recording space to start answering each question individually

3. There's no pressure to get it right the first time as you can replay and re-record each video as many times as you'd like before hitting "submit"

4. You will then get an email from Vouch with your link to review or share if you would like

We have kept the questions brief and expect the whole process to take you 10 minutes max! Thank you again for being part of our customer testimonial program and please let us know if you have any questions at all.

Thanks,

[Your Name]

2. Swap a written request for a video request

Following that initial heads up, when it comes to how to ask for a video testimonial, request the testimonial with a video of your own. A video message is a great way to add context to your request to gather detailed testimonials, and showcase how a great take looks and sounds, giving your client an example to follow. Or send them some testimonial examples to follow! But by ‘going first’, you help allay the fears of anyone who might be nervous about jumping in front of the camera.

Check out this quick demo from Vouch's Enterprise Sales Lead, Ben Sher, who'll show you how quick and easy it is to record a cover vid when looking at how to ask for a video testimonial.‍
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3. Share some context

When it comes to how to ask for a video testimonial, let your client know "why" you have reached out to them for a testimonial. Perhaps you have chosen them because they have been a client for a long time, or have recently converted from a competitor? Understanding why this testimonial is important, where it might be used and why, could help motivate them beyond one-word responses.

When researching "how to ask for a video testimonial", the key is to get your clients to open up. That way, your testimonials from clients will connect with future clients on a deeper level. If it is too light on, you may miss the magic.

4. Follow up

Unless you’re an uber organised ‘inbox 0’ kind of person who always send follow-up emails, you too might have forgotten a request you had every intention of actioning! If a client misses the deadline you sent, there’s no harm in checking in and sending friendly reminder messages to clients.

You can do this instantly on the Vouch platform which takes them straight into your testimonial questions and helps with organic feedback, not forced feedback. Vouch can also save you sending hundreds of emails that get lost in the ether of email.

Top ten questions to ask clients in your video testimonials

When it comes to how to ask for a video testimonial, the questions you ask are also paramount. The goal is to ask simple to answer questions that are not open questions, nor restricting. This can be a fine line, so we've prepared some example questions below.

1. What problem were you facing that made you seek out [company/ service]
2. How did [company/ service] help you overcome those problems?
3. What were you using previously and how does [company/ service] differ?
4. What was the best thing about [company/ service]?
5. How was your experience interacting with our team?
6. Did anything surprise you about [company/ service]?
7. Would you recommend[company/ service] to a friend and why?
8. What ROI have to experienced as a result of [company/ service], please be as specific as you can?
9. Will you continue to use [company/ service] and why?
10. Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Discover more great questions to ask clients here.

The 3 keys steps for gathering testimonials from customers

When approaching customers, timing is everything. Here’s how to ask for a video testimonial and get maximum responses.

1. Make sure the time is right

Timing is everything when working out how to ask for a video testimonial. Try to give your customer enough time to experience your product or service, but not so long that they lose any of that initial excitement that’ll bring the testimonial to life. Automating the testimonial collection process is a great way to make sure you get it right every time.

2. Share your request everywhere

If you’re taking a ‘more the merrier’ approach to your video testimonial collecting, you’ll want to share your request far and wide. Use every social media channel and newsletter at your disposal. Chances are, different customers will follow you on different platforms. With Vouch, this is super simple with our embed and social sharing options. There’s even a QR code, if you’d like to collect testimonials in person or at an event.

3. Create a dedicated landing page

When looking at how to ask for a video testimonial, collection is part of your ongoing marketing efforts then you might want to consider a dedicated webpage to streamline your efforts. Use it to give your customers further context and add examples of customer testimonials that came before, to help inspire them. This is where a dedicated landing page can help!

Another 10 questions you can ask customers for video testimonials

1. Did anything specific make you purchase [product/ service]?
2. Has your problem or challenge been solved by [product/ service]?
3. What results have you achieved with [product/ service]?
4. Have your expectations been unmet, met or exceeded?
5. What do you like most about [product/ service]?
6. How does [product/ service] improve your life at [company]?
7. Did you use a competitor before moving on to [product/ service], if so which?
8. Which three words would you use to describe [product/ service]?
9. What would you say to someone thinking about purchasing [product/ service]?
10. Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Y‍ou can see examples of these kinds of questions on our Vouch social media channels too, just connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Or simply book a Vouch demo today to chat with a video content expert.
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FAQs

Why are video testimonials important for businesses?

Video testimonials are crucial for businesses as they provide social proof, build trust, and effectively convert potential customers into satisfied ones. They capture genuine feedback from current customers, which can resonate deeply with prospective clients, inspiring them to engage with your brand. Here are 5 statistics on the power of using this media in your marketing mix, and customer vids are the most powerful of all!

- After watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online (Hubspot)
- Facebook generates 8 billion video views on average per day (Social Media Today)
- YouTube reports mobile video consumption rises 100% every year (Hubspot)
- 59% of senior executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic on the same page, they prefer to watch video (Digital Information World)

- Video in an email leads to 200-300% increase in click-through rates (Hubspot)

How to get a testimonial from customers?

Start by giving your clients a heads up, informing them about the process and tools you'll be using, such as Vouch. Then, request the testimonial with a personalized message, sharing some context about why their feedback is valuable. Follow up if necessary and provide a list of specific questions to guide them through the testimonial process.

What are some best practices for encouraging responses to testimonial requests?

Encourage people to respond by offering a personalized touch and making some questions optional to avoid any negative responses. Use tools like Vouch to customize requests with profile pictures, logos, and branding. Additionally, share filming guidelines to ensure high-quality testimonials and set a deadline to prompt timely responses.

Are video testimonials important for my employer brand?

Absolutely, when it comes to your employer brand, video testimonials from both employees and clients all help to create the feel of your company, products and services.

• 72% of recruiting leaders around the world agree that employer branding has a significant impact on hiring. Source: TalentLyft
• Employees who understand and connect with their company's mission and values are 67% more engaged. Source: Gallup
• 89% of HR leaders agree that a strong employer brand gives them a competitive advantage in attracting top talent. Source: Randstad

How can I ensure I get the right responses back from my testimonial requests?

To ensure you receive responses that fulfill your goals, be specific about what you need when requesting a video message. Ask the right questions that align with your objectives and set a time limit to keep respondents focused. Also, specify the preferred video orientation based on the destination of the testimonial.

What should I consider when I request for a message or client testimonial?

When asking clients for testimonials, it's essential to give them a heads up about the process, swap written requests for video ones, share context about why their testimonial matters, and follow up if necessary. Providing a list of specific questions tailored to their experience can also help elicit detailed responses.

What are some example questions I can ask clients and customers for video testimonials?

If you are wondering how to ask for a video testimonial, the best questions for clients include inquiring about the problem they faced, how your product/service helped them, their experience with your team, and if they would recommend your business. For customers, questions could revolve around their purchase decision, results achieved, satisfaction levels, and what they like most about your product/service.

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Like to try Vouch?

Loved by companies like Canva, Nike, Cisco, Stryker, HubSpot, Amazon and more, tools like Vouch make leveraging video in your business remarkably easy.

Be sure to book a Vouch demo today and chat with a video content expert.

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