The Power of Testimonials in Email Marketing
There are more and more consumers who, before making a purchase or hiring an online service, investigate and contrast the testimonies of other customers who have already had a shopping experience.Companies are aware of this and, therefore, positive reviews, testimonials and evaluations are a key piece to give brand credibility and generate a good online reputation.Although it can sometimes be difficult to get testimonials from our clients, since we have to count on their time and positive predisposition, this should be one of your priorities after each sale or project end.
Why include testimonials in your mailings?
Some companies and professionals are afraid to ask their clients for opinions about their experience. And, although no one likes to receive a negative opinion, it is worth taking the risk, since the testimonials of your clients are more valuable than you think, especially in the face of your storefront.And the thing is, we usually see them on websites, blogs and online stores, but for those who make the most of their sales funnels thanks to the promotional mailing or newsletter format, testimonials generate great benefits in terms of:
- Brand credibility and reputation.
- Attraction and conversion of new customers.
- Generation of stronger, closer and lasting business relationships.
How to include testimonials naturally in your emails?
The best way to gain the trust of new customers and attract their attention is through transparency and authenticity.Many times, it happens that you come across testimonials invented by the same companies on different websites.To avoid this, you can carry out different actions that encourage the interest of your customers to share their experience, such as:
- Offer free backlinks that they can include in their public comments on your web domain
- Invite to giveaways and discount vouchers after completing a satisfaction survey.
- Record live and video testimonials at conferences or physical events.
- Giving prominence including not only the opinion, but the experience and knowledge of your clients about your product or service.
- Use truthful information
- Including real photos and live videos
- Encourage authenticity and freedom of expression
- Update and segment your database
In any case, even having an active community willing to give everything for your brand, it is possible that including them in your emails, without this being something forced or shameless, may be something complex. Therefore, here you can follow these tips:
It may seem obvious, but this is the first premise that you should always comply with whenever you include testimonials in email marketing (if not, it is better not to do so).So, remember that you should never use made-up testimonials, because if your users discover it, you will have lost a customer forever.
To add even more credibility to your testimonials, the ideal is that you offer real data of your clients such as name, surname, company and position (and even their social networks). In addition, you could add other information that is easy to relate to your business, such as how long has he been a customer, what he usually purchases, and how often he makes a purchase.
Important: Before sharing testimonials with other subscribers, you must request the client's prior consent so as not to violate their privacy (remember the GDPR and other legal aspects in online marketing).
Adding an image or video to each testimonial will help you greatly increase their credibility. In fact, something that is super effective on social networks, and that you have surely seen on more than one occasion, is sharing customer stories that tell their experience in real time.
Tip: Remember to ask your most active clients to update their profile photos to use them in your testimonials and, if necessary, invite them to share their experiences in stories and live videos.
Do not modify the testimony of your clients, even if they may be negative (unless they insult or use inappropriate language). The essence of these testimonials is their authenticity, so let them express themselves however they want and how they feel most comfortable.Allowing real and authentic comments also implies negative comments about an experience that was not to your liking.
Remember: Do not eliminate negative comments that may be constructive, because your customers may also have discrepancies about their shopping experience. And that, even if it's hard to believe, adds authenticity to your testimonies.
Finally, you should also check frequently if your testimonials have not become obsolete (that is, that they remain a true image of what you offer), and when you include them in your emails you should also do it in a segmented way. In other words, the testimonials must have a relationship with the interests of the recipients of your emails.
For example: Imagine that you no longer sell a product in your online store. If you put a testimonial from one of your clients who talks about that product, you will give an image of abandonment and that you do not update your database periodically.
To conclude
With this post, the goal was to show you that the use of testimonials in email marketing can have a very positive impact, as long as they are not included in a forced way and are of interest to those who receive them.Therefore, you have no choice but to use real testimonials, with current and credible information to give a good brand image and, thus, be able to positively influence potential customers.