Top 7 Tips For Using Testimonials In Social Media In 2024

Nothing builds credibility quite like positive feedback from real people who have used your product or service. 

In fact, nine out of ten buyers trust what people say about your brand more than what you tell them. Customer testimonials can help you establish a solid reputation and build trust with your audience. 

One effective way to ensure that these testimonials reach your customers is via social media. But simply slapping a quote on your social media page isn’t enough to make it effective. You need to use testimonials in the right way to make an impact. 

Here are seven proven tips for using testimonials in social media. Make sure you display these testimonials on your website, too, for the best results.

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1. Keep Them Short and Sweet

The average social media user wants information that’s easy to digest. If they can’t get the gist of your content in eight seconds, they move on. This is why you should keep things simple and short. 

Ideally, your testimonials should be no more than two to three sentences long. The key is to focus on the most important points.

Start by selecting a few key quotes or phrases that sum up the customer’s experience. Then, trim down those quotes to make them as concise as possible. Think of it as a tweet – you want to convey as much information as possible in just a few short words. Here’s an example: 

But short doesn’t have to mean lacking in detail. You should still provide enough information to showcase your brand’s value and build trust with your prospective customers. A good testimonial should answer the following questions: 

• What problem did the customer have? 
• How did your product or service solve that problem? 
• What were the specific benefits that the customer experienced?

These answers will also come in handy when you’re trying to optimize your Facebook ads for testimonial advertising. 

See more tips on what kind of questions to include in a testimonial.

2. Use Visual Aids

Visual aids can make your testimonials stand out. By using images, videos, and other visuals, you can capture your audience’s attention better and make your testimonials more memorable.

Now, how can you use visual aids? 

Here are a few ways to implement them.

Use a Stylish Widget

No question about it: the easiest way is to use a widget that automatically adds spice to the testimonial. 

Trustmary can do it for you. You don’t have to have any design skills of your own: just adjust the brand colors and fonts and you’re good to go.

Here’s an example of how our client Balanced Growth Boutique has implemented testimonials on their LinkedIn page:

Make Your Own Design

One easy way is by taking a screenshot of the user review and pasting it onto your social media channel. Pair it with a decorative image that reflects your brand. You can use free tools like Canva, and find your image from stock photo libraries.

Alternatively, you can skip doing the crafts and do it all easily with Trustmary.

You can easily design branded social media posts using Trustmary. Use your brand colors and logo to create a visually appealing post that showcases your customer’s success story. This is a great way to add personality and flair while creating a consistent brand image. 

All you have to do is choose the review you want to share, then pick the right image size for your chosen social media platform, adjust the branding, and add an image from your computer.

The review is now sorted, and your only concern is the accompanying caption.

You can add a short caption to the post to highlight the key points of the testimonial and then post it to your feed. 

If possible, make sure that the post features a real image of the happy customer, as shown below. This reassures your prospects that these aren’t mere words – they are from real customers. 

Get Video Testimonials

In addition, you can ask your customers to make a video testimonial, like the one below. 

While testimonial videos may be more difficult to get than written testimonials, the results can be worth it. Video testimonials in marketing often build even more trust and credibility.

But how can you convince anyone to collect testimonials?

Firstly, make it as easy as possible for them. Offer to send satisfied customers some sample questions they can answer. Let them know they don’t need any special equipment or skills. They can simply use their smartphone or computer camera to record the video.

Also, you can send your customers a request to record video testimonials in one click using a tool like Trustmary. Here’s an example of a video created using video testimonial software:

Once you receive their testimonial, you can just feature it on your social media platforms and on your website, too. 

You also want to consider offering an incentive. This could be a discount on their next purchase or a free add-on service. People are more likely to take action if they know they’re getting something in return.

Finally, no matter the type of visual aid you choose, ensure it is of high quality. This means using clear, high-resolution images and video content that are easy to see and understand. You want your visual aids to complement your current customer’s testimonials and tell the story of their experience with your brand.

3. Highlight Specific Benefits 

When sharing testimonials, be sure to highlight tangible advantages that your happy customers have experienced. Maybe they saved time or money, or they were able to accomplish something that was previously difficult or impossible. 

These are the kinds of benefits that can really resonate with your followers on Instagram, Twitter, and other social channels. It is truly an art to market through Instagram especially as it is a medium where your large chunk of the target audience lies.

For example, instead of saying that your product is “convenient,” be more precise. You can say that it helped a customer save an average of 30 minutes daily, or it made a certain task much easier to accomplish. The more specific you can be, the more persuasive your testimonials will be.

Another way to implement this tip is by using before-and-after examples. For example, you could share a testimonial from a delighted customer who was struggling with a particular issue and how your product helped them solve it. This can be a powerful way to show potential customers what they can expect when they work with you.

Here’s an example: 

With this strategy, you can create compelling social media content that drives engagement and sales for your business.

4. Keep It Real 

Customers are savvier than ever and can easily spot inauthenticity or exaggeration. To ensure that your testimonials are trustworthy, be sure to keep them honest and authentic.

In essence, only use testimonials that are not overly polished. This means that you don’t need to edit or re-write the feedback from your customers. By leaving the testimonials in their original format, you are showing potential customers that the reviews are genuine and unfiltered.

You also want to ensure that the testimonials are recent. Customers want to see recent feedback to know that the product or service is still of high quality. If all your testimonials are from years ago, then it may seem like your business is no longer relevant or has not evolved.

In addition, consider using testimonials from different clients – with different backgrounds and experiences. This helps to showcase the product or service’s versatility and ability to cater to different customers’ needs. By showing diversity in your testimonials, you are also creating a more inclusive brand.

5. Show Variety

Variety is the spice of life. This also applies to the testimonials you share on social media. People have different tastes and preferences, so it’s a good idea to mix things up a bit in the types of testimonials you share.

“Variety” can take different forms. Here are some of these forms and how to get the hang of them: 

Use various formats – For example, you can use written testimonials, video testimonials, or even audio testimonials. Each format has its own strengths and can appeal to different audiences. Written testimonials are great for readers who prefer to skim through text, while video testimonials are perfect for people who prefer visual content.

Consider different types of customers – You can use positive customer testimonials from first-time customers, repeat customers, and even loyal customers. This can help to showcase the different experiences that people have had with your product or service and demonstrate the range of benefits that your business provides.

Explore various areas of your business – For instance, you can use testimonials that focus on customer service, product quality, or even shipping times. This can help to showcase the different strengths of your business and give potential customers a complete picture of what you have to offer.

So, the bottom line is to get creative, mix things up, and let your testimonials work their magic!

See more tips on how to showcase right reviews in the right ways.

6. Get Permission 

Always seek the permission of your customers before using their feedback. This is to respect their privacy and ensure that you don’t misuse their comments or violate any data protection laws.

 If you’re using a review collection tool like Trustmary, you can be assured you have permission to use the testimonials once you receive them. The form includes an in-built feature for asking consent, so you can forget about this struggle.

If you collect testimonials some other way, here are tips on how to go about the permission issue.

To get permission, the best approach is to ask the customer directly if you can use their reviews on your social media. You can do this by sending them an official email. Use find email address tools if you need to.

Use only the parts of the testimonial covered by the client’s approval. If you want to use the entire testimonial, you’d need to specify that to your client.

Getting permission not only protects your business from potential legal issues. It also helps to build trust with your customers. When customers know that you value their privacy and their feedback, they are more likely to continue doing business with you.

7. Make Them Shareable 

One of the other tips for using testimonials in social media you should follow is this: make the content shareable. 

This is a great way to amplify your social media presence and expand your reach. If people can easily share the reviews you’ve collected, you increase the likelihood of your testimonial (and brand) being exposed to a wider audience. This is exactly what you want.

So, how do you make your testimonials shareable? First, make sure the review is in a format that is easy to share on social media. This could mean posting the review as a photo, graphic, or video. 

Make sure your testimonial content is interesting, too. Check out this review for Puustelli USA posted on YouTube:

It’s interesting because you can see the sample kitchen cabinet designs made by the company in the video. So, viewers can actually experience the products themselves.

Don’t be afraid to inject some humor and creativity into your testimonials. This can help increase the viral potential of your testimonial content, too, and bring in new customers.

You can also include the social media sharing buttons to allow for testimonial-sharing yourself. This applies if, let’s say, you post these reviews on your website.

In addition, be sure to optimize your testimonials for mobile devices. Around 99% of users access social media through their mobile devices. So, make sure that when viewed on mobile, the text is easy to read, it loads quickly, and the visuals are high quality. 

Bottom line, by making your testimonial content interesting and easy for people to share, you increase the chances that they will actually share it.

In Closing 

Testimonials are a powerful tool that can help boost your brand’s credibility and attract more customers. By following these seven tips for using testimonials in social media, you can maximize the impact of your customer reviews. 

Remember to keep them short and sweet, use visual aids, highlight specific benefits, keep them real, show variety, get permission, and make them shareable. 

With these tips in mind, you can take your social media marketing to the next level and build a strong, trustworthy brand that people love to engage with.

Written in collaboration with the Instagram services company Twicsy.