Guide on Turning Text Reviews into Video Reviews

Why Video Reviews?

Video content is the king of marketing tactics at the moment. Just look at the success of Youtube, TikTok, Instagram Reels and so on. 

Just in one minute, users all over the world watch 167 million hours of TikTok videos. Instagram Reels stats show that Reels (aka short videos) get 22% more engagement than other types of Instagram posts. And lastly, Youtube is watched over 1 billion hours every day.

These facts are living proof that you should invest in video content.

Video testimonial statistics show that video affects consumers’ and B2B buyers’ purchase decisions alike. The phenomenon is based on social proof, a psychological effect that makes people reference each others’ behavior in new situations.

Social proof also works in case of written reviews, but video reviews (and video testimonials) have an even greater effect, as they speak to the emotional side of us.

Video reviews can get you results, and we have proof of that from our own clients. Additionally, Unbounce found that replacing written reviews on your landing page with video testimonials can dramatically raise your conversion rate.

You might think that getting testimonial videos requires a lot of work, time and money from your side. Maybe you have to hire a film crew, organize a filming session, edit the video…

That is not true. 

Today, there are solutions like Trustmary that enable you to ask for review videos remotely and automatically.

Video Review Forms Can Be

• Sent to customers via email using trigger events
• Embedded on your website
• Shared on social media

After collecting your video testimonials, you can feature them on your website and social media, and other marketing channels.

Why shouldn’t you give it a try?

5 Strategies for Getting Video Testimonials

Whether you are using a video review software or not, here are 5 different ways that you can use to get review videos from your customers.

1. Contact Those who Left A Text Review

If you collect text reviews, you can request a video review from those customers who already gave you a written review.

Remember to highlight why the video would be useful and important, especially for other customers.

An example message:

“Hi Charlotte!

We were super happy to notice that you left a review regarding the shopping experience at our online store. Your feedback is valuable, and we always love seeing that our customers have a good time ❤️

Did you know that you can also leave a video review? They are super helpful for other customers, as they can see what an item looks like in real life.

If you would like to help others find the best products and the right match right away, feel free to click on the following link and leave a video review: link.

Have a lovely rest of your day!”

Pros of this strategy:

• The customer already knows what to say in the video review.
• They have had time to try out the product after the first review.
• You know who to contact and who would potentially give a video review.
• It is possible to automate the video request when you are using software.

Cons of this strategy:

• It’s troublesome to reach out to clients afterward.
• The customer might not be interested in leaving another review: they think their job is done here.
• In order for this to work, you need to be able to identify the customer from the first review (if it is anonymous, you can’t know who it was).

2. Ask for Video Reviews on Social Media

In case you have a loyal customer base, you can communicate your wish of getting video reviews through social media.

It can be beneficial to highlight how the customer can have visibility for their video or even a social media channel, when they let you share the video.

Especially if it is something to do with fashion or creativity, people are eager to share how they use your product.

In the case of B2B companies, the brand can have positive visibility through your channels.

You can showcase the request on social media, so you can reach those customers who are already there. Imagine sending a request via email, and realizing that few customers even use the social media platform in question…

Example message:

“Are you appreciating our brand?

Please share your opinions in a video!

We ask you to provide a short video review (max. 1 min) that will be shared in our socials. Showcase your creativity and style!

Share your review with the hashtag #YourBrandedHashtag”

Pros:

• You don’t have to interrupt anyone’s day with an email or phone call.
• It is most likely the most engaged customers who see your social media post → they are also more likely to leave a video review.

Cons:

• What is a pro is also a con: it is not personal enough and the customers might not feel as motivated to give reviews (especially B2B).
• It’s not really possible to leave anonymous reviews, and people might be shy about sharing their thoughts.

3. When Collecting Reviews, Provide Options

What if you didn’t have to ask for high quality video reviews separately?

When you use Trustmary review software, you can ask for written and video reviews with the same form.

Just add an additional question type to the review form, and that’s all you need!

A video review software enables your customers to record a video directly in the form with their current device, or download a previously recorded video.

Pros:

• People can decide if they want to give a written or video review.
• When you ask for a video review after the customer has written a regular review, the customer already knows what they can say in the video review.
• The video can be filmed with a mobile device or computer and is automatically sent to your review folder where you can share it.

Cons:

• The customer might not want to leave a video after already completing a written review.
• If you don’t communicate clearly that the video review is optional, the customer might opt out of the review altogether.

4. Request Video Reviews when Collecting Feedback

When you use review management software, you can set conditions for the question flow of your feedback survey.

This enables you to only ask for video testimonials from your satisfied customers while getting feedback from the unsatisfied customers.

Trust me, you’ll want to collect feedback as well.

How does this work in practice?

As the first question of the survey, include a scale like star review, NPS, or CSAT. According to the answers that the respondent gives, the survey is divided into two flows: one for giving constructive feedback and the other for testimonials.

Here’s an illustration of the logic:

Pros:

• You get to collect reviews from exclusively happy customers.
• You also get constructive feedback, which helps you to develop your business.
• When the customer has already established that they are satisfied with the product or service, they are more likely to follow through with leaving a review.

Make sure you’re following the FTC ruling for reviews when you’re collecting reviews. If you’re looking to get more video reviews, we’ve compiled the best video testimonial questions.

A good rule of thumb is to never offer prices for only positive reviews, but for all.

5. Offer Incentive

If you have a hard time getting high quality video reviews from your customers, try offering an incentive.

It can be a discount code, lottery prize, gift card, or something else that fits your image.

See how Son de Flor asked for video and image reviews on their Instagram:

Pros:

• Those customers who enjoy your products will be happy to give a video review in exchange for a discount or gift from you.
• People will more likely complete a task if they are compensated for it.

Cons:

• This might come across as “bribing” or manipulating for positive reviews if you don’t formulate your request carefully.

Share Video Reviews for More Trust

Great places to share your video reviews include:

1. Social media channels
2. Use video editing tools to create compilation videos with enthusiastic background music
3. Upload product review videos to your Youtube channel
4. Post product review videos to TikTok

Try Video Review Software

To collect video testimonials can be as simple as asking for a video filmed with a mobile phone or computer camera by the customer.

However, you need a system to request, collect, store, transfer, and showcase the collected videos.

This is where Trustmary steps into the picture.

With Trustmary review software, you can

• Send automated review requests
• Embed a review form on your website
• Collect written and video reviews
• Conduct feedback surveys
• Store all gathered reviews
• Import reviews from all sources
• Transfer them between systems with Zapier and API integrations
• Showcase the reviews with review widgets on any website
• Collect more Google reviews using the Google review link

It costs nothing to try it out yourself!

Further Reading

• The Definitive Guide to Creating and Utilizing Video Testimonials
• Video Testimonial Statistics That You Should Mind
• Remote Video Testimonials: 3 Free Templates You Can Copy
• How to Make a Testimonial Video? Top 5 Things to Consider

FAQ