The Effect of Testimonials in Powerful Marketing Plans
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Publishing sincere and gracious customer comments about your company is one way of letting people know what others have enjoyed about their experience with your business. These are difficult to come by, especially at first. Putting in the work and resources to seek them out, however, is a great way to use honest testimonials in your marketing strategy.
You should keep in mind that websurfers can almost always spot false advertising. Instead of creating outlandish fictional customer comments, it is a better idea in the long run to seek out real customers’ opinions. This too is usually evident to online consumers and can build a sense of trust with your prospects, making them more likely to buy from you.
Getting customers to write testimonials is the first step. To do this, offer several opportunities for customer feedback throughout the buying process and in various forms. They will almost always let you know if something went wrong with their purchase, and every so often, someone will be so pleased that they will share their gratitude with you also.
Ideally, if your product has made someone’s life easier, she may be grateful enough to share this solution with others, just because she wants to help others out. Realistically, if you include a coupon or giveaway with a completed survey, you will get more responses. It’s also a good idea to get a professional’s help when writing your survey, to make sure you get the right kind of information in return.
Since it is not always possible to draw from an existing customer base, you could also reach out to email subscribers. You simply explain that they could have a product or service for free in exchange for an honest evaluation. This is especially effective if you are trying to break into a new market and have no existing clientele.
This isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Most people like being a part of improving a product and will pass this information along to others if they have a good experience. They will also appreciate that their opinion is valued, so make sure you let them know this.
To avoid outright lying in your sales letters yet still compete with those who do, rely on your rock solid business practices and your high quality product to generate testimonials for you. It is often an unbudgeted expense and many new business owners are dismayed at having to put out even more money in giveaways to generate a buzz. But it’s worth it to your reputation and longevity as a supplier.
Using testimonials is a great way to polish the image of your business. Trusting that your honest business practices and high quality service will lead you to success can be difficult. It is only a matter of time before others recognize your strengths and pass this information along to others.
April 29th, 2008 - Posted in Online Marketing | |
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