How to get and use customer testimonials for your start-up

Attracting new customers is the first step in successfully growing your start-up business.

One way to do this can be through customer testimonials.

A testimonial from a current or past customer is an endorsement of your start-up and its products or services.

Word-of-mouth referrals help to build trust, particularly for new businesses and brands.

When people see others using or approving a product, they may be more likely to try it too.

This is known as ‘social proof’, which is often demonstrated through reviews, testimonials, or endorsements.

This is why customer testimonials can be an effective marketing tool to help you grow your customer base.

But how exactly do they work, and how do you use them effectively?

What are testimonials?

Customer testimonials are positive statements from previous or existing clients about a company, its products, or services.

They are crucial in building trust and credibility, helping potential customers gauge a business’s reliability.

They can also highlight the quality of a company’s products and services.

Testimonials can take several forms, including written quotes, video interviews, and social media posts.
Each type offers a unique way to connect with an audience.

Do reviews work as testimonials?

Both testimonials and reviews can have positive effects on your start-up’s reputation and performance, but there are key differences between the two:

• customer testimonials – are positive statements provided by satisfied clients that are usually solicited by a business for promotional purposes
• customer reviews – are unsponsored opinions posted by customers on public platforms, reflecting both positive and negative experiences.

Why are testimonials so important for start-ups?

Client testimonials are useful in marketing any business, but they can be important for start-ups in particular.

They can help your new businesses to quickly establish credibility.

When potential customers see details of other customers’ positive experiences, it can build confidence in your brand.

This could enhance your start-up’s reputation and increase the likelihood that people will choose your business over competitors.

So, testimonials could help you build your customer base and boost your bank balance.

They also increase brand visibility, as positive testimonials can be shared across many platforms, reaching a wider audience.

E-commerce start-ups can particularly benefit from client testimonials.

This is because potential customers cannot inspect products or see the results of services in person, and they may rely on the opinions of other customers when making a purchase.

Types of testimonials

Client testimonials can come in various formats depending on what suits your start-up’s marketing needs:

Written

Written testimonials can be used on websites and marketing materials.

They are usually short and easy-to-read endorsements that potential customers can quickly understand.

Video

Video testimonials are another way to engage with your target customers.

They represent a more dynamic and potentially more authentic format.

These could feature real customers sharing their experiences on camera.

Video testimonials could provide a personal touch that resonates with viewers and potentially increases your start-up’s credibility.

Social media

Your start-up could use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to share and promote client endorsement posts to a wider audience.

This could be an effective way to foster community engagement.

Find out how to make social media work for your small business.

Case studies

These are articles, normally written by businesses, detailing how they worked with a specific customer.
Case studies can work as powerful testimonials for your business.

Each story can talk about a customer’s journey with your business, including why they chose you, what they needed, and the specific benefits of using your products or services.

These stories can provide particularly in-depth insights and demonstrate the real-world impact of using your start-up’s services.

Influencer endorsements

Influencer endorsements could be in any format.

They can involve social media influencers or industry experts endorsing your products or services.

Given that they are already well-known, influencers could significantly boost your brand’s visibility and credibility.

This is because their audience often trusts their opinions and recommendations.

Discover how to work with influencers on TikTok.

Tips for securing customer testimonials

There are a number of ways a start-up could go about securing client testimonials.

These tips could help:

Timing

The best moment to approach a customer about a testimonial could be after a successful transaction or positive interaction.

This is because the experience will be fresh in the customer’s mind.

If you wait too long, they may not remember all the details or be as interested in your business as they should be.

Best approach

Consider the best way to approach a customer – whether by phone, email, social media messaging, or in person.

When asking for a testimonial, think about how you can sincerely express how much you value their feedback.

This could make your request feel personal and might make your customer more likely to give a testimonial.

You could also use social media, emails, or surveys to gather testimonials.

Following a customer purchase, a follow-up email or a simple survey could be an effective option.

Social media interactions could also be leveraged by encouraging customers to share their experiences online.

Offering incentives could motivate customers to provide testimonials.

For instance, you may wish to offer discounts or free gifts with the next purchase if they provide a testimonial.

However, you may want to ensure that any incentives do not influence the authenticity of customer feedback. 

Genuine testimonials are typically more valuable and trustworthy.

You could also use positive reviews as the basis of testimonials for your business.

If you already use a review platform such as Google or Trustpilot, you may wish to contact happy customers to ask them to provide more in-depth information.

Learn how Trustpilot can help your small business.

Testimonial software

Testimonial software platforms can streamline the process of collecting, managing, and showcasing customer feedback.

They are particularly suited for video testimonials and can help businesses gather customer stories more efficiently.

The costs and offerings for the various platforms vary, but many offer a free trial period.

If you want more functionality beyond basic features, you may need to pay a subscription fee.

Testimonial platforms include:

• Famewall – display a testimonial video ‘wall’ on your website
• Boast – share a link or embed a form on your site
• Endorsal – this platform provides automated testimonial collection and display.

How to best use customer testimonials

Once your start-up has gathered a selection of positive customer testimonials, how can you use them for maximum impact?

On your website

Your website is a great place to host positive client testimonials.

You may want to place your testimonials strategically across your homepage, relevant product pages, and landing pages.

It could be beneficial to place them near calls to action (such as a ‘buy now’ button).

This can showcase your credibility at relevant points in your customer’s decision-making process.

A dedicated testimonial page could also show potential clients a broad range of happy customers.

Read our guide on how to create a website for your business.

In your marketing materials

Whether you send emails, place online ads or distribute brochures, you might consider including customer testimonials in your start-up’s marketing materials.

This may help to make them more effective and impactful.

Read our free Essential guide to marketing.

On your social media

Sharing customer testimonials could become part of your start-up’s social media strategy.

Consider turning them into eye-catching visuals and tagging the customers (with their permission).

This way, you could expand your start-up’s reach and engagement online.

Think about using a variety of formats to create diversity across your social media content.

In your sales pitches

To persuade businesses to collaborate with you, you might wish to show them your previous successes in similar scenarios.

Adding customer testimonials from relevant projects to your sales pitches and presentations could help you support any claims you make.

They can showcase how your products or services work in reality, alongside your descriptions.

They can also set your start-up apart from the competition.