What Makes a Great Testimonial Video
What makes a great testimonial video? Can the answer boil down to just one word? We think so. That word is ‘story’.
We’ll grant that we hear this word thrown around quite a lot. Every brand wants to tell a story - to tell their story. Even though it sometimes seems the word is overused, there really is something to it.
WHAT IS “STORY?”
In the example video below, we don’t just hear about the product. We hear first-hand knowledge of someone whose day-to-day has been impacted by it. The product is an intercom system that solves all kinds of problems. The story told by the interviewee is about challenges, personal experiences, the solution given by the intercom system, and how it has positively impacted his work routines. We hear that the unit his company installed is saving time, saving money, and saving misunderstandings.
Of course, we still need to see the product in a real-world use scenario – this video wouldn’t be complete without that. But it’s more about the story.
And one small note: Take notice of how the recommendation, and description of the product, is made right at the start of the video
WHAT OTHER KIND OF “STORY” IS GOOD FOR A TESTIMONIAL VIDEO?
Some clients and brands need extremely personal stories told to impact an audience. In the legal world, decisions about who to turn to in times of personal tragedy can be a big one. We hear from a law firm’s client that after an accident, his life became difficult and he didn’t know what to do or where to turn. For our legal firm client’s audience, this is very important to see in a video. It helps them understand they’re not alone and there is somewhere to turn, and someone that can help.
To help make a more impactful video, it starts with a moment in which things changed forever.
WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST STEPS IN CREATING A TESTIMONIAL VIDEO?
Not all testimonial video are built the same, and they shouldn’t be. But there are ‘rules’ to follow that can be helpful:
First things first: Getting buy-in from an outside person (a client for example) who is familiar with your brand can be a challenge in getting permissions and approvals, and scheduling the necessary block of time on their calendar. Start early.
The person(s) in the video should have first-hand knowledge of the product or service that is being covered. This gives the personal touch that is needed.
The person(s) should speak from the heart so that the audience knows they’re sincere. This means no coaching before the interview, and no memorizing of answers. The interviewee(s) can certainly have advance notice of the questions they’ll be asked so they have ideas about what to say, but that’s about as much as they need before sitting down in front of the camera.
Make sure to ask the right questions of the interviewee(s). First, you need to know what you want the audience to know about your product or service. Then, craft questions that will get answers that cover that messaging.
Don’t forget b-roll - that’s the footage that we add along with the interview to give context and life. B-roll is shown in the two examples above.
Choose people for your video based on their ability to speak clearly about their experiences.
