Customer testimonials are often underutilized in email marketing despite their effectiveness. These testimonials from customers who have purchased and tried your products or services offer valuable social proof. They provide consumers with proof from others that your products and services are worth it. Ultimately, a potential customer is more likely to trust an unbiased testimonial than a company promoting their own brand. 93% of consumers allow online reviews to influence their purchase decision. For this reason, testimonials are incredibly persuasive tools to leverage in email marketing.
Why You Should Include Customer Testimonials In Your Emails
Incorporating customer testimonials offer numerous benefits to marketers. The unbiased opinions of others who have tried your product and service are effective at convincing potential customers for several reasons.
Self-Identify
Consumers who identify with the person who provided the testimonial are likely to see the value offered by your product or service. If it exceeds the expectations of someone who shares the same need or circumstances as them, that means the product or service will probably exceed their expectations too.
Emotional Appeal
Testimonials include a human element to your marketing. Real stories from real people who have tried and loved a product or service your company offers can be very persuasive to potential customers.
Trust
Including customer testimonials in your emails can also develop trust. A company complimenting their own products is obviously doing it out of their self-interest. However, a satisfied customer has nothing to gain from a consumer's decision to purchase the product. Therefore, their opinions are more trustworthy. This is why so many consumers seek out reviews before making a purchase. It also explains why testimonials are so effective at generating sales.
Competitive Advantage
Testimonials help businesses stand out from their competitors. This is especially true for testimonials from customers that have tried similar products in the past, but found your product to be the most effective. These valuable testimonials have the power to convince a hesitant consumer to go through with a purchase.
7 Effective Ways To Use Customer Testimonials In Email Marketing
The power of customer testimonials in driving sales are undeniable. If you want to leverage testimonials in your email marketing strategy, here are seven ways to use them effectively in your emails.
Product Reviews
82% of consumers have been convinced by a review to make a purchase. When you think of customer testimonials, product reviews are probably the first thing to come to mind. They offer valuable feedback and insight for consumers who are considering making a purchase.
When incorporating customer reviews in your emails, select shorter reviews that are straight to the point. The more concise the review, the better. Many of your subscribers skim through emails so it’s important to consider length and readability. Including short reviews in your emails are a straightforward way to persuade potential customers to purchase your product or try your service. If there is an amazing but lengthy review that you want to send to your email subscribers, include a short excerpt and a link to the rest of the review instead.
Video Testimonials
A video focused on a customer who found success using your service or product is a powerful marketing tool. These videos add a human element and provide emotional depth to your emails.
Including a video testimonial in your email is great way to visually demonstrate to any hesitant consumer that real people are benefiting from your products in real life. These videos offer an authentic way to promote your brand and develop trust with subscribers.
Abandoned Carts
Automated emails triggered by abandoned carts are already effective at persuading a customer to follow through with the purchase. However, you can convince them further by adding testimonials to your abandoned cart emails.
By including testimonials to abandoned cart emails, you are essentially enlisting the help of satisfied customers to persuade the consumer to purchase that product or service. Reading glowing reviews might just be the push the hesitant consumer needs to make that purchase.
Social Media Posts
In addition to reviews posted on your website or responses from surveys, it’s a good idea to include reviews from other sources as well. One of the best places to find authentic reviews of your product is social media.
If there are images of customers enjoying your product, consider including them in your email. These reviews could hold a lot of sway over potential customers if used correctly. It says a lot about your product when a customer loves it enough to post a picture of themselves using it on social media. It might also help your target audience self-identify with the customers in the images.
Storytelling
Another effective way to use testimonials in email marketing is through stories. Sharing the story of a customer is an emotionally impactful marketing strategy.
In addition to enticing customers to try your product or service, highlighting stories of real-life customers is a great way to show customer appreciation. This exhibits to your subscribers that you care enough about your customers to learn their stories and share them. Incorporating customer stories is a win-win for driving sales and enhancing your brand image.
Before/After
Customer testimonials that detail how the product has changed their life can convince even the most hesitant consumer to try your product. These testimonials are especially effective at conveying the value your product offers to consumers. When choosing testimonials, try to find one that describes the impact of your product on the customer's overall well-being.
Comparisons To Your Competition
Another thing to look for when deciding which testimonials to include in your emails are comparisons to your competitors.
If a consumer is on the fence between your company and another competitor, reading a testimonial that praises your product over others can sway them to choose your product over the competition.
Conclusion
Testimonials are an effective way to support your product with enthusiastic reviews from real customers. Instead of singing your own praises in your emails, let your customers sing it for you.