5 Easy Ways To Build A Testimonial Library
Have you ever thought of actively seeking testimonials? When it comes to buying a service or product nothing beats a personal recommendation. And if you haven’t got a personal recommendation then typically you search for reviews or endorsements. Therefore, any positive feedback about your business should be considered valuable and kept in a safe place for future reference.
Customer reviews can be used in all sorts of marketing material - website, email marketing campaigns, social media, ads, blogs, to name a few. And the beauty of testimonials is that they are customer-generated content, which is always popular.
Action Plan
Here are 5 easy steps you can take over the NEXT TWO WEEKS which will provide you with a library of customer reviews.
LinkedIn Recommendations
This is really easy and quick to action. Contact previous clients or colleagues through LinkedIn. Direct message them and kindly ask for a recommendation. Return the gesture by leaving them a personal recommendation, too. For extra bonus points you can even endorse some of their skills on LinkedIn.
Google Reviews
Firstly, if you are not on Google By Business then add it to your To Do List - it doesn’t take long and it’s a great place for people to find and reference you. Once you are set up on Google My Business, email your current clients and politely ask them to leave a review for you. You are able to share a direct link, and it will only take them 2 minutes to complete. Again, return the favour - if they are on Google then leave a review for them!
Survey Your Clients
You can do this really easily with a quick Google doc or an online survey (try Typeform, Survey Monkey or Google Forms). Think carefully about the questions you ask your customers. Ensure they are not leading, or too vague. Multichoice, check-boxes and ‘Scale of 1-5’ are popular types of questions. Leave clients space for detailed comments if they wish. Most importantly, keep the survey to about 5 minutes and tell them how long it will take. Email your survey and ask for it to be returned by a certain date. You can even give them a gentle nudge the day before the deadline - just in case your email has slipped to the bottom of their inbox.
Search your emails
Think hard. I bet there are plenty of times a client has shared their gratitude for your services in a passing comment, by email or text message. It’s the sort of thing that when you read, it makes your day. But we are not great at saving these gems of appreciation. I recommend having a Testimonial folder in your email account.
Check out your Social Media Channels
Hop on to your Facebook Page. Have a read of the reviews and make a note of some quality customer quotes. Also, look at your Facebook inbox and your direct messages on Twitter, Instagram and even LinkedIn. Make a note of any positive feedback.
Collecting testimonials and reviews is a really important part of your business plan. The feedback will help you serve your customers better, you can use the content for marketing and by replying and thanking your reviewers you can build customer loyalty. Above everything you need to be organised and have a place where all your customer quotes, reviews and testimonials are kept. A go-to place where you can lift positive feedback quickly!
This Week
If you can FIND 1 HOUR this week, ask for a recommendation from your LinkedIn connections. Actively endorse their skills and leave them a personal recommendation. Be bold! Remember, if you don’t agree with what they have written you don’t have to publish or use it!
If you can find ANOTHER HOUR, set up Google My Business. There are a few steps you have to take, and you’ll have to wait for confirmation to arrive in the post before completing the process - it all takes a few days, so get the ball rolling.
Good luck and let me know how you get on.
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Sxx
