In a digital arena, having an authoritative and credible presence is of cardinal importance, knowing quite well about the user’s doubt over possible scams. In this regard, businesses direct all their focus on building a vast portfolio of reviews and testimonials. It helps you in two ways: retaining existing customers and acquiring new customers. But the thing is, what matters more for leaving a lasting impression on customers through a much more valuable social proof: video testimonials or written reviews. In other words, is it important to flood the customer’s inbox with written reviews or just focus on leaving a more significant impact through video testimonials?
In this blog, UnityDiv will do a comparative analysis of both to guide you on which one is the better option to choose. So, let’s start…
What are Written or Video Testimonials?
Written testimonials are short paragraphs written by customers to share their good experiences about the product, service, or company. It can be given on Google Reviews, Inbox, or social media pages. In contrast, video testimonials require customers to make footage of themselves commending the company’s performance, product, or service quality. Though the purpose of both written and video testimonials is the same, the nature of conveying the message differs in both cases.
Types of Testimonials
Various types of testimonials are divided into two forms (written and video) based on how the customers want to present an acknowledged message to the brand for the brand. As for the types, they are the following;
Peer Reviews
People with whom a person interacts are highly influential in shaping their decision-making patterns. Whenever you see your friend has shopped from a place, and they tell you good things about the product bought, you naturally feel inclined to try the same brand’s products. That’s the case with everyone. That is why such promotions are really persuasive in attracting customers.
Influencer Testimonials
Influencer marketing is surpassing celebrity promotion. Though the influencers have comparatively low reach, their influence over their audience is unparalleled. They have built a relationship of relatability, unlike celebrities. A shout-out from influencers is capable of giving the brand a massive return on investment (ROI). Whether the testimonial is in written form or video form, their endorsement of the brand’s product or services can yield favorable results. However, it is undeniable that video marketing is comparatively more impactful than textual marketing.
Consumer Reviews
Consumer review is given by customers who have a satisfactory experience using the brand’s product. The consumer can highlight the positive aspects of the product or service in blogs, case studies, social media posts, or through video sharing of the before and after results. According to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, 64% of millennial consumers and 60% of Gen-Z have a considerably good brand reputation, and other consumer reviews in the form of either written or video format as metrics for product purchase.
Written Reviews VS Video Testimonials: Benefits
Benefits of Written Reviews
- It is easier to acquire written reviews from customers as, unlike in the case of video testimonials, it requires no lighting setup or rehearsal. This is the best option for those people who are camera-shy and don’t want to disclose their identity.
- The acknowledgment through textual reviews is not time and resource-intensive. There is no need for expensive video production equipment, video-editing software, and videographers.
- Text-based testimonials are easy and less time-consuming to read. One can read multiple testimonials in the exact same time of watching single video testimonial.
- Test-based testimonials are easily accessible to wider audience. Those viewers who have any screen compatibility issues can also easily access them.
Benefits of Video Testimonials
Have you ever thought why more people watch Netflix than reading books? Here are the reasons why video testimonials can be a game-changer for your brand promotion:
- It is ideal way of conveying message to those potential consumers who have shorter attention span. Such people want all their senses to be involved in a particular activity, which is definitely provided more by video than text-based reviews. Therefore, video testimonials are more impactful and beneficial.
- Video testimonials show customer loyalty. After all, a production of one video requires more effort than written text-based review.
- Video testimonials build better relatability as it shows the feelings and emotions of other consumers about the brand’s product or service. People are better able to put themselves in the shoes ofthe client, getting to know better the experience of other clients.
- Next important thing about video testimonials is that they less likely to be faked, which make them more convincing, trustworthy, and ultimately highly converting.
- Video help you given a reach to wider audience organically because the algorithms of Facebook, and Instagram prefer them over textual content, making it highly likely for your brand to go viral.
Final Thoughts
Indeed, testimonials in video format are much in terms of performance and yielding desired results as compared to written recommendations. Different digital marketing platforms and agencies affirm its potential in driving more sales. Their more genuine, authentic, and harder to fake in a digital world where the scams are rampant and authenticity is difficult to detect.
UnityDiv, as a professional digital marketing and website development agency, relies upon both written reviews and video testimonials for giving client’s brand an authoritative and credible outlook. However, we stress more on acquisition on video-based testimonials, knowing its importance. We also have a YouTube management agency named UnityFilms that provide comprehensive video production and management related services. That is why we know how to get the video testimonials that will help uplift your brand.
So, feel free to contact us now to uplift your digital marketing.
