Testimonial videos can be an incredibly powerful tool for marketing your business, invigorating your staff, and generally communicating your brand attributes to your audience.
When it comes to content marketing, customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating—coming in at 89 percent. In fact, an overwhelming 88 percent of consumers say they trust online reviews and testimonials just as much as a personal recommendation.
But the secret to a powerful testimonial video is in the questions you ask. A good interviewer will get the answers he or she is looking for, while a great interviewer will lead the subject to tell a compelling story. So, how do you get there?
Where are you filming? Video testimonials appear more honest and transparent when they are captured in your subject's natural environment: their workspace, office, or facilities. Another option is to record your interviews on clean white, infinite backgrounds which creates an intimacy that can be very effective.
Avoid using backdrops with lighting splashes. This over-done tactic often comes across as "prepared" or "manufactured" content.
Don't forget that one of the greatest tools in video is quality editing, so use your interview questions as a chance to get your subject talking comfortably. You'll notice that all of the questions below are open-ended, and some include a follow-up. Asking your subject to expand upon an answer can often lead to an even better answer.
And one final reminder before you dive into the interview questions below: sometimes it's not what you ask, but how you ask it. Be careful that you don't simply fire off questions and expect gold in return. Take the time to relax your on-camera subject. If he or she has a great smile and is speaking with passion and energy, your audience will sense that these are honest and true feelings… not just spoon-fed responses.
Finally, plan your questions in advance of the interview, but don't be afraid to add or modify your questions over the course of the interview if the subject has more to say about one area of the interview than another.
The other key to a powerful testimonial video is ensuring the quality of the video production doesn't distract from the actual content. Bad quality video can ruin even the most compelling testimonial, so if you don't have the video equipment or expertise within your company, find a trustworthy video production partner that can help.