How remote video testimonials can help your SaaS business
How to harness the power of customer testimonials to build a brand is a question that every SaaS provider would like answered, as there is mounting evidence to show that buyers are heavily influenced in their decision-making by a select group of people.
There is a near-unanimous opinion that in the digital age, the power of the voice of credible influencers has come to occupy a prominent position in the public imagination.
Therefore, we think it is a good time to explore:
The phenomenon is by no means new. Let’s trace how they have been instrumental in influencing decisions:
Aren’t we familiar with how a bunch of people was able to help us in a number of ways as we were growing up? We began to recognize the power of testimonials when:
a. The age of influencers
So, if as a SaaS company you believe there is a reasonable case for you to use testimonials to get the users of your products or services to advocate for your brand, you wouldn’t be far off the mark.
According to Wikipedia:
“A testimonial or show consists of a person’s written or spoken statement extolling the virtue of a product. The term “testimonial” most commonly applies to sales pitches attributed to ordinary citizens, whereas the word “endorsement” usually applies to pitches by celebrities.”
There are influential people who will do the job for you: The big difference between now and the good old days, of course, is that now you will have to hire their services.
Influencers need to be a little more credible than the well-meaning amateurs of the past when everyone believed in everyone else’s word–albeit with a generous helping of salt because:
“We are talking big business in monetary terms and a whole lot more in terms of personal and professional credibility”
| Platform | Influencer | Subscribers/Followers/Reach |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | PewDiePie | 110 million |
| Bill Gates | 32 million | |
| Charlene Adair | 0.35 million | |
| Amanda Cerny | 24.7 million | |
| Barack Obama | 130 million |
You can see the enormous power they wield in influencing behavior.
Influencers in your many niches have built a reputation for impartiality and guidance over a number of years. That’s why they command a hefty remuneration if someone wants to use their services.
b. The organic way
Not everyone can afford (or wants) to hire celebrities or influencers because even they have their limitations.
As eCommerce gains in popularity, what alternatives do those of us who cannot afford to avail of the services of influencers have?
One way is to let the quality and integrity of your brand do the work for you.
“Your product or service is so good that people will take it upon themselves to spread the good word around.”
As attractive as the idea may seem, that would mean leaving too much to chance.
Can an immersive buying experience do the job of influencing buying decisions?
Well, it is still in a relatively early stage of development and refining. People still won’t buy even if it were to provide the most reliable product information because:
“They would rather trust a testimonial from real people who have actually used the product for a reasonable time.”
In other words, unless a satisfied customer comes forward and takes the trouble of extolling your virtues, without expecting to be compensated in some way you may not see any positive review at all.
That’s why you need:
“A credible voice to vouch for your company and products. On second thoughts, let’s add more adjectives to the list: sane, believable, authoritative, unbiased, and disinterested.”
That’s where video testimonials work like a charm and:
… the trend is fast catching up as a great way of assuring prospective buyers.
Let’s see why? That’s because they:
Content Beta has been producing video content for some of the top SaaS companies in the world. We know from experience that:
“Video testimonials are the only reliable way to convince prospects and users that your brand and products are the real deal (with a little help from your satisfied customers).”
Along with producing new content for our clients, we also help them repurpose the content.
One of the challenges faced by some of our existing clients and also by the prospects that reach out to us is this:
“We have loads of valuable case studies, PDFs, text testimonials. We were wondering if you could help us repurpose them.”
We tell them, we do because:
“As it is, social proof is hard to come by. But if you already have them, we can convert them into video testimonials that will help you sell your products faster.”
So they ask us if we can help them with the production. We tell them we can help you:
“Create testimonials 100% remotely, in less than a week, at a tenth of the cost of traditional video production studios.”
Now that we have your undivided attention, let us introduce you to our:
The Workflow
| Workflow | Purpose | How we do it | Time taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Strategy and buy-in | We create a plan to help you get the most out of your video. | You send us your goals, use cases, we come with a plan. | 15-min or less of YOUR time. |
| 2. Producer-led Filming | To ensure our guests are lit and framed perfectly. | We assign an experienced producer to every shoot. | 30-min or less of your CUSTOMERS’ time. |
| 3. Editing and Delivery | To ensure it looks authentic and remains faithful to brand style and guidelines. | We assign a team of video editors to add custom animations and to revise them many times as necessary. | First draft delivered in 5-7 days. |
The end-product
| Factors | Details |
|---|---|
| Length | Typically, 1-2 minutes, but can be edited into other ad formats based on delivery channels. |
| Delivery time | 7 days |
| Mode of filming |
With our 100% remote process, you can film anywhere without worrying about coordinating an onsite crew.
You can use the recording equipment your guest already owns, or you can get the recommended lighting, camera, and microphone using our studio-in-a-box. |
| Recording platform |
With Content Beta's own recording platform, a producer can direct a shoot remotely via a webcam and record full video quality on your computer or phone.
The footage is streamed directly to our editors, who start work immediately. |
| Is this a DIY video tool | No. We call it a 'Done-for-you solution’, which is a fully managed solution. |
| Production management | We utilize our curated team of professional producers and editors to work with you using our recording platform. |
| Editing | Editors add branding, overlays, and b-roll to the edited version of the footage. |
| Video conferencing platform | We do not use video conferencing solutions like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet because poor internet bandwidth may result in blurry images, audio glitches, or blackouts. |
Wouldn’t testimonial video examples be nice now? In fact, we have decided to feature two of them and their testimonials played an important role in our growth from our humble beginnings in 2020. And we are grateful.
Here is the list of the 5 best testimonial video examples:
1. ScaleX
As much as 75% of the tasks that sales reps complete can be automated with ScaleX’s artificial intelligence and sales automation tools, so they can focus on more important tasks.
Chad Burmeister, Founder & CEO explains how ScaleX converted their first prospect with an 80-second video by partnering with a Full-service customer education company.
2. Lawcus
Lawcus’s Legal practice management software allows attorneys to automate consistent processes to deliver more with more transparency and less effort.
Here’s what Arianna Gonzalez, Growth Strategist has to say about us:
Now let’s turn our attention to:
Other top examples of testimonial videos
…that caught our fancy:
So, if you thought Google being Google did not need any testimonials, think again. Even Google finds it challenging to compete with start-ups in attracting talent.
In this ‘What’s it like to work at Google?’, the focus is on introduction to work culture, done with a little help from their current employees.
We must say the combination of Real people, Attractive visuals and Slick editing does an admirable job of conveying the message.
Using humor is a great way to humanize a product. But using it the right way is probably one of the hardest things to do because the message you would want to convey has to be non-offensive, tasteful, and simple.
And there’s little room for error of judgment.
Given the constraints, Slack’s testimonial video tick(le)s all the right boxes. Have a look at “So Yeah, We Tried Slack…”
What’s most impressive about Glassdoor is—well, the decision to call themselves ‘Glassdoor’. The word instantly conjures up images of transparency, accessibility, and opportunity in people’s minds.
As far as their video is concerned, a data-backed testimonial and a subtle comparison with their competitors, tastefully provided by a respectable industry name manages to send out a powerful message.
Have a look at their video testimonial:
We talked about Dropbox in our guide, 7 Examples of SaaS Video Ads that drove product engagement and signups.
We confess we are a little partial to the company because they do such a good job of conveying their message to the right audience, the right way, at the right time.
A marketer or video producer would normally advise people to focus on one issue, one person, one goal in their campaign.
Now see how Dropbox turned this conventional wisdom on its head with their ‘Many Voices, One Message’ testimonial video.
Testimonials make a great addition to your marketing arsenal. Done right, they have the potential to:
A great testimonial takes the following points into consideration:
That should make you change the way you look at video as a marketing tool of the future and be inspired by our work.
Another advantage of customer testimonials is that you can repurpose them and use them on multiple distribution channels.
They help businesses to build trust with potential customers. People want to see what other people say about your business before they make a decision.
Customer testimonials help because it shows potential customers that real people have had experiences with your business. If other consumers have had a good experience with your company, there’s a good chance you will too.
Content Beta creates testimonial video examples 100% remotely, in less than a week for about $1000. This works out to about a tenth of the cost of traditional video production studios. We also ship the equipment including a webcam, ring light, and microphone to your customers. Click here for more details.
There is nothing wrong with traditional testimonials. It is just that video customer testimonials tend to produce better results because fence-sitting customers tend to make up their minds faster when they hear what a real person has to say. It is basic human psychology at work here.
Customer testimonial videos are hard to earn. Once you have them, you can use them anywhere on your website, in newsletters, in emails, and press releases. You can even host them on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo. But make sure that you have informed the customer(s) how you intend to use them.
