Everyone knows that in order to generate interest in your business, you need to publish a website. It’s a key component of any serious
tradie marketing
strategy. But most online promotional content involves you telling your side of your story. Kind of one-sided, wouldn’t you say? Of course, it’s appropriate for you to tell your story. However, that story is much more credible if it’s supported by customer testimonials.
In this article, we’ll explain the good, better, best of customer testimonials.
Good – Written Testimonials
The written testimonial is a good way to involve past customers in the process of promoting your business. The idea is simple. Just contact your past customers and ask them to help you by writing a brief testimonial. Most people are willing to help and will happily do so if asked.
When you receive written testimonials, review them and pick out the nuggets you can use on your website and other marketing materials. When you publish them, it’s best to not use the customer’s full name, even if they’ve given you permission to do so. Simply use their first name and last initial.
Better – Photographic Testimonials
As good as written testimonials are by themselves, their effectiveness multiplies when accompanied by photographs of the work you did – preferably before and after photos. This is especially true if your work is aesthetic in nature, like finish carpentry, siding, landscaping, etc. But even if you work is more behind the scenes, like plumbing and electrical, photos of the bathroom you plumbed or the lamp that’s powered through the wiring you installed will help tell your story.
Photographic testimonials are best obtained from current customers. If you’re not already taking before and after pictures of your jobs, you should start. And as you receive feedback from the customer, ask if you can share their comments with prospective customers.
Best – Video Testimonials
This is the Holy Grail of testimonials. If you can get current customers to appear on camera and praise your work, it can serve as the centerpiece of your testimonial marketing efforts. Of course, most people will decline to do this, but that shouldn’t deter you from asking every satisfied customer. Just remember that video testimonials need not be of professional quality. In fact, if they look too professional, they’ll appear less authentic.
We hope you’ve found this marketing tip helpful and encourage you to visit our blog often for more marketing tips and ideas. To learn more about how online marketing can help grow your trade business, contact us
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