When you work hard to make a client or customer happy and it results in a good review, there’s a number of ways to parlay it into usable content for your social feed. Doing so is a basic step every small business should be integrating into their marketing plan at this point.
Your customers are already saying great things about you. You really should be showing it off in a way that highlights your business and loops in more happy customers that see the good vibes and decide to join the wave.
Testimonials and reviews are some of the most powerful content you can share, but too often they live as tiny screenshots or blocks of text that get lost in the scroll. With the right visuals, your reviews can become eye-catching, trust-building content that works everywhere, from your website to social media to email. Here are a few creative ways to turn testimonials into visual content that actually gets noticed.
Put Faces to the Words
Don’t just screenshot the Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Bing or Facebook review and share it as is. Instead, pair real testimonials with professional photos of your clients, customers or team. A smiling face instantly builds connection and credibility, and makes the review feel real, instead of something generic. This will also set you apart because your competition isn’t doing it yet.
Don’t have photos of your clients, customers or team? No problem! Getting them is easy. In one short session at your shop, warehouse, store or jobsite I can capture the genuine images that give your business the professional edge. I come to you. All you need to do is be you. You can pretend the camera isn’t even there because, honestly, the more natural the photos are the better. I like to use natural and available light, so, unless you work in a cave, there’ll be no cumbersome equipment clogging your space or in the way of your regular work flow.
Design Quote-driven Visuals
Humans are visual creatures by nature. For example, when fruit looks bright and juicy we eat it. When it turns brown, we know it’s rotten and we pitch it in the compost. So you’ll need more than just a few photos to beef up your review and testimonial-style posts. You’ll also want to pair photos with graphic elements.
Using simple design tools you can overlay short, impactful quotes onto brand-aligned photos. Think lifestyle imagery, behind-the-scenes shots, or product photos that support the message instead of distracting from it. Your brand photography should go beyond headshots, and your posts should go beyond boring screen grabs of positive reviews.
Here’s a quick refresher on each of these types of brand photos.
Lifestyle
Shows a little bit of you beyond your business. It’ll go a long way toward establishing a connection with your clients. These types of photographs can be defined as photographs of you when you’re doing your work, but also when you’re not!
Behind the Scenes
Candid pics and vids native to a vertical format that show more of what goes on behind the scenes of a small business besides what a traditional photographer or commercial producer would capture.
Product
Product photography consists of images of your actual items for sale. They’re pictures that are meant to entice customers to purchase the product that’s on display. They feature product details and features, so that viewers can actually see the product, in part or in whole.
Create a Testimonial Series
I like to take my marketing inspiration from the big boys. And some of the biggest are insurance companies.
Take a look at a company like Progressive. We all know “Flo”, right? She’s been appearing in their ads since 2008! But Progressive doesn’t just run ads with one main character. Other characters, Flo’s coworkers at the insurance superstore, have been introduced over the years. We’ve been given Jamie, Mara, Alan and more. Some of them even have their own story lines in ads that Flo doesn’t even appear in.
But that’s just one series. Progressive also has the “Dr. Rick” ads. This series has its own premise, characters, story lines and jokes about turning into your parents.
And don’t forget “Motaur”, the half man/half motorcycle. That’s another whole series.
My point being, Progressive has mastered making a series of ads. And you can do the same with your posts. Create a series of testimonials. Make all posts in this series have common elements. The same look, feel, tone, voice, colors and style, while keeping the series on brand of course.
Here’s why:
Instead of posting one review and moving on, turn them into a recurring content series. Consistency builds trust and gives you reliable, easy content for weeks or months (years?) at a time.
Here’s how:
Each time you get another great review, create a new post. Be sure to show the experience, not just the result. Use photography to capture the feeling of working with you. Aim to include the process, the environment and the people, even if “the people” are just you. Then, layer in testimonials that speak to that experience. This helps future clients picture themselves saying the same thing about their experience.
Professional Photography Makes a Difference
Strong visuals elevate your testimonials from nice feedback to content that stops the scroll, tells a story, and builds confidence in your brand.
If you want help turning ideas like these into content you can actually use, join us for Content Happy Hour. Each month, we meet at various Las Vegas locations and give you a chance to capture high-impact visuals including professional headshots, engaging videos and dynamic content for your website and social media.
I hope to see you at one of these collaborative content sessions soon!
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