Enough is enough
I’m writing this because I am sick and tired of seeing lame-o websites that don’t stand out. Same old some old.
I’m calling out ho-hum home pages, dreary About pages and mind-numbing Testimonial pages (or testimonials generally). I’ve previously written a post regarding About Pages, and the next cab off the rank (after I’ve completed this post series) will be on Home Pages. So, for now, I want to focus on testimonials in general, and two great testimonial enhancing techniques, in particular.
Introduction
So, let’s get started with a few basic ideas.
Is a case history about facts, figures, and proof? Or is there something more? I say more. More in the form of a story that has the reader imagining herself as the protagonist – the star. As the story evolves, the reader ‘sees’ herself as a kind of heroine who transverses rugged terrain to reach the success pinnacle. She has finally found a solution to her problem.
When you write your case study, it’s essential to take the focus off you and direct it towards the customer. Your role? Mentor and guide, not hero or savior. It’s not about your ego, but very much about theirs.
There are different ways you can do this. The first is to create an Enhanced Testimonial. If you’re doing it for a client, grab their raw testimonial and add some supporting text, including a headline.
The other way to do it is to create a Mini Case Study. The MCS features a more complete story, including elements from a full Customer Hero Journey story (another topic for another day). When done, load it to your website and feature it on Facebook and other platforms.
Do Story-Based Social Proof Methods Enhance Results?
If the stories have been well constructed and written, the answer is a definite YES. The stories get potential customers excited – their belief will increase significantly.
And here is the AWESOME news – most of your competitors are not using them. Sure, they’ll copy and paste raw customer testimonials onto their website. But it’s nowhere near as potent as an Enhanced Customer Testimonial or Mini Case Study.
So, before we get into the meat of the topic, take a look at this survey:
Notice how case studies and customer stories came in at Number3? Enough said.
Now, let’s a take look at the first story type – the Enhanced Testimonial.
Type 1: Enhanced Testimonials
An Enhanced Testimonial is simply a raw testimonial that has been boosted with the addition of supporting text. Here is an example of how we took a stock standard testimonial, topped and tailed it with some good basic copy, added a headline and took it to another level:
Note that the company had previously only featured the customer testimonial (second last paragraph). By using a modest amount of additional text, we elevated the testimonial to a higher level. To improve it further a pic of the customer should also be included.
In the next installment, I’ll cover the Mini-Case Study strategy. It’s a bigger topic, and I won’t be holding back.