Many articles focus on the importance of getting positive reviews on sites like Google Plus or Yelp. However, the benefits of posting your own testimonials and reviews as a customer on other websites are often overlooked.
So what are the benefits of having customer testimonials and reviews on a supplier, reseller or business partner's websites?
- Testimonials and reviews on other websites often include the name, title, company and, sometimes, the link to your company's website, which usually brings you excellent added value in terms of Optimização para Motores de Pesquisa (SEO), helping Google’s perception of your website;
- If your company or institution receives a lot of media attention, you will certainly receive some calls from journalists, which will be reflected in some positive mentions in the press.
- It could become part of your marketing materials or sales pitch. Once your testimonial appears on a company's website, it could end up in their brochures or in conversations between commercials. As a general rule, potential customers always ask salespeople if they have customers in their area of business, so they can use your company's name. In short, a testimonial could lead to your company's name being mentioned and seen by third parties.
Who should you ask for testimonials and reviews?
Here are some ideas on how to understand which companies you should send your testimonial to:
- Make a list of the companies you work with and about which you have a positive opinion to share. Don't worry about the volume of business you have with this company.
- Which of these companies have websites that highlight customer testimonials and reviews?
Once you have the list of companies, find the right person to send your testimonial to. This person could be the Marketing Director, Public Relations, Commercial Director or someone specifically dedicated to digital marketing. If you already know someone at the company, such as an account manager, you can always ask them who to contact to leave a testimonial. If you can't, you can try to find the right person through LinkedIn and ask him to tell you how to do it.
What should your testimonials and reviews look like?
You want the companies you are sending your testimonials and reviews to to use them, so your testimonial must be just as you want it to be! Quite possibly, they are already showing the type of testimonials and reviews they like through their website. How long are the testimonials? What's your tone? Do testimonials include numbers? What are the main benefits that companies highlight in their marketing materials? Finally, be aware that even if you talk about the key points, having the appropriate dimension and tone, you will have to provide a testimony that is a little different from what companies already have.
You can also say right away that you are open to changes to your testimonials and evaluations. You might say something like, “While our testimonial focuses on XYZ, we are also big fans of the XYZ123 feature, so we would be willing to change our testimonial.”
Takeway
The testimonials and reviews we provide are often an overlooked method of gaining exposure and quality links. And the effort required is incomparably less when compared to other methods of gaining attention.
