Testimonial video production

Seeing real people talk about a product or service can be way more convincing than traditional advertising. Testimonials give you that all-important social proof. We’re hard-wired to trust recommendations, especially from people we can relate to. You hear it straight from their mouths, and that builds serious trust in your brand.

We’re talking uncut, unscripted, genuine testimonials. No polished corporate spiel or hard sell tactics. Just honest, relatable experiences. Raw authenticity builds trust. Your viewers see it as the real deal, not some professionally scripted advertising.

Stories and real human emotions stick in our minds way more than facts and figures. While stats have their place, a well-crafted testimonial video uses compelling stories to make your message truly memorable.

Testimonial videos cut through the noise and get straight to the point. They show how your product or service solves specific problems or meets specific needs. Instead of listing lots of features, testimonials keep it simple. You hear directly from customers about the actual problems and solutions. That kind of clarity is a lot more powerful than getting bogged down in abstract terms.

Testimonial videos are super shareable. A powerful personal story can spread like wildfire when people hit share. Before you know it, your testimonial video is introducing your product or service to a massive new audience (for no extra marketing cost).

Testimonial videos are a super versatile marketing tool that’ll work hard for your money. You can use them on your website, across social media, in emails, even at trade shows. Wherever you need to showcase real customer stories, testimonials have got your back.

I’m Sian, the Head of Video at Definition. With over a decade’s experience, combined with my background in music and sound, I like to think I bring a unique blend of creativity and technical expertise to our projects.

Lots of clients ask me, what makes a good testimonial?

For us, it’s all about enthusiastic customers speaking straight from the heart about how a product or service has improved their lives and their business. They’re sharing real results and personal stories, not just vague praise.

You want that sweet spot where the video is polished and professional enough to be taken seriously, but still down-to-earth and believable. No stuffy corporate nonsense.

We nail down why you need this testimonial and who you’re speaking to.

Then we’ll hand-pick the perfect customers – people who’ve had a great experience and can articulate it well on camera.

Next, we’ll put together a set of questions to guide the testimonial. Not just generic fluff but prompts that’ll get those customers opening up about their genuine experiences with you.

Finally, we’ll plan all the filming logistics down to the last detail – location, lighting, gear, you name it. If permissions are needed, we’ve got that covered too.

We’ll work around your customers’ diaries to book in filming times that suit them. Convenience is key for getting natural, relaxed performances. Before hitting record, we’ll make sure your customers know exactly what to expect.

We’ll run through the plan, so they feel prepped and at ease in front of the camera. It’s all about keeping everyone aligned.

Our crew will be raring to go with all the right gear on shoot day.

We’ll set up the filming space just right – with professional lighting, sound and cameras.

Then it’s all about making your customers feel comfortable. We’ll put them at ease and gently guide the conversation, ensuring those testimonials feel natural – not scripted.

In the background, we’ll be capturing that all-important b-roll footage too. Think shots of your customers using your products, atmospheric scenery – anything that adds extra context.

We’ll comb through all the footage, picking out bits that really drive your message home.

Then it’s time to stitch it all together into a cohesive and engaging narrative, keeping in mind pacing and overall length.

We’ll add all the final flourishes – some background music, text overlays, your logo, and a call-to-action.

First, we’ll share the polished edit with you and get your sign-off. And make any needed tweaks.

Once it’s got the final seal of approval, we can help you out that testimonial video on all the platforms you want – website, social, YouTube, emails, you name it.

Then it’s about keeping a close eye on how your video is performing and gathering feedback. That way, we can assess its impact and learn for future projects.

Strategy. Strategy. Strategy. You can’t make a good testimonial video without it. Why are you making one? Who do you want to see it? How do you want them to feel? What should they do after watching? And how will you get these videos in front of the right people?

From format to style to distribution, purpose will give your video direction.

Find the people who really love what you do. And then find the ones who’ll be good on camera. Don’t worry; we can help. We’ll start with a quick video call to test them out, and then if they make the grade it’s lights, camera, action.

There’s nothing worse than an overly scripted, robotic testimonial. Make sure your cheerleader knows the key messages, then turn on the camera and just start filming. It’ll help everything feel so much more natural and believable.

A good director should work with you to script the questions. They’ll make sure they’ll get the interviewee talking about the benefits to them, rather than a list of product features. They’ll also help everyone stay on-message, tease out soundbite-worthy responses, and help avoid marketing-speak.

Your customers are busy. If they say yes to a video, they’ll be doing you a favour. So keep it easy. Travel to them, and fit the whole thing around their schedule. Even if that means working late or weekends.

Filming a testimonial video is a great chance to get to know your customer personally. Take time to talk to them, learn about them, and don’t forget to thank them. And there’s no harm in making filming days a special experience. Treat them like a film star. Bring out hair and makeup, give them a nice space to get ready in, and grab them a nice coffee.

Testimonials are more than fancy bits of decoration. They’re strategic. Build them into your marketing strategy and keep your objectives in mind from start to finish.

Sloppy video won’t cut it. It has to be technically flawless. That means 4K, quality composition, clear audio and quality editing. Do it properly and take your video to the next level.

You’ve made it. Now you need to check it works. Check your engagement, click-through, view-through, and conversion rates. And actually use that data to make it even better.