Most businesses need to promote their products and attract clients to be able to make a profit. There is no doubt that getting your business on people’s radar is harder than it seems.
Referrals and testimonials have proven to be one of the most effective ways of generating sales, as well as word-of-mouth marketing.
You might think getting referrals and testimonials are a natural part of the process if you do a good job, but that’s not true. Nevertheless, you need to be persistent in approaching clients and getting referrals that will help you grow your business in the long run.
Let’s start by defining business referrals and testimonials.
Business referrals: what are they?
A referral refers to a word-of-mouth marketing strategy in which customers advocate for your business. In reality, when someone recommends your brand to their friends and family, you’re actually getting a referral from them.
It may seem natural to receive referrals, but you can also encourage customers and clients to spread the word about your business. A freebie, discount, or cash reward can serve as an incentive.
Testimonials: What are they?
The purpose of a testimonial is to endorse your product or service in a positive way. In a nutshell, this is a statement from your customers that acknowledges that you can deliver on the promises you made to them.
Referrals and testimonials are one of the most trusted sources of information for customers when making their purchasing decisions. There’s no surprise that we trust feedback from our friends and colleagues more than marketing messages sponsored by companies.
Referrals and testimonials matter for the following reasons:
· In comparison with non-referred customers, referred customers have a 16% higher lifetime value.
· There is a 37% higher retention rate among customers acquired through referrals.
· A positive shopping experience leads to 83% of customers recommending a product or service.
You are more likely to attract new customers and prospects when you rely on referrals and testimonials.
What Are the Best Ways to Utilize Referrals and Testimonials?
Referrals and testimonials can be used in many ways.
Put them on your homepage
You can generate interest in your business with short testimonials on your homepage. It’s short and simple, but customers may sign up because of its simplicity.
Write blog posts
The best way to present referrals and testimonials is as blog posts. This should be a detailed account of how a customer has used your products, as well as the benefits they’ve reaped from using them.
Testimonials on video
In video testimonials, customers describe the benefits they experienced through simple storytelling. This is a great way to present your testimonials since people love to hear from real people.
Referrals and Customer Testimonials: How to Get More
Here are some ways to ask your customers for referrals and testimonials.
Introduce a referral program
In exchange for rewards, customers are encouraged to refer their business to their peers through referral programs. A referral is one of the most effective methods of attracting new customers since people are more likely to believe in them.
It is common for referral programs to reward both the referrer and the referred person for making the process successful. For example, the referral program at Italic gives 15 percent off your first order if you refer a friend. As a bonus, they also receive $15 for every friend who orders through their referral link.
There may seem to be a lot of work involved in creating a referral program; however, referral programs like ReferralCandy allow you to automate the process.
Freebies
If you launch a referral program, you can offer rewards and freebies to your customers. However, not every small business can afford to reward every customer for recommending them. An alternative would be to launch a contest and giveaway with some grand prizes. By setting a promo period, customers can also be motivated to participate as soon as possible.
Analyses
Almost every business has an email list of its customers.
Send surveys asking for referrals or testimonials to take advantage of this perk. With this approach, you will be able to get testimonials and praise for the promotional materials that you will be using.
Referral surveys can be launched using Google Forms or Typeform. To identify points of improvement for your business, you could also include a customer satisfaction survey.
Make use of LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn is a good place to find specific clients or leads if you want to target a particular company or customer.
You can find mutual connections with the Advanced People Search feature. There may be an opportunity for you to reach out to someone with whom you share connections, and ask if they might be able to introduce you to a potential client of yours.
Word-of-mouth recommendations are more trustworthy, so sending cold emails is not as effective as word-of-mouth recommendations.
Customer feedback
It is unlikely that your customers or clients will refer your business to others unless you ask them to do so.
You can send this email to request testimonials:
Good day [customer / client name]
It is our pleasure to have you as one of our most valued customers. Through our work with your business, you have achieved [insert milestone] over the past few years, and we hope we have met your expectations.
We hope to grow our business and attract more customers in the foreseeable future. As a result, we would like to ask you if you are aware of any businesses or colleagues that could be benefited from our products and services.
Please provide a short testimonial regarding your thoughts about our business if possible. Could you tell us how our products and services have helped you? Were our offerings up to your expectations?
It would be our pleasure to hear from you.
Thanks,
[Name]
It’s more likely that you’ll get a positive response if you send a personalized email. It is also advisable to send a follow-up email if you don’t receive a response from the first one you send.
Provide testimonials and referrals to clients first
Business-to-business professionals can make the first move and offer testimonials and referrals to their clients first if they’re in the B2B industry. When you ask them for recommendations for your services, they’re motivated to repay the favor.
As a good tip, it is recommended that you only do this tactic for businesses and clients that you have a good relationship. In the end, this tactic has two sides. As well as your relationship with your target audience, there is a stake in your success. Your customers will lose trust if a business or client provides poor service.
Boost Your Business with Referrals
Having learned the importance of referrals and testimonials, now it is time to take the necessary steps to get them from your customers or clients.
Offer rewards and incentives for people who refer your business by launching your referral program and giveaways. In addition, you can also take a proactive approach and ask clients yourself by making the first move and offering referrals as a first step.
In conclusion
Fiverr offers business tips, business plans, and customer service if you’re struggling to get referrals. In order to get word-of-mouth recommendations from customers, we have marketing experts who know what it takes.
