Video Testimonial Marketing - The Game Changer for B2B Hospitality Brands
The hospitality industry has enjoyed unprecedented growth over the past decade, even with the impact of COVID-19 on travel and entertainment. Thanks to social media and ever-evolving digital marketing trends, people are talking about hospitality brands in a whole new way.
After the pandemic, the hospitality industry is poised to recover and keep growing substantially in the coming years. That means your hospitality brand needs to be on top of the latest trends if it’s going to compete.
This brings us to today’s topic: video testimonial marketing.
We all know the importance of customer feedback in hospitality. Up to 96% of travelers consider reviews to be an important part of their research, but we’re not just talking about Yelp reviews or TripAdvisor content.
In the world of TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels, video content is making enormous waves. Video testimonial marketing is the way of the future, and we’re going to explain what they are, why you should care, and how they can dramatically boost your B2B sales.
What is Video Testimonial Marketing and How Does it Work?
A video testimonial includes video feedback from a customer (or client). In most cases, the interviewee is praising the company by explaining how they helped them solve a problem or what they love about their offerings.
Although the overarching message may be similar to that of a positively written review, the video element adds a sense of authenticity and interest. Up to 88% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video - and that’s not a stat any hospitality brand can ignore.
Let’s take a look at an excellent hospitality video testimonial, just so you can see what we’re talking about.
Duve’s Testimonial From Brown Hotels
Duve, a growing guest management platform, secured a brilliant video testimonial from one of their clients, Brown Hotels. In the two-and-a-half-minute video, we learn what Duve did for the client, how they solved their problems, and why their services are uniquely valuable.
That is the power of a great B2B video testimonial – but the effects on the marketing strategies of hotels don’t stop there.
Benefits of Video Testimonials in Hospitality Marketing
It doesn’t matter if your testimonial video is for a huge guest management system or a small, boutique hotel. When done well and created with purpose, video testimonials can help your brand:
Rank Higher in Search Results
We know that Google loves to learn what reviewers think. Customer feedback, including video testimonials, directly impacts Google’s opinion on your brand’s credibility and value, which then plays a role in your search engine rankings.
The more information you put out into the internet from real customers or clients, the more likely Google is to rank your brand well in important search results.
Build Trust and Brand Awareness
Authentic customer reviews are possibly the best way to get other searchers to trust your hospitality brand. Every consumer is trying to understand if your brand is real, trustworthy, and worth supporting. They’re more likely to do business with you if they see that other customers have been happy to do so.
A written testimonial is great, but a video testimonial is even better. Video allows searchers to see and hear people’s reactions in a whole new way. Typed reviews are easily faked, but video reviews mimic a face-to-face conversation that people can trust.
Showcase Unique Features
You probably get tired of requesting feedback from customers, only to receive a simple “great brand to work with!” or “two thumbs up” message on a third-party review site. Such short, non-descriptive reviews don’t do much for advertising your brand’s services and value, even if they are still appreciated.
A two to three-minute video testimonial takes things a step further. It gives you the opportunity to really discuss your brand’s unique solutions, offerings, and value with a real customer. Future clients will learn far more from a video than from a five-word review on Google My Business.
Boost Conversions
Lastly, video testimonial marketing is a superb way to draw in high-quality B2B leads, then actually convert them into paying customers. This is arguably the most crucial part of any successful marketing strategy.
Customers want to find reviewers they can actually relate to, and that’s easier to do when they can see and hear a story that’s similar to their own. According to Eyeview’s research from 2020, including one convincing video on a landing page can boost conversions by 86% or more.
So, we know that video testimonials have great benefits – but how do you get your past customers/clients to participate in them?
How to Ask for B2B Testimonials for Video Marketing
To produce authentic B2B video testimonials, you’ll need to talk to some of your happiest, most impressive clients in the past. However, asking a customer for a testimonial can feel a little strange. You don’t want to inconvenience them, nor do you want to come across as demanding or cocky.
Fortunately, we’ve got some tips for securing representatives for your hospitality video testimonial.
1. Make Your Request Simple
You want your request to make it easy for a customer to say yes. That means addressing any questions they may have in advance while still keeping everything concise.
Upfront, explain how much time the task will require from the customer, what they’ll be expected to do, and if they’ll have a chance to review the testimonial before it's published to others.
Don’t ask for anything that seems overly time-intense or difficult. This needs to seem like an easy, enjoyable favor with clear parameters. Otherwise, you might not even get a response.
Here at Lure, we make it as simple as possible by minimizing their time commitment and prompting them with what to say. With our client, Steve Blidner of TTI Technologies, we simply asked that he tell us in a sentence or two what his experience is with Lure Agency and why he likes it. See below.
2. Give Them Plenty of Time
Nothing scares a participant away more than a stressful, crunched timeline. You need to acknowledge that the customer is likely busy and that you’re willing to be patient. If you are in a hurry to secure the testimonial, consider asking the client to recommend someone else to participate in the video.
3. Offer to Interview Them
Some participants may be hesitant because they don’t really know what to say. However, you don’t want to provide them with a pre-written script that will sound inauthentic or rehearsed. The best solution is to simply interview them. Come up with a list of questions that you share in advance and position it as a simple conversation.
4. Show Your Appreciation
Make it abundantly clear that you appreciate the subject’s participation. Emphasize that you loved working with them in the past and that you feel their testimony would be valuable to future customers. Flattery and gratitude will get you a long way during this process.
Tips for Creating a Video Testimonial Marketing Campaign
Once you’ve secured participants for your hospitality testimonial video, it’s time to get the ball rolling. Here are three critical steps for producing a video that will actually engage and convert future customers.
Clearly highlight your top benefits
First, your video needs to talk about benefits more than it talks about features.
Let’s say your brand offers online booking services to hotels. You don’t want to spend the video explaining what your website’s service pages already explain. You want to reveal how these services helped other clients with real statistics, measurable data, and specific results.
The testimonial should reveal why your brand is different from others and how you’ve actively benefited customers in the past. Otherwise, your video will be more like a commercial than a testimonial.
Make it feel comfortable and authentic
As we mentioned earlier, rehearsed scripts that are read word-for-word won’t get you far. Authenticity is an integral aspect of any customer testimonial video. Viewers want to feel they’re listening to real people, not paid actors or participants.
Work toward crafting a video that is genuine and comfortable. Allow people to talk about what they want to talk about while answering your questions. Remember: after the filming process, you can always cut things down or rearrange, so don’t be too pushy about directing participants.
Tell a story
Another winning tactic is to have a participant actually help tell a story, rather than just listing what they like about your services or brand. This is a great way to give the viewer a more well-rounded feel for your company and what it has to offer.
The simple truth is that people are driven by emotions. If you can tell a story that taps into their interest, joy, fear, or other strong feelings, that’s powerful.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that creating at least one great customer testimonial video could be as effective (or even more so) than spending hundreds of dollars on paid advertising alone. Video testimonial marketing is an incredible way to boost your brand’s trustworthiness and value in the eyes of your ideal customers.
Are you ready to boost your current promotional strategies with video testimonials? Don’t hesitate to contact our team at Lure Agency. Our marketing agency for hospitality brands is here to help cultivate new, innovative tactics for the future.
