How to Incorporate Testimonials into Your Marketing Beyond Your Website

There are few pieces of social proof (a comment, testimonial, or endorsement from a customer who confirms you can do what you say you can do) more powerful than the words of a pleased customer.

And yet, so many freelancers avoid asking their clients for testimonials. 

When people are looking to spend money on services, they want to know if others would recommend the service providers they're considering. They want to know if the money they plan to spend will be well spent, or if they are better off looking for another provider. 

Just like many of us do when we want to make an investment in a product or service, clients look for reviews and feedback before they move forward.

In fact, reviews and testimonials are so important that by the time a client gets to the point of reading them, it's highly likely that they're very close to making a decision to purchase than if they weren't.

Reading a testimonial is one of the last steps a client will take before they decide to hire, so it makes sense to incorporate testimonials in several areas of your online presence to get more traction out of the positive words your happy clients have shared. 

That said, you can't just slap a testimonial up on any digital profile where you advertise your services. Instead, you need to think about the purpose of the platform and where potential clients would look for this information or be most likely to see it.

Most people think of putting testimonials on their websites. This is definitely a must, but it's not the only option. Customers find us in different ways, so it's vital to think about where else your client testimonials could be effective and visible online.

Before we get to that, let's discuss what makes a great testimonial.

What Makes a Strong Customer Testimonial

Think about what you want to know when you read reviews written by other customers about a service or product. 

Most of us are curious about what this purchase will help us gain in the short or long term. Our customers are no different.

The words of your clients need to: 

• Show how you helped them overcome a challenge or achieve a goal. 

• Be different (not all sounding the same or saying the same thing)

• Demonstrate what it's like to work with you or what kind of success they can expect when hiring you

Related: Three Types of Client Testimonials You Need to Be Sharing

With these points in mind, let's talk about where else you can share client testimonials (beyond your website).

Where to Add Client Testimonials Beyond Your Translation or Interpreting Website

It's important to think of various ways to use the valuable words your clients share about their experience working with you. Yes, you can use them in more than one place! Yes, you can translate them, too!

Here are six places you can share customer testimonials effectively beyond just on your website:

• Social media posts

You may have seen me do this every once in a while. When a customer gives you a great testimonial, why not turn it into a quote in a graphic and caption for a social media post? These types of posts and images can easily be shared on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram. Whatever platform you choose, just make sure it's where your potential clients/audience are hanging out. Use the best testimonials that highlight your professionalism and expertise as a way to market your business to gain similar work going forward. Oh, and use appropriate hashtags (the ones your clients might search for)!

• Your email signature 

Have you ever thought about adding a quote from a client to your email signature? Of course, this isn't all that common, right? That's why it's effective! If you want to stand out with those you email, both current and potential clients, try including a quote from a happy customer. 

Need more ideas to spiff up your email signature? Check out How to Maximize Your Email Signature.

• Your LinkedIn profile 

If you have a LinkedIn profile, you probably already know about LinkedIn recommendations. These are essentially testimonials from those who are connected to you on LinkedIn. They can come from clients, colleagues, or just people who appreciate the work you do. 

But did you also know that they show up at the very bottom of your LinkedIn profile? I don't know about you, but I don't want to take a chance that a potential client might not scroll to the bottom of my profile to find out about my customers' positive experiences with me. So, how can you make your client testimonials a bit more visible? 

Consider adding a client testimonial (as a quote) to your About section. It will help break up the text of that section and is a great way to insert the words of a client who was pleased with your work.

• Online bios and profiles 

Have you ever read someone's professional bio with a testimonial sprinkled in? I don't know about you, but I love the way this little detail can add a bit of glitter to someone's professional profile. I often see these on the back of book covers as a way to highlight what other authors or readers love about this person's work. But why not use this in your own bio or online profiles?

• Online directory listings 

Just like the last example of an online bio or profile, you could easily add a short testimonial to your directory listing in a professional association. Why not, right? No one is really doing this, so it's a great way to stand out!

• A brief video message

If you really want to make an impact in a medium your clients are probably already consuming, why not tell them (directly!) what your customers have said about your services? Consider creating a video response to an email inquiry or highlighting a top-notch testimonial in a video you can share on social media or on your website. There are so many possibilities for fun ways to do this! Be sure to mention the type of client they were and how you helped them by using the client's own words. Here's an example if you need help scripting it:

"Not only can I help you with your Spanish to English translations, but my Portuguese to English clients say I'm one of the best translators they've ever worked with. In fact, one customer recently wrote to me, saying, 'You are always so efficient. Your translations are spot-on; we never have to worry about the quality of your work!'" 

If you plan to try this, make sure to share the testimonial as a subtitle or comment bubble for even more impact. This way, clients can hear you say these powerful words while simultaneously reading them on their screen.

Related: 5 Ways to Use Video Content to Market Your T&I Business

There are many ways to use client testimonials that extend beyond a page on your website. Get creative with this and include at least one testimonial everywhere you market your services. This social proof is so valuable in today's world, where customers are looking to peers and others in similar situations for success stories before they make an important purchase.

What other ways can you think of to use client testimonials beyond your website? Share your ideas or tips in the comments so we can all benefit from your ideas!