It’s no secret that shoppers use video to make purchase decisions, but what type of videos will have the most positive impact on your brand?

Well, we’re more likely to trust people to whom we can relate. That’s why consumers don’t connect as well to highly produced videos, but they connect more to videos created by real customers who have experienced your brand and products. With 55% of consumers on Instagram trusting user-generated content over any other type of marketing, brands should be capitalizing on this modern word-of-mouth medium.

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Why video reviews? 

Before we dive into our tips for making a video review effective, let’s talk about why video reviews are so important and how you can use them in your marketing efforts.

Video reviews are just one form of user-generated content that exists, but their personal nature is what makes them so effective. Why? Video testimonials combine the best of both worlds: a review and the video format. Content is king, and video content is the ultimate king of content because it captures and increases attention, is easy to digest, creates an emotional connection, and builds trust.

To top it off, according to Power Reviews, 97% of consumers consult online reviews before making a purchase decision. This means video reviews are not only going to impact your brand awareness but also your bottom line. Now that you can see that video reviews are an essential piece of your content marketing, you’re probably wondering; 

How can I guide my customers’ video reviews?

Sharing prompts your content creators can refer to is one great way to guide the content of your customers' video reviews. Of course, this doesn’t mean you are taking full control of the process. Video reviews are only effective when they are authentic. You are simply providing your customers, including content creators and influencers, with tips for making a video review that they can choose to follow.

Another important thing to mention is that asking for video reviews is more than okay. It can enhance your marketing strategy—and asking for reviews often yields better results. As a matter of fact, Review Trackers found that when businesses asked for reviews, the average rating of those reviews was 4.34 stars out of 5 vs. 3.89 out of 5 for unprompted reviews.

Where can I use my brand’s video reviews?

Now that you’ve received new customer video reviews and discovered them online using a tool like Vyrill, what do you do next?

Share them to increase your visibility, brand awareness, reputation, and customer trust. Here are a couple of places you can share them:

• Product pages
  
  
• Website
  
  
• Advertising campaigns
  
  
• Social media
  
  
• Case studies
  
  
• Email

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Five prompts for getting great video reviews from your customers

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1) Give us a bit of background on who you are and what you do

People are more prone to taking advice from people they like and trust. Prompt your video creators to start a testimonial by sharing relevant demographics about themselves—like their name, where they’re from, and why they’re passionate about this product line or pain point—to add credibility and context to what’s to come in the rest of the video.

2) Share the problem/s you were experiencing before using this product/service

Whatever your business is, your product or service is solving a pain point. That pain point should be within the narrative of the video review. Asking the video creator or influencer to share the pain they were experiencing will not only make them relatable, but it’s also the perfect segue to positioning your product or service as the solution.

3) How did using this product/service help you solve that problem?

It’s now time for your brand to save the day! The first two prompts set the stage, and now it’s time for the video creator to dive into how your product or service is the solution to their pain points. Was there a specific feature that made the difference? Or was it the way the service was delivered? What did before versus after look like?

4) How did solving this problem make you feel? How did it make your life better?

Customers don’t make purchase decisions because of all the bells and whistles—they buy because they are looking for the transformation that they will experience as a result of using your product or service. That is exactly what this prompt evokes. You should ask the content creator to share how your brand made their life easier, whether it saved time, increased confidence, provided more freedom, or whatever fits.

5) Who would you recommend this to and why?

With this last prompt, you’re asking the content creator to emphasize who the product/service is perfect for and highlight the reasons why. This is a perfect time for the creator to summarize how your product or service impacted their life and gives them the space to add anything they might have left out earlier.

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Find and grow video reviews that align with your brand

With video word-of-mouth’s popularity, you can be sure that people are already talking about your brand. Vyrill makes it easy for brands to find and curate new video reviews without having to spend hours scouring the internet for these invaluable marketing assets.

Plus, brands can find and connect with influencers directly within the Vyrill platform, so you can request videos (and share these prompts!) from the content creators you love. It’s also easy to pay or gift creators directly within Vyrill, so there’s no hassle with payments and settlements.

If you’re ready to harvest the power of video to impact your bottom line, book your demo with Vyrill today.

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About the Author

Ajay Bam is the CEO and Co-founder at Vyrill, a first-of-its-kind video intelligence company launched in 2017 through UC Berkeley’s Skydeck Incubator program. Vyrill helps brands and shoppers find the “moments that matter” inside videos. Its AI-powered “In-Video’' search technology analyzes & shares insights hidden within videos to improve personalization, SEO, and conversion. Before Vyrill, Ajay launched Boston-based, mobile shopping app company Modiv Media. He is a proven and accomplished product management professional, entrepreneurial thinker, and innovator with more than 13 years of experience leading startups and world-class brands.

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