Testimonial
Also called customer testimonial, client testimonial
What is a testimonial?
A testimonial is a statement from a real customer describing their experience with a product, service or business, shared with permission in marketing. It can be a written quote, a photo with a caption, or a short video. Testimonials are a form of social proof: they show prospects that people like them were happy with the result.
A testimonial differs from a review. A review is posted by the customer on a public platform such as Google or a marketplace, and the business does not control it. A testimonial is collected and chosen by the business to feature in its own marketing.
The strongest testimonials are specific. "Great service!" says little. "They fixed my gears the same day and explained what was wrong in plain English" answers a real worry and sounds like a real person.
Why a testimonial matters
People trust other customers more than they trust brands. A good testimonial placed near a price, a signup form or in an ad can answer doubts that no amount of brand copy can, which makes it a powerful tool for objection handling.
Testimonials also make good content. A single quote can become a graphic, a carousel slide or the closing scene of a testimonial video, and customers often share posts that feature them.
How to get customer testimonials
- Ask at the right moment: just after a good result or a compliment.
- Make it easy: send two or three simple questions instead of asking for "a testimonial".
- Ask what they were worried about before, what happened, and what changed.
- Get written permission to use their name, photo and words in marketing.
- Use their exact words, trimmed for length but not rewritten into marketing language.
Testimonial example
"I put off yoga for years because I thought I’d be the stiffest person in the room. The gentle class made me feel welcome from day one, and my back hasn’t hurt since spring." Priya, student at a neighborhood yoga studio.
Testimonial FAQ
What is the difference between a testimonial and a review?
A review is posted publicly by the customer on a platform the business does not control. A testimonial is collected by the business and used in its own marketing, with the customer’s permission.
Can you edit a customer testimonial?
You can shorten it for length or fix obvious typos, but you should not change its meaning or add claims. Showing the customer the final version before publishing is good practice, and advertising rules in many countries require testimonials to reflect genuine experiences.
Related terms
Social proof is the tendency to follow what others do. In marketing it means reviews, testimonials, customer counts and endorsements that build trust.
A testimonial video features a real customer describing their experience with a business, used as social proof in marketing and sales.
A case study is a detailed story of how a real customer used a product or service to solve a problem, with the results.
User-generated content (UGC) is content made by customers or fans, not the brand: photos, videos, reviews and posts about a product.
Objection handling is answering the doubts that stop people buying, such as price, trust or timing, before or when they come up.