How to Get the Best Video Testimonials

When deciding whether or not to attend an event, even if it’s one they’ve attended before, everyone asks themselves the same question: "Is this going to be worth it?"

In the event marketing space, every piece of content we create needs to get ahead of that question within the first few seconds. Graphic design, photography, mass email marketing, it should all be addressing that problem. Today, I want to focus on one particular creative solution that I think solves this problem best: Video Testimonials.

With video testimonials, it isn’t just about who is speaking or what they are saying, it is about HOW they are saying it. Video testimonials hit the prospect at a much deeper, emotional level than just about any other type of marketing content. If you can hear in the voice of an industry leader that they just experienced one of the most valuable things in their field, that is worth its weight in gold. But not all testimonials are created equal.

How do you actually capture a good testimonial on video? I won't get into the editing or lighting side of things, that's a conversation for another time. What I want to talk about is the interview itself. You have, maybe, 3 to 5 minutes with someone for their interview, getting something truly impactful is going to require more than the 2 or 3 questions you jotted down on the back of your agenda.

Whether you're capturing testimonial interviews yourself or hiring a creative agency to do it for you, here are a few things to keep in mind:

What are you going to ask?

Start by identifying some primary reasons your attendees return to your events and one pain point that you suspect is keeping more people from attending. Build a list of 4 to 7 questions that speak directly to those reasons you’ve listed. Rank the questions in the order that you feel are most impactful. 

Who is the right person to interview?

Only approach people who seem genuinely interested. Look for people of influence, visibly enthusiastic attendees, and people in the roles you'd love to see more of at future events. You'll want at least 5 testimonials, but quality beats quantity every time. Do not force someone who seems nervous into promoting your organization. 

How to start your interviews

Don't rush straight into your questions. Once you hit record, ask them about themselves and their interests. Something as simple as "What have you enjoyed most about the event?" is enough to get the conversation started. You don't need to stay here long, just 30 seconds to a minute of genuine back-and-forth while the camera is already rolling. You'd be surprised, people will sometimes offer an angle you never would have thought to ask about. Let the conversation breathe before you start navigating them through your questions.

Asking your questions

From that opening banter, see if you can guide the conversation through your topics without ever needing to ask the questions directly. If you can keep the process feeling more like a conversation, you'll get more authentic emotion out of it. Going straight down the list isn't wrong, but across multiple interviews you might start hearing similar-sounding answers. If that starts to happen, dig a little deeper into the topic before moving on. The goal is to capture their specific perspective of your event and organization.

Closing it out

Something I love to do at the end of a conversation is to give the person a line to repeat directly into the camera about the next event. Have them say something as simple as “See you next year”. It is a simple and fresh tag to add into all of your video content. Whether your next event has a different name or it's the same annual gathering, give them an easily repeatable line to address the camera for your promotional material.

One last thing: you can always cut, never add

Time is limited, and that's okay. Stick to your 4

to 7 questions. But if something comes up mid-conversation that you want to spend more time on, spend more time on it. It's always better to walk away with content you won't use than to wish you had asked one more thing.

Check out one of our testimonial videos that you can reverse engineer for your own marketing. For help filming testimonials at your next event, schedule a call with our team here!