We need to talk about reviews and testimonials.
The terms “review” and “testimonial” are sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably. After all! they’re both types of social proof! right?
While reviews and testimonials are the “voice of the customer!” there is more to these ratings than meets the eye.
But fear not.
At Trustmary we’d be happy to guide you through the differences between reviews and testimonials.
Definition of ‘testimonials’ and ‘reviews’
Definition of ‘testimony’
testimonial definition
According to the Collins English Dictionary! a testimony is:
Noun:
- a statement attesting to a person’s qualifications! character! etc.! or the merits of some product! service! etc.; letter or statement of recommendation
- something given or done as an expression of gratitude or appreciation
A testimonial or testimonial serves many purposes. For example! a chinese overseas british database former boss may testify about a person’s character and work ethic.
We! however! speak from the client’s testimony:
A customer testimonial is a recommendation of a business! or the quality of a product or service! by a customer.
HubSpot ‘s definition of ‘testimonial’ goes into more detail:
“A testimonial is an endorsement of your product or service that usually comes from a client! colleague or peer who has benefited or enjoyed it as a result of your work with them .”
Our Ultimate Guide to Collecting and Using Testimonials says:
“More technically! a testimonial is a piece of text! video or audio used for marketing purposes in which a satisfied customer shares their experience with a product or service and recommends it to the reader/viewer/listener.”
Testimonials provide social proof: the idea that people copy the actions of others to conform and be accepted.
88% of consumers say they trust online testimonials and reviews as much as recommendations from friends or family! so it’s no wonder businesses ask for testimonials as evidence of customer satisfaction.
Testimonials are collected by asking satisfied customers specific questions that explore before and after comparisons! impact! or provide specific improvement statistics.
Definition of ‘review’
review definition
According to the Collins English Dictionary! a review is:
Noun:
- look at or review
2. a general survey! report or account
- a look back! a retrospective glance! or a survey! such as past events or experiences
While a review can be a general retrospective of a past event or experience! a 4 content marketing tips for small businesses customer review is a customer-specific account of services or products.
HubSpot analyzes customer reviews in more detail:
“A customer review is a written reflection of a customer’s experience and feedback on your company’s products or services. Reviews are found on sites like Google Reviews! Amazon! Yelp! and social media.”
Customer reviews are honest. Brutally honest in some cases.
67% will consider leaving a review for a positive experience! while 40% will consider it for a negative experience.
Which means your customer reviews are a true reflection of what your customers think of your brand.
Review sites are a good source of customer reviews! and due to the nature of these sites! they are already in written format.
It’s a good practice to monitor review sites and respond to all reviews! whenever possible. Our helpful guides can help you craft the perfect responses to both negative and positive reviews .
While businesses have little control over what is said about them on third-party sites! they can also request their own reviews and obtain feedback or use it for marketing and sales purposes .
2. a general surveyaccount
Testimonials and reviews are two types of social proof.
Furthermore! both are examples of user-generated content: content whether video! text! images! gifs! etc.! created by users and published online.
Marketing guru Neil Patel sums up the difference between reviews and testimonials nicely:
“A customer testimonial is basically just a customer’s opinion. The thailand data difference is that you’re actually asking the customer to write the review knowing that they’re happy with your product or service.”
Or as our Ultimate Guide to Collecting and Using Testimonials notes:
“Reviews are honest opinions from customers about their purchase! positive or negative! shared spontaneously.
“Testimonials! on the other hand! are exclusively positive customer stories collected specifically for marketing purposes. They can be chosen from a pile of reviews or they can be requested from customers on the company’s own initiative.”
differences between review and testimonial definition
Book a meeting with the Trustmary team to find out the best way to use reviews and testimonials from your satisfied customers.
Examples of testimonials
Video Testimonials
A video testimonial is a formal statement about the quality of your brand! using one of the fastest growing mediums on the Internet.