Testimonials may be one of the oldest forms of marketing and for good reason. Testimonials are a way of capturing word-of-mouth in digestible stories. The power of authentic testimonials continues to be important in marketing. And the facts support it. Some 90% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know and a whopping 70% even trust unknown users.
That’s why healthcare advertising depends on testimonials. We do a good bit of research with hospital patients and we frequently ask where people get dependable information on healthcare. And 85-90% of those we ask say Friends and Family. Testimonials are just a way of growing our universe of friends and family.
But testimonials have to deliver the goods. The target audience must perceive the testimonial is real, from someone like them. The message must be authoritative, trustworthy, credible, very specific about results, and relevant to the audience. Video and photography help deliver the authenticity of the testimonial. Academic research shows that people are more likely to believe a statement if it is accompanied by a photograph, so the images of your case study need to be the centerpiece of your testimonial.
Recently we asked patients of Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome, GA to tell us their Redmond story. And the response has been overwhelming. We heard some incredible stories like Barry who had a major cardiac event while driving down the highway at 50 miles an hour. And Scott who had a massive heart attack running up the high school bleachers. And Elaine who thought the nurses who treated her were angels. Even more people have stepped forward to be screened for possible heart and stroke symptoms. So that more hearts and lives continue to be saved in Northwest Georgia.