How to Produce Testimonial Videos That Build Trust and Drive Sales
- Ellie Baldini
- Mar 25
- 4 min read
Practical Tips for Planning, Filming, Editing, and More
POV: You’re an expert marketer who knows testimonial videos are an essential part of your content strategy (hello, 80% conversion lift and 72% higher customer trust). Now comes the fun part: Actually producing your first video. The whole point of a testimonial video is to build trust and engage your audience—but none of that is possible if the video asset you produce doesn’t contain authentic content or visual interest.
In this post, I’ll cover practical tips for producing genuinely compelling testimonial videos, based on my experience producing dozens of customer stories for different marketing teams and brands. We’ll explore best practices at every stage of the process, from pre-production and planning to capturing content, post-production, publishing, and optimization.
Pro Tip: The best way to ensure you get the highest performing customer testimonial videos? Work with the experts. :) Get in touch with us here!
Pre-Production: How to Produce Testimonial Videos
Whether you’re going for an in-person shoot or capturing content remotely, step one is to successfully plan out your customer testimonial video. Testimonial videos can feature a customer or client; credible third-party expert; or even an internal employee, depending on what type of message you want to convey. Here are some tips:
Choose the Right Subject
Select articulate, enthusiastic clients, customers, experts, or employees who reflect your target audience.
Tip: Ask customers who’ve had a recent win or strong success with your product/service.
Craft Authentic Questions:
Ask open-ended questions that prompt genuine, emotional responses.
Examples:
“What problem were you facing before using [product/service]?”
“How has your life or business improved since?”
Plan the Location and Setting:
Use a professional, well-lit setting (or a natural, familiar space for authenticity).
Avoid noisy or distracting backgrounds.
Tip: Do a test-run if you’re recording remotely (this step is baked into our pre-pro process at Legit!)
Production: Filming Tips for High-Quality Testimonials
You can select the most compelling, articulate customer you have, but still end up with a poorly performing video if the actual content capture isn't right. Whether you’re shooting in a setting like an office or a studio or recording remotely, here are some guidelines for shooting polished, engaging videos:
Lighting Matters:
Natural light is best; if indoors, use softbox lighting for even, flattering illumination.
Audio Is Key:
If recording remotely, make sure to test the mic of the computer your subject is using, or use an external mic for clear, professional sound.
If shooting in-person, make sure to account for background noise at the time of day you plan to shoot.
Tip: Lavalier mics work well for interviews.
Frame the Shot Well:
Use the rule of thirds—place the subject slightly off-center for visual appeal.
Opt for tight-medium shots to capture facial expressions.
Capture B-Roll:
Film supplemental footage (e.g., product in use, customer working) to make the video more dynamic without having to rely on stock footage.
Post-Production: Editing for Impact
Okay! You’ve managed the first two steps and have captured some amazing raw footage. Now is where the magic happens. I highly recommend you work with a post-production expert for this next part; here are some best practices for ensuring you get the best possible final product:
Keep It Concise:
Aim for 60–90 seconds for the first cut. Longer testimonials can be broken into shorter clips for social, email, etc.
Add Branding and Graphics:
Text callouts or even dynamic animations can help break up interview footage and tell the story in a more visually interesting way.
Consider including your logo subtly somewhere and make sure to add lower-thirds with the customer’s name and company.
Pro tip: Think about how you might chop up your video into stills or shorter cuts for social when you go to add text callouts. Can you build certain sections to tell a complete part of the story?
Enhance with Music and Clean Up Audio:
Use light, non-distracting background music.
Make sure you've enhanced audio so your subject's interview content can be heard clearly throughout the video.
Include Subtitles:
Many people watch without sound, so captions are a must.
End with a CTA:
End the video with a clear call-to-action (e.g., "Learn more," "Get started," or "Schedule a demo").
Optimization Tips: Making Your Testimonial Video Discoverable
You’ve successfully produced a gorgeous testimonial video—hooray! Now it’s time to boost your reach. Remember to optimize your video to the channel you plan to post it to, whether that’s on your website, on social, or in your email marketing campaign (ideally a combination of all the above).
Optimize the Title and Description:
Include relevant keywords (e.g., "Customer Testimonial for [Your Product] – [Benefit]" or "How [Customer] Boosted Sales with [Service]").
Add Metadata and Tags:
Use tags like: "testimonial video," "customer success story," and "[industry name] case study."
Use Schema Markup:
Add video schema to help search engines recognize and rank your video content.
Share Across Platforms:
Upload to YouTube, embed in blog posts, and repurpose cut-downs and stills for social media, email, paid search, etc.
Test and Optimize:
A/B test different versions to see which style or format performs best.
The Bottom Line
Producing a testimonial video is an investment! Make sure you get the most bang for your buck by following best practices at every step of the process.
