Testimonials are huge for any business, right? Especially for local businesses like veterinary hospitals. As people move to new areas and search for the services they need, reviews help guide them in the right direction. We know how reviews work, but most people don’t. We know that reviews can be manipulated, faked, and there really isn’t much we can do about it. Here at WhiskerCloud, we have at least 15-20 negative reviews removed per week for our clients because they are spam or against platform guidelines, but it’s still not a foolproof system. What cannot be faked? Video reviews. Today, we’re going to teach you the basics of getting video reviews for your veterinary hospital. These clips will be the perfect way to market what makes you so great and will add quite a bit of value to your website, social media channels, and email marketing campaigns.

Why do testimonials work so well? Social proof (also known as mob mentality and FOMO). Meaning, if we see a lot of people happy with a product or service, we also want to use that product or service. It’s that simple. Written reviews are nice, but we tend to gather more emotion from a video.

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Integrating video into your business and website is one of the most powerful tactics you can employ when you want to increase brand awareness and convert leads to paying clients. Potential clients are also much more likely to choose your services if they hear good things about you from other customers. So how can you incorporate both video and consumer reviews into your marketing strategy? Filming client testimonials!

Step 1: ASK. Although it may seem strange at first, the best way to get a client to leave a review or testimonial is to ask for it. After a client has finished their appointment at your clinic and has had a positive experience you should ask them if they would talk about their experience! You can incentivize them by offering a free treat or toy for their fur baby or even a discount on their next visit. If they say yes, be sure they know how much you appreciate them for taking the time. All clients are important, but the ones that care enough about your business to take time out of their day to say nice things about you are very, very, very valuable clients.

Step 2: Equipment. You don’t have to go out and buy the best equipment on the market, especially if you aren’t tech savvy or have someone on your team that knows a whole lot about video equipment. All you need is a camera! This could be a small camcorder, a digital camera with video capabilities, or even an iPhone! Whatever level of equipment you decide to invest in is okay just make sure it is decent quality and shoots at 1080P or above. These qualifications will make sure the videos will look good online! We recommend shooting the video horizontally, not vertically, because it will display better online. Using apps like a standard Apple or Android camera app is great, but you can also utilize Snapchat or Instagram stories to add some flair to your videos.

Step 3: Editing. This seems scarier than it is. Luckily, apps like iMovie allow you to cut and add music to videos simply. If this seems daunting, do a search for video apps and find one that you like. In a perfect world, you’ll be able to get a 15 to 30-second video in one shot. Editing apps will allow you to add text and music to your videos. Either way, getting just a video of a happy pet parent singing your praises is really all you need.

Step 4: Share it with the world! Your patients love you, and it’s time to show the world just how much! Be sure to tag your social media posts with a message of how much your client’s happiness means to you. Work with your website provider (*cough WhiskerCloud *cough) to help you create a custom page on your website just for these awesome reviews.

According to multiple studies, customer testimonials are twice as effective case studies. When customers tell their own stories instead of the brand telling you how great they are, it makes a real difference.