Nothing persuades like another customer. Reviews and testimonials work because they are not you talking. They stop working the moment they look arranged.
Ask first
Before you share a message, a review or a photo from a customer, ask — a sentence is enough: “May we share this, with your first name?” Keep their reply.
Show what was said
- Quote it exactly, or share a screenshot. Do not tidy the spelling into your own voice.
- If you shorten a review, do not change its meaning, and mark the cut.
- Include some mixed reviews. A wall of five stars reads as curated.
Never invent them
Fake reviews, paid reviews that are not labelled, and reviews written by staff as customers are banned by the networks and by regulators in many countries, with real fines. They also tend to be found.
Where to use them
- A highlight or a pinned post with a handful of the best.
- A single review beside a product picture.
- A reply to a good review, thanking the person — the reply is part of the proof.
When a review is negative
Answer it, calmly and in public, once. State the fact, offer to put it right and take the rest private. A reasonable reply to a bad review is often more convincing than ten good ones.
If you would be embarrassed for the customer to see how you used their words, you have used them wrongly.