Testimonial advertising is when you use real customer feedback to promote your products. It is a part of digital advertising, it leans into “organic” word-of-mouth more than polished copy.
These types of ads are more effective because they come from your customer’s personal experience. And here’s the thing: 53% of online buyers trust that kind of review as much as recommendations from friends and family.
So how does it work, and how can you create your own testimonial ads?
In this article, we’ll share with you more about testimonial ads, including their benefits, different types, and some of the best (and proven) tips to create high-converting ones.
What Is Testimonial Advertising?
Testimonial advertising (or testimonial ads) is a type of marketing strategy where ecommerce brands like yours use real reviews from customers to improve product sales. Its concept is simply collecting feedback from satisfied buyers and using the best ones as material for your ads, website, or social media posts.
The main purpose of testimonial ads is to show “authentic” proof that your product works through the lives of your customers. People love stories (this is scientifically proven), and testimonial ads double down on that by letting real buyers tell their own.
Effective ads will connect you to potential customers on an emotional level, and they’ll be more convinced to try your products because of that.
Testimonial Advertising vs. Endorsement
Now, you might be thinking: “Isn’t this the one where you get celebrities to promote your product?” That’s actually an endorsement, not a testimonial ad.
While they are both “public approval” of a person for your product, endorsements are paid (most of the time) and usually feature famous people to gain greater influence and reach. But the funny thing is, some of them don’t even try the product they’re marketing.
Here’s a more detailed comparison of testimonial ads and endorsements:
| Testimonials | Endorsements | |
| Source | Regular customers who bought from you | Celebrities, influencers, or well-known figures |
| Motivation | Real positive experience they had with your product | Payment, free products, or partnership deals |
| Content style | Personal story or genuine opinion on how your product helped | Usually scripted and more polished |
| Trust factor | High as they are more unbiased | Mixed (or can be lower), depending on the person’s reputation |
| Example | A repeat buyer who posted a video of your product on their social media and gave you a shout-out on how great it is | Rihanna in a Louis Vuitton campaign |
Why Does Testimonial Advertising Work?
Testimonial advertising works because it brings more sales, builds trust faster, proves your product works, and connects emotionally with your buyers. Let’s discuss each in detail:
1. Bring in More Sales
Ecommerce stores that use customer reviews on their websites see a 67% growth in sales. So, if you’re making $3,000 a month, you can bump it up to $5,000 by simply adding testimonials.
New customers may be interested in browsing your products, but are still a bit skeptical about buying. With testimonial ads, you turn that uncertainty into confidence by providing “proof” on the product page or at checkout.
Your buyers can see that real people bought the same item and had a good experience. And if you master using the best feedback from existing customers (the ones that mention specific results or solve common objections), you can close more sales with less effort.
2. Build Trust and Credibility Faster
Buyers trust individuals more than brands. WiseReview found that 88% of customers believe online reviews and testimonials as much as recommendations from people they know (yes, that’s how powerful they are).
Effective testimonial ads can help you connect with potential buyers and create that familiarity that will make them comfortable enough to purchase from you. But besides new customers, it also works for returning ones. Positive comments can encourage them to try your other products or become repeat buyers.
This perfectly shows that more than polished copy, “relatedness and authenticity” from real customers is still the best way to get people to “believe” in what you’re selling.
3. Showcase Product Effectivity
Another great benefit of testimonial ads is that they serve as both marketing content and social proof. Social proof is when people look at what others are doing to decide if something is worth buying, and it’s incredibly powerful for conversions.
Research from Northwestern shows that products with just five reviews have a 270% higher purchase rate compared to products with zero reviews. Your buyers see those first few testimonials and think, “Okay, real people bought this and liked it”… and that’s often all they need to take the risk and purchase.
4. Connect on a Personal Level
The last benefit is the emotional connection that real photos, stories, and user-generated content bring to your buyers.
Unlike polished marketing materials (no hate on them, they are also important) that focus on “the best” lighting, scripts, and staged scenarios, testimonial ads show your product in real, everyday situations. That makes them more genuine and easier to relate to.
Here’s proof: 72% of customers trust images that other shoppers share more than stock photography. A photo of your customer running using your shoes in a full marathon is more attractive than a perfect studio shot of the product.
Great! You now know the benefits that testimonial ads serve on the table. It’s time to discuss the different types that you can make.
Different Types of Testimonial Ads
Written, image, video, and user-generated content are the four different types of testimonial ads you can use. We’ll discuss each one better (and give testimonial advertising examples), but here’s an overview to get started:
| Type | What It Includes | Best Used On |
| Written | Quotes, reviews, customer feedback (text only) | Product pages, emails, and landing pages |
| Image | Photos of real customers using the product | Instagram, Facebook, website galleries |
| Video | Talking-head clips, voiceovers, real use cases | YouTube, homepage, ad campaigns, emails |
| User-Generated (UGC) | Posts, stories, and videos created by customers | TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, branded pages |
Written Testimonials Ads
Written testimonials are text-based customer quotes and reviews. You see these on product pages, in emails, or on sites like Yelp. They’re easy to collect, and you can drop them pretty much anywhere.
Take Baking Steel’s written testimonial ads as an example. This brand (which sells culinary tools like steel baking sheets and pizza stones) uses long, detailed customer reviews in its emails.
What we like about this review is that it answers the question that most buyers have: “Is it really worth it for its price?” And it’s not just a simple “Yes, it is, and you should buy it.” Dennis mentioned how he spent years trying different methods to get the right pies and that he finally pulled it off using this item.
Image Testimonials Ads
Next up: image testimonials. These are customer photos that show your product in real use. They work because they show real people (which makes it more believable and trustworthy). That’s something “written reviews” can’t offer,… and that can also help with better conversion.
Saysh‘s is a good brand example for this one. It’s an athletic footwear brand that shares image testimonials on Instagram using real customer feedback.
The brand posts authentic photos of their existing customers and pairs them with thoughtful (and really catchy) captions. Just look at this one image from their page:
We love how it feels casual and relatable. It doesn’t look like a planned photoshoot. Parents can see this and instantly picture themselves using the same shoes.
Testimonial Video Ads
Video testimonials are a bit more “layered” and give space for a full customer success story. Like images, you can use videos to connect by showing real people with your product, but videos allow you to share a much more detailed story.
What makes it a solid testimonial is the emotional connection it creates. Your potential customers can hear someone’s voice, notice their expressions, and see how your product fits into real life (what’s more powerful than that, right?)
Patagonia, the outdoor clothing brand, does this through “The Stories We Wear” campaign that’s available on its website.
It’s a series of short videos where real people talk about the gear they’ve had for years. The clips are simple: just voiceovers, snapshots, and some lifestyle clips, but that’s why they work. They feel real, and customers love that!
User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is written texts (or articles), photos, or videos that are uploaded and shared by your customers on social media. Everything comes from them… and not from your brand.
UGCs have become a popular testimonial ad because they don’t need planning or polish. You can provide a prompt (especially if it’s a challenge or campaign with a hashtag), but your customers have the freedom to be as “creative” and unfiltered as they want.
Plus, they are also pretty effective. One study mentioned that shoppers who engage with UGC are 100% as likely to convert compared to those who don’t.
Many brands used UGC for testimonial ads, and one of them was *drumroll please* Allbirds. It encouraged customers to post photos of themselves wearing their shoes using the hashtag #weareallbirds.
They collected thousands of organic posts and featured some of their favorites on Instagram and other platforms.
5 Tips to Create High-Converting Testimonial Ads
1. Choose Authentic & High-Quality Testimonials
This might be a bit contradictory, but the best testimonial ads won’t sound like ads. They sound more casual (like they’re telling a story or giving feedback to a friend).
So, when you’re picking which reviews to feature, choose ones that feel natural. Maybe one with a typo, but great insight or… something that tells a before-and-after story.
Look for written testimonials that get into specifics or answer common questions of your customers. That can include pricing concerns, how long it took to work, or what exact problem got solved.
PRO-TIP: Avoid anything that sounds too vague or overly polished. Phrases like “life-changing” or “incredible results” don’t carry much weight unless you pair them with a video testimonial or visual proof.
2. Highlight Specific Benefits to Handle Objections
Imagine you saw a 2‑minute Facebook video testimonial ad for a hair serum. Besides repeatedly claiming that it is “amazing,” “life‑changing,” and “the best out there,” it doesn’t say much about the product. Do you think it would convince you to buy?
Your testimonials have to show real benefits… and you have to choose stories that answer people’s doubts about your product. For example, if you’re selling an expensive facial massager that says things like, “It’s more expensive than what I used before, but I actually saw changes in two weeks.”
Here’s a testimonial ad example from Glossier.
The customer mentions portability, no leaks, how it fits in small bags, and even how the scent brought back vacation memories. It answers questions about function, quality, and emotional value.
3. Strategically Target the Right Audience
Posting testimonial ads doesn’t work the same way as spinning a roulette wheel. You can’t just randomly pick a review and a platform, then expect it to land with the right person (nope, that’s not how it works).
You have to place it where your customers actually hang out, and it should be a review they can relate to or learn something from.
The best way to “ace” this is to segment your customers. Group them into people who’ve already bought from you and people who are still thinking about it. For example, Group A could be first-time buyers who care more about product basics and price. Group B could be long-time customers who want to know if version 2.0 of your product is really an upgrade.
After that, it’s time to “personalize” what you show each group. You don’t need to rewrite anything. Just choose a review that lines up with what your customer actually wants to know.
4. Use Strategic Placements
Where you place your testimonial ads matters as much as the content. Each platform has its own format you should follow. Here are some of the best placements that work best for ecommerce brands:
- Facebook and Instagram Feeds: Carousels work well because you can feature several customer photos or a short video testimonial ad. You can also throw in captions so your customers can follow what you’re saying.
- Instagram Stories/Reels: Use short vertical videos that are under 15 seconds. You can add subtitles and text overlays (for the benefit), as some viewers have their audio muted when watching.
- Google Display ads: Keep quotes to one sentence, make your star ratings big enough to see,… and pair them with a clear product shot.
- Email campaigns: Add testimonials near your product recommendations or inside cart recovery emails. Plus, choose more detailed and realistic feedback like “This helped me organize my closet so I actually wear what I own now” than overdramatic, cliche comments.
- YouTube pre-roll: Hook people in the first five seconds with the actual result. Try before-and-after clips or real reactions when they first use your product.
5. Include a Clear and Compelling Call to Action (CTA)
One of our clients ran a testimonial ad that had a high engagement rate but a really low conversion rate. You know why? Their CTA simply said “Click here.” So, most of their audience saw the testimonial, nodded,… then proceeded scrolling (oops).
Your CTA needs to tell people exactly what to do next. If you want them to make a purchase, then use something like “Get 20% Off Your First Order.”
Plus, make sure to send them the exact product link. Let’s say you used a testimonial add-on IG story where one of your customers raved about your skincare product. You have to direct them to that product page (i.e., collagen facial mask or lip balm) where they can check out right away.
Pro-Tip: Don’t forget to A/B test your CTAs and see which one will earn clicks from your target audience. You could test “Shop Now” against “Try It Risk-Free” or “Join 10,000+ Happy Customers.” Small changes to your button copy can bump up your conversion rates by up to 49%.
Simplifying Customer Testimonial Collection
Collecting testimonials can be a pain, but only if you do it manually.
Channelwill Reviews & UGC (also called Trustoo) handles the collection work for you by sending review requests automatically after orders are delivered, offering discount codes to customers who add photos or videos, and translating reviews into different languages.
Make it easy to build and scale a reliable brand
Our app lets you show these customer testimonials in widgets you can customize to fit your store’s design. Trustoo also connects with Google Shopping, so your star ratings show up in search results (which can help with your click-through rates).
Plus, we have support available around the clock if you run into any setup questions.
With our Reviews and UGC solution, you get a steady stream of authentic testimonials you can use to create high-converting testimonial ads faster and drive more sales to your store.
Final Thoughts
Testimonial advertising is effective because it gives what online shoppers actually look for: authentic proof. If you want to make the most out of your testimonial ads, focus on three things:
- Choose detailed feedback that answers real customer questions
- Match the right story with the right audience
- Post it on the right platform or channel
Ready to start collecting feedback you can actually use for testimonial advertising? Book a demo with us to learn how Channelwill Reviews & UGC can help manage online reviews effortlessly.
Testimonial Advertising FAQ
A testimonial is feedback from a customer that you use in your marketing. Your customer shares their experience with your product, like what they liked about it or how it solved a problem they had. Customer testimonials can show up as written quotes, short videos, or longer stories about their results.
Here’s a simple testimonial example:
“I’ve tried so many vitamin brands. This is the first one that actually gave me steady energy and helped me focus all day. No crash, no side effects. I’m already on my third bottle.”
It’s a strong testimonial because it mentions a specific benefit, it sounds “personal”, and it’s detailed.
Testimonial advertising works by featuring feedback from your satisfied customers in your ads, on your website, or in your emails. You’re basically letting happy customers do some of the selling for you. It works because shoppers trust what other customers say way more than what your brand claims.
Testimonial ads work well (if you do it right). About 72% of consumers say positive testimonials make them trust a business more. Online shoppers don’t always believe what brands say about themselves, but they listen to other customers. So, a real person explaining how your product helped them sounds way truer than anything you could write in your ad copy.
Content Director | 9+ years decoding B2C & B2B eCommerce, obsessed with SaaS and retail storytelling
Words are my weapon—crafting killer copy, decoding trends, and turning data into gold. When not strategizing: Coffee addict, pun enthusiast, and book lover. Ready to level up your eCommerce game? Let’s chat. ☕️
