Part One covered the reasons for using testimonials in marketing materials, now here are six important tips on the best ways to add testimonials to your marketing.
1. What makes a great trestimonial
From a marketing standpoint, which of the following testimonials is more effective?
- "I love volunteering here!"
- "Volunteering as a tour guide has opened up my world. I get to share my love of history with people from all over the globe and I learn something new every day!"
If you chose the second quote, you're right. The first testimonial is a flattering comment that any organization loves to hear, but it's what Nan Hawthorne, editor-in-chief of Charity Channel's e-newsletter, Volunteer Management Review, calls a "happy quote." And happy quotes are too general to be powerful motivators. Great testimonials like the second one, on the other hand, are specific. They answer "why" or "how."
2. How to get great testimonials
Heartfelt, impromptu testimonials are in your midst every day. They're in the air at recognition events, at the table in the lunchroom, and in those thank-you notes that arrive in your mail. Just pay attention, listen -- and be sure to save them in a testimonial file or you'll never remember the exact phrasing that made them so great in the first place!
You can also gather great testimonials just by asking for them. But do it in the right way. If you simply issue a general request for volunteers' comments, you'll be disappointed with the results. Many people will hesitate to respond -- not because they don't want to be of assistance, but because they're not sure what kind of quotes you want or they're afraid they don't have anything valuable to say. Help them out by asking one or more of the following questions:
- What do you enjoy most about your duties as a volunteer?
- What's been the best thing about volunteering here?
- How has your life changed as a result of volunteering?
- If a friend asked you why they should volunteer here, what would you tell them?
If your initial question doesn't elicit the quotable response you were hoping for, follow up with "Can you give me a specific example?" or "Please tell me more about that."
And here's a great tip from Susan J. Ellis of EnergizeInc.com, author of The Volunteer Recruitment Book: "If you use a tape recorder to capture responses, you can also use the whole tape of testimonials as a background to a slide show of photos. Two results for the price of one exercise!"
3. Gather comments from a wide variety of people
For testimonials to be most effective, readers have to be able to relate to them. They need to hear themselves in the speaker's words.
Therefore, including comments from volunteers of different ages, backgrounds and walks of life will make your general recruitment brochure versatile enough to speak to a wide range of prospects. And as Susan J. Ellis advises, "Don't highlight only those volunteers who have been around for ten years! Today's volunteers frequently seek short-term assignments. So, along with the 'I've just loved this place since 1942' quotes, also include 'I'm so pleased that I can contribute something even with my busy schedule and limited time.'"
Further, gathering comments from a diverse group of people ensures that you'll have appropriate testimonials to use whether you're doing a flyer targeting seniors, an insert for a new resident welcome packet or a handout for a Chamber of Commerce meeting. And don't forget to use them on the volunteer recruitment pages of your website, too!
4. Credit lines as marketing tools
Using more than just the speaker's name in the credit line under a quote turns a testimonial into an even more powerful marketing tool. Depending on the audience you're targeting and the point you want the quote to make, you might also include the person's age, occupation or town, as well as the volunteer position they hold. Here's one example from Susan J. Ellis:
Mary Flynn: Architect Monday to Friday; docent on Saturday
5. Don't use testimonials without written permission
Although most people will feel flattered if you use their comments for marketing purposes, get their permission before you do. Written permission to use a particular quote and credit line ensures accuracy and helps prevent any upsets that could arise after your brochure is printed. But don't load your release form with so much legalese that it scares volunteers away from granting the permission they'd otherwise have been happy to give! Unless your attorney advises more, something as simple as the following, on your letterhead, will probably suffice:
Dear...
Thank you very much for your comments about volunteering with us. We appreciate your taking the time to provide them. May we have your permission to use the following quote and credit line in our marketing materials?
(Quote and credit line)
To grant us permission, please sign and return this letter. Thank you!
Yes, you have my permission to use the above quote and credit line in XYZ Museum marketing materials.
Signed______________________ Date___________
6. Use photos of the speakers
My number-one photo tip for better recruitment materials? Don't just use those "unidentified volunteer performing indecipherable task, surrounded by smiling children" images that almost every recruitment brochure contains. Your promotional piece will have infinitely more marketing impact if you include some head shots or close-ups of the people you're quoting.
Readers identify even more with testimonials when they can see who's giving them. And as Nan Hawthorne points out, photos and quotes from volunteers of different ages, races, genders and physical abilities are an effective way of illustrating your organization's commitment to diversity.
Okay, now you know how to use testimonials to put the volunteer's voice into your volunteer recruitment materials. But don't stop there. Testimonials are also a great way to put the member's voice into membership brochures, the student's voice into school tour brochures, the visitor's voice into event brochures... |
