One of our clients, iFLY, Oregon’s only Indoor Skydiving operation, opened a few weeks ago, and I had the opportunity to fly in the tunnel this past Friday for the first time. As a PR practitioner I was nervous at first but the experience was life changing. I’ve been pitching the grand opening for weeks, and now I have the perspective of a first time flier. They now have a strong testimonial from a PR practitionar that can be used across their social channels.

Why are these first-hand experiences worth their weight in gold?

Testimonials are the difference between a sale and a bounce, according to Business 2 Community.

  • If the customer can visualize the experience, the pitch is more compelling – which is why I posted the above pic to all my social channels and tagged iFLY in all the appropriate hashtags.
  • Videos take all the speculation out of the equation and tell the story in just a few seconds.
  • Testimonials need the right tone, the thoughts should be genuine and not canned- let the person write the testimonial themselves.

Testimonials humanize a brand, so remember the importance these have when you’re selling a new concept or product offering. It could make all the difference.