The One Where I Ask for Testimonials

Yesterday, I sent an email to a select group of Hungry subscribers with a particular purpose: To gather testimonials for The Hungry as social proof that I can use in various parts of the business.

I’ll use some of these on the website's front page, add some to future promotions, and place them on the landing page for the new five-day course that will launch this week.

You might believe that asking for testimonials is an artificial metric, especially considering I sweetened the deal by rewarding participants with a linked shout-out in a future edition of The Hungry.

The thing is, testimonials are hard to come by because people typically don’t volunteer that information. Maybe it’s because people feel awkward about unsolicited testimonials, or they don’t take enough time to write them.

Whatever the reason, testimonials don’t come freely, and when they do, they rarely are short and concise enough to be used as a promotional tool to entice new audience members.

Here’s the strategy I used to make these testimonials valuable and effective.

1. Write a short message that gives instructions on how to share their thoughts. Keep the message light and informal.

2. Don’t ask them to reply to an email (they rarely will do this). Instead, create a simple form with no more than 1 or 2 questions using Google Forms, Typeform, or similar.

3. Collect their names and email addresses so you can contact them with any rewards or thanks. If they aren’t currently on your email list, DO NOT add them without permission.

4. Give them a deadline to finish to get the reward. This inspires action, and you’ll get better replies when you’re fresh in their thoughts.

5. Save the replies so you can access them for future usage.

Don’t be afraid to ask for the testimonials. If you’ve provided value, and these people are your most loyal fans or subscribers, they’ll gladly support you and eagerly if there is additional benefit for them.