A few years back an article on testimonials by copywriter H G Lewis* attracted my eye and bears repeating here.

He said that testimonials are touchstones of relevance and credibility and, for example, in writing for senior citizens 3 types would add a facade of objectivity:

  1. Peer testimonials- retirement villages, mature resorts and units use prototypical models for buyers.
  2. Group testimonials-A batch of names complete with suburbs and state is a powerful touchstone.
  3. Celebrity testimonials (are the least dependable because of subjectivity) will dispel scepticism but always check the celebrity with target market in mind.

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For broader markets and products, other than senior citizens, Lewis is saying that the most effective use of testimonials will show the product in use, the target market using the product and believable celebrity endorsers (preferably believable users of the product).

Remember! Testimonials are one of the most powerful marketing devices known to humankind.

*Back when I read that article, Herschel Gordon Lewis was very much alive and had many achievements as his IMDb Mini Biography By: HGB Entertainment Ltd. reveals. Watch the early frames of this splatter trailer to see his great copywriting at work.