Ten Testimonial Rule
If you've been following my blog at all then you've probably heard of the ten comment rule... any time I make a post, I ask for 10 comments from my readers... or I'll stop posting forever.
I just applied that to my marketing to gather testimonials for a product.
Nope, I didn't offer a bribe for testimonials, I didn't give away free copies in exchange for a testimonial. (Good way to make sure you never hear from those people again.)
I simply said: I need ten testimonials from SOMEONE... any of my current customers... for version 1.0, and I'll release version 2.0 to EVERYONE.
I Had My Ten Testimonials Within 48 Hours!
It's tougher to get ten people to do work, even if it's 30 seconds of work (writing a testimonial), than it is to get them to pay you money.
I brought in ten sales of Action PopUp no sweat, just by mentioning it in a blog post. I wanted reviews, not sales.
The only thing I needed to do was: end my blog post with a clear call-to-action (what action I wanted you to take), and my goal (what had to happen for the challenge to end).
It's Not Difficult, But So Many People Miss That Point
You have a blog with zero comments on every entry, end the blog post with a reason you want people to leave a comment. End with a question. Give people benefits about why they should leave a comment... what's in it for them?
Use your blog to build a list and send those people to new posts when you write them.
I'll see marketers add a FeedBurner chicklet to their blog, so they've built up their RSS subscribers... but they can't e-mail them... gross! The only contact they have with these people is when they add to the blog.
Now you can't tell your readers... check out this post one last time if you haven't left a comment yet.
You can't follow-up and market to RSS subscribers the way you would to an e-mail list.
To be honest, if I didn't get my 10 testimonials by today, I would have asked my list again... I would have hit the weekday crowd instead of the weekend crowd. I would have put up a talking head video begging someone... anyone... to leave me a review.
With every blog post you should be "selling" some action that benefits you at the end. Leave a comment under the blog entry, or visit the URL I'm talking about. One of those two.
If You Don't Think You Can Get Ten Testimonials...
Try a "five testimonial" rule. You only need five testimonials to release the next chapter, update the next version, launch the next product... whatever the goal is.
Have a clear call-to-action... don't say, "Testimonial please." Say, "What was the one thing you liked the most about it? On what URL did you set it up? What was the one stumbling block that ALMOST didn't get you to buy and how did you overcome it?"
Interview your customers one on one via e-mail and use their responses to piece together a testimonial. After I got my 10 testimonials I went back through all my e-mails, blog comments, and forum posts and pieced together an additional 7 testimonials for a total of 17 testimonials on that page.
Oh yeah, I released Action PopUp 2.0 to all version 1.0 buyers so you can add popups to WordPress blogs with just a few clicks... thanks for the testimonials I needed. Even Michel Fortin posted that blog entry to Twitter.
Was that ten testimonial rule a waste of time? No one needs a call-to-action at the end of every blog post, right? I bet your blog is chock full of zero-comment entries with no call-to-action in sight... am I totally right or am I just a jerk?
Please, answer me below because if I don't get ten comments under this entry... I'm moving this whole site into a paid blog. 😉
Filed in: Product Launches
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Right as (nearly) always, Robert! A call to action doesn’t need to be a click-here-to-make-me-some-money action, but it does need to keep your readers engaged. What better proof to your readers that your blog is a great resource than the comments of their peers?
I like the subtle way to engage the readers.
I would like to know what are the other ways
to make our reader want to comment on our posting?
Between ActionPopup 2; John Taylor’s wordpress plugin that you have resale rights to and Steven Schwartzman’s wordpress plugin — maybe you & Steven should sell a wp bonanza package, LOL.
Testimonials on blogs are one thing.
I resell Incansoft products, and the Incansoft product I like the most and use the most is EZ Testimonial Pro.
Hope you don’t mind me giving a link to where folks can find out more:
http://www.NextDay-Copy.com/IS/Catalog.html
Also, one of the things I do with one of my blogs/lists is that I hook up my blog posts so they get sent out to my email list — something that can be set up in aweber.
Hey, Robert
This is definitely an empowering post. It can be inhibiting to think of throwing a party (setting up a blog) and having no one attend (comment). Now it doesn’t seem so scary. If you, Robert, are comfortable making a video begging for comments then we should all be. :o) In fact, I think that is a great idea!
Thanks for the post, & thanks for Version 2.0.
I ran across SezWho recently and started seeing a lot of possibilities for engaging your audience. It can be highly beneficial to the commenter to have his activity stream appearing on his comment.
What is your opinion of this?
Mitch
IMO, one of the most valuable things about blog comments is the sharing of ideas. I have often gotten as good or better an idea from the comments as I have from the post itself.
And that is true of any blog, mine included. Yes, many comments are just affirmation, but there are some real pearls in there as well.
Keep soliciting those comments, Robert!
Hello Robbert,
Yes, I guess you’re next little gem would be a way to register all these people who leave a comment on your blog so they can be mailed everytime a new post had been made.
[I think I had just done that (btw) A new page popped up asking me to signup;)]
Great stuff! Thanks
Cheddy
Hi Robert,
Your 10 comment rule rocks. I love it because it works! I knew I was giving you a golden ticket with my testimonial but I was compelled to give it, that’s how good you are!
Two more posts or we’re paying to access your genius, YIKES!
(hmmm, would you really do it?…i don’t want to find out)
Missed your ver 1.0 of the ActionPopUp. I was busy celebrating my 63rd birthday. Looking forward to your next brainstorm. Since I don’t do the online marketing, I’m not worried about the 10 rule… but I am really fascinated with your php and javascript entries. They are among the best I’ve ever seen.
Hi Robert,
I will hit #10 on your comment rule here. I have couple of quick questions for you:
1. I have a blog that I have been writing to for about 7 months. I have a loyal group of subscriber who read it but I have never done “10 comment rule.” I usually get about 4-7 comments but I want more. 🙂 Do you think its risky for me to start that right now? I remember you started your 10 comment rule pretty much from the get go so your subscribers got conditioned to that rule. What do you think?
2. How would you apply your “10 testimonial rule” to a paid membership site?
Thanks,
Peter
I think testimonials are a bore and I never read them I can usually tell from the copy if it will really do what a I want and they are usually written by someone who has bought but never achieved the sales copy anyway (if I am not sure I give it a miss whatever).
I always research what I want or buy the products from someone I have bought off before.
Having some good cheap products to try, like you do is the best testimonial. At work you never buy before trying, so why should home life be any different
Bern
Hey Robert,
Thanks for the quality info. I actually found you on accident on youtube and liked your strategies for marketing. Very straightforward.
Take care.
-Mike Cowles.
# Mike, how could you say that was an “accident”?
Robert knowingly knew that YouTube is a great traffic funnel to get you read his blog — don’t you think?… lol