5 Ways To Use Student Testimonials For eLearning Marketing
Promoting your online courses to get a steady stream of new students or learners isn't all plain sailing. Rather than selling a visible physical product, you sell experiences, making it difficult to show your potential students what they'll be getting. That's why student testimonials can be such a valuable tool for marketing your online courses.
When done right, student testimonials offer an in-depth look at the value of your course from the perspective of someone who's already been through it.
But what exactly makes for an outstanding student testimonial? And how can you use them most effectively on your course website and landing pages? Let's find out!
Why Student Testimonials Work
Simply put, testimonials can be a powerful marketing tool because they can generate trust and improve your online course's credibility.
There are a few key reasons:
- They're credible. It's not you saying how great your course is—it's an unbiased third party.
- Potential students can relate to other students. So, hearing about someone else's experience with your course will help them picture themselves in the same situation.
- It shows social proof. When other people are taking and enjoying your courses, it subconsciously tells new potential students that they should, too.
More than 93% of potential customers generally read reviews before making a decision.
If worth-of-mouth marketing is so impactful for lower-value purchases, think about how much more important it is when someone is considering spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on an online course.
What Makes A Great Student Testimonial?
Student testimonials might seem like they're all the same at a glance. They're all about how the student found the course, what they liked about it, and how it helped them—right?
Well, yes. But if you want your testimonials to really stand out and be effective at promoting your courses, there are a few key things to keep in mind.
From A Real Person
This one seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how often companies will try to pass off fake testimonials as the real deal. If a testimonial sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Make sure the student testimonials on your site are from actual students who have taken your course. A great student testimonial is personal in the sense that it offers a firsthand account of what it was like to take your course.
Recent
This goes hand in hand with the "from a real person" point. A great student testimonial should be from someone who's recently taken your course and can attest to its quality.
If you're using testimonials that are a few years old, there's a chance the information in them is no longer accurate.
For example, if your course curriculum has changed since the testimonial was given, it's no longer relevant.
Detailed
A great student testimonial should give specific details about what the student liked about your course and how it's helped them in their career.
Generic praise like "This course is great!" doesn't tell us much and comes across as insincere.
Focused On The Student
A great student testimonial should be focused on the student and their experience, not on you or your company.
It's fine to mention your name or the name of your course, but the bulk of the testimonial should be about how taking the course benefited the student.
How To Leverage Testimonials To Improve Online Course Marketing
Now that we know what goes into a great student testimonial, let's take a look at how you can use them to improve your online course marketing efforts.
There are a few different ways you can use testimonials on your website and landing pages, and each has its own advantages.
1. Use Them On Your Course Landing Page
One of the best ways to use student testimonials is on your course landing page.
Your course landing page is where you make a case for why someone should sign up for your course, and testimonials can be a powerful way to do that.
When used correctly, student testimonials can help increase conversion rates by assuaging any concerns potential students might have about signing up for your course.
2. Share Them On Social Media
Another great way to use student testimonials is on social media.
Social media is a great platform for sharing positive customer experiences because it allows you to reach a wide audience with your message.
And since social media is all about building relationships, sharing testimonials is a great way to show potential students that you care about their success.
Testimonials can be great content for social media like Instagram, Twitter, and even LinkedIn. You can also create testimonial videos for your TikTok marketing or YouTube marketing campaign.
3. Include Them In Your Email Marketing
Email marketing is another great way to use student testimonials to promote your courses.
Including testimonials in your email marketing campaigns is a great way to build trust and credibility with potential students.
When used correctly, student testimonials can be a powerful marketing tool that can help you improve your conversion rates and boost your bottom line.
4. Use Them On Offline Materials
In addition to using student testimonials on your website and in your email marketing campaigns, you can also use them on offline materials like flyers and brochures.
If you're hosting an event or exhibiting at a trade show, for example, including testimonials on your marketing materials is a great way to grab attention and promote your courses.
5. Use Them In Your Advertisements
Another great way to use student testimonials is in your advertisements.
Whether running a Facebook ad or a Google AdWords campaign, including student testimonials in your ads is a great way to increase click-through and conversion rates. In this case, testimonials in video format may be especially effective.
Wrapping Up
Student testimonials are a powerful marketing tool that can be used in a variety of ways to improve your online course marketing efforts. Done right, it can increase conversion rates, build trust and credibility, and boost your bottom line.
With the quick guide mentioned above, now you know what to do with student testimonials to bring your overall online course marketing campaign to the next level.
