There’s nothing wrong with testimonials, mind you, but they’re simply not as effective as case studies in web marketing.

Here’s why I like case studies…

Take this testimonial:

“The people at Best Mart went over the top to help me avoid wasting my money on an inferior product. They are some of the most knowledgeable people I’ve ever talked to about dog kennels.”

That’s a perfectly fine testimonial that gives you an idea about how friendly, warm, helpful, and knowledgeable the people at Best Mart are.

However, as a visitor to the website, there’s nothing in that testimonial to catch my attention, draw me into a conversation, or help me withmy problem.

In other words, there is no inherent value for me in the testimonial.

It helps if my decision to buy from Best Mart or their competitor comes down these factors. But, even then, there’s probably not much chance that I’m going to even read the testimonial on the web page.

Testimonials are often like white noise on web pages. They make for great fillers to break up long copy on a page, but they’re mostly skipped over.

Think about it…

Do you read the testimonials on a page?

There are two really good solutions to this love/hate relationship I have with testimonials:

1.  Convert your static website into a blog; and…

2.  Use case studies instead of testimonials.

Since this post is mostly about case studies, I’ll just touch on the first point. 

See, with a blog, you can disseminate helpful information about your products or services – information that adds value to the experience of your customers.

You can do the same thing with a Facebook page, but blogs give you far more control over what gets posted by your visitors.

Then, you encourage your customers to comment on your blog posts. If they make a positive comment about your product or service in a blog post, it holds far more value and credibility than the same statement inserted as a “testimonial” on a web page.

Now, on to case studies.

What is a Case Study?

The primary difference between a case study and a testimonial is that a case study provides some helpful information to the reader.

If, for example, I’m looking for a new dog kennel, and I run across a case study on Best Mart website that sounds just like my situation, I’m going to come away having learned something of value … and I’ll be much more likely to buy the kennel from Best Mart.

Let’s see if we can create a case study from our original testimonial…

Jane Doe called us with a dilemma we hear all too often: she was confused by the dozens of different dog kennels that were available and couldn’t decide which would be best for her and her pet.

We asked about her dog – breed, temperament, age, etc. After 25 years of selling dog kennels, we’ve found that certain brands, such as “Extreme Kennels” work much better for hyperactive dogs, while other brands like “Cozy Home” are best for the mellow breeds of dogs.

Jane explained that her dog was 13 years old, and while still active, she’s sleeping far more than she has in the past.  For Jane and her dog, we recommended the “Safe Slumber” kennel because it’s designed specifically for older dogs who still like to move and play occasionally.

Jane, as you might expect was quite excited about her purchase, and relayed to us later how pleased she was with our assistance. We believe that if you and your dog aren’t happy, then we’re not happy.  

I admit that I don’t have one iota of knowledge about dogs or dog kennels, so please excuse my inaccuracies (and references to brands, just in case the above brands actually exist!)

Still … the point is that upon reading the case study, the website visitor will have learned at least one thing of value, and in so doing, feels “obligated” on some level to “repay” the kindess.

This is what is called the “Law of Reciprocity,” or “Reciprocation” in social science.

The visitor feels emotionally obligated to repay the gesture, and will reciprocate by either adding a comment on the blog post, buying a product from the company, or even thanking them via an email.

Every time you provide something of value, as perceived by your website visitor, you’re putting a quarter in the “reciprocity” meter.

At some point, they’ll feel an obligation or commitment to give back.

And, you can bank on that.

“You know how all those other truck companies claim to have the most of this, or be the fastest at that? Well, the only thing that really matters is that for the 25th year in a row, more people bought Ford trucks than any other truck.”

I thought about the commercial, and wondered, “If I were in the market for a truck, would this convince me to buy a Ford?”

At first, I thought “absolutely, no,” but soon changed my mind…

Ford is using the social science principle of “Social Proof.”

Robert Cialdini says that Social Proof “states that one means we use to determine what is correct is to find out what other people think is correct.”

In other words, “Monkey see, monkey do.”

Social Proof (or social evidence) has become a widespread tactic that’s gone way beyond the old McDonald’s “1 Trillion Sold” signs. Now, everyone and his truck-loving brother wants to employ social proof as a means to an end; that is, more sales.

Ford believes that by offering “evidence” that people who want a truck will more often buy a Ford truck, they will convince truck-seekers of their natural superiority.

When I first saw the ad, my initial response was, “So what? All that means is that truck drivers can’t think for themselves.”

The critical thinking part of me immediately saw their marketing angle and rejected it as irrelevant. I knew how the trick was done, so it spoiled the trick entirely!

But, after I saw the ad (several times), I came to realize that it’s actually quite clever. Ford removed “features” from the sales equation entirely.

See, Ford didn’t refute the claims of their competitors about being the best at this or fastest at that. They simply said that “more people buy our trucks, so you should do the same thing.”

In a way, the ad is brilliant.

If I’m in the market for a truck, and I see that one truck is rated tops in quality, another has the most pulling power, and a third has a “hemi” (whatever that is), how can I possibly decide which is better for me?

All the wild claims by competitors merely confuses the issue, and doesn’t provide me with an emotional hook for my decision.

Ford does provide an emotional hook. By showing evidence or proof that more people buy Ford trucks than any other truck, the emotional side of me is inclined to relax a bit. I’m more apt to trust other people than I am the truck manufacturers.

So, even though I might understand the psychology behind the ad, I’m still going to lean toward following the crowd, if only because it simplifies the decision process.

I don’t have to know what a “hemi” is in order to buy a truck. I’m not inclined to believe anyone today who claims to have the best quality, given what’s been happening with all the recent recalls.

Ah, but social proof? That’s a winner.

Why Social Proof Works For Ford

Let’s dive into the psychology of this a bit more to understand why this ad might work for Ford.

Ford is in an industry where features are king. Ford is right … their competitors have been pitching the features of their trucks, assuming that having the biggest this or widest that really makes any difference.

Whenever we’re bombarded with lists of features, most of which we don’t truly understand, we feel confused and overwhelmed.

Is LCD better than Plasma? What’s a pixel? Who’s on first?

Even if you know the technology or meaning of the features, there’s often no way to tell which product’s features are better than another product’s features.

Say you’re looking for a new truck. You’re not so sure about Toyota these days, and GM isn’t much better. Yet, those two companies push the size, strength, and power of their trucks. Perhaps you discover that Chevy trucks have a “hemi,” but that Toyota has more “pulling power.”

In the midst of the confusion, our minds look for an emotional hook – something to relieve the confusion and help us to feel at ease.

Pitching a faster this or bigger that will only add to the confusion, so Ford leapt from the features conversation and stated something no other truck manufacturer can now claim – the most sales in the U.S.

The beauty of what Ford did was that they now “own” the “most people bought” strategy. Any other manufacturer who attempts to claim the same thing will come out as a liar or sore loser.

The ad works because social proof works in the midst of confusion.

When Social Proof Doesn’t Work

We’ll see just how well Ford’s ad really works. In theory, it was a brilliant move. But, social proof can also backfire on you.

Toyota, for example, is trying to use social proof to bring buyers back to their dealerships. They have normal people like you and me talking about the new Toyota’s they just bought. See? If others believe in Toyota, then you should believe in them as well.

My opinion is that Toyota is using social proof in a way that will backfire on them. Their advertisements remind us that Toyota has had a lot of problems lately, and that thousands of Toyota owners have had their cars recalled.

That image of thousands of cars being recalled comes to mind, overshadowing the few people they show buying new Toyotas.

In Toyota’s case, they are “proving” to us that they have had some serious problems. Merely saying “we’re over it now” isn’t believable.

The underlying message of Toyota’s ads is that “most people are afraid to buy a Toyota now.” This message is the exact opposite of the message they’d like to convey. They screwed up, tried to minimize the problem, got caught, and are no longer “trustworthy” in the eyes of the consumer.

You can’t overcome a credibility crisis with social proof.

The Bottom Line

Social Proof works … if you use it correctly. Use it to differentiate yourself from your competitors in a positive way, and avoid using it as a defensive mechanism to avoid or diminish the “proof” that’s already in the psyche of the market.