How To Use Testimonials In Your Marketing

Let’s get this out of the way first: all positive testimonials are good testimonials. If someone takes the time to write something lovely about your space, your staff, or your service, it's amazing. Frame it. Celebrate it. Be proud of it! But when it comes to how you use testimonials in your marketing, you’ve got an opportunity to go a little deeper.

While the snippet “so lovely and relaxing!” is heartwarming, it doesn’t always speak to the real hesitations that potential clients are sitting with. The best snippets—the ones you highlight on your website, in your captions, or in your emails—are the ones that address doubt, show change, and prove your point of difference.

Not All Testimonials Do the Same Job

“This facial is amazing.”

versus

“I honestly didn’t think this would work for me. But now I'm leaving the house without makeup on"

The first one is nice. The second one sells.

So what kind of snippets should you be highlighting?

• The ones that speak to objections: “I’ve been to so many places with no results. I was hesitant, but this was different.”

• The ones that show transformation: “After just three appointments, my skin looks clearer than it has in years.”

• The ones that are specific and emotionally honest: “I cried in the car afterwards because I finally felt confident in my skin."

  
  

You can’t (and shouldn’t) script what people say… but you can choose how to use testimonials in your marketing and which parts you showcase front and centre.

Think of them like mini case studies. They’re proof that your service delivers not just results, but reassurance. So if you’re already sitting on a folder full of glowing reviews, amazing. Now go back and look at them with fresh eyes.

• Which ones say more than “you’re great”?

• Which ones reveal what your clients were thinking, fearing, or hoping for before they walked in?

And next time you're asking a client for a testimonial (because yes, your treatment journey protocol should have "get a testimonial" underlined right after "don't forget to take an 'after' picture"), ask stronger questions to get stronger answers:

• What were you worried about before coming in?

• What surprised you most?

• What’s changed since your treatment?

• How have your results made you feel when you look in the mirror?

  
  

Those are the lines worth highlighting because the potential client reading your words is looking for proof. Not that you’re lovely (they already believe that), but that you’re the right fit.