Testimonials vs Reviews: What's the Difference?

What is a Testimonial?

A testimonial is a message from a client where he/she shares experience with a company. It's generally a bit long story of what they loved, how you helped them grow, and why they should recommend the company to other people.

Businesses often receive testimonials directly from customers, and they use these stories to highlight positive experiences. By sharing these most personal, in-depth accounts, companies can show potential customers what others think which leads to helping to build trust and maintain a strong, positive reputation.

For Example: This is the testimonial from one of our paid users named Xavier

What is a Review?

A review is a short text from a client on their experience with your product or service. It usually only has a few sentences or a short paragraph and generally includes a star rating to show their overall satisfaction.

For instance, five stars generally mean the customer had a great experience, while one star can mean they were disappointed. Reviews become even more powerful when many customers say similar things. If a company has hundreds of five-star reviews, it usually means they’re doing something right and consistently making customers happy. Reviews have more impact when lots of customers share similar opinions. In fact, 98% of people at least sometimes read reviews when checking out local businesses, and 76% “always” or “regularly” read online reviews for local businesses. This shows how powerful reviews can be in helping people make choices!

For Example: This is the review from one of our users named Jigar Thakker

What is the difference between Testimonials and Reviews?

Customer reviews and testimonials may sound similar, but they serve different purposes in how customers share their experiences. Both testimonials and reviews help potential customers, but each has its unique role.

Comparison Table for Testimonial vs Reviews

When to Use Customer Reviews and Testimonials

According to Wyzowl, 9 out of 10 people believes in customer testimonials over a brand’s message. This showcase the power in real customer stories for establishing credibility and trust.

Use Testimonials When:

• You want to tell a story and it could help you create an emotional connection with your audience.
• You have loyal customers willing to share their detailed experiences.
• You’re looking to create video or ad content that shows real-world benefits of your product or service.
• Your goal is to showcase long-term value or how your product has made a real difference over time.

Customer Testimonial Examples:

• Monday

  Monday.com uses testimonials by inviting clients to share their stories over several days, capturing the essence of how the platform improves business productivity. These stories are then turned into impactful ads to drive conversions.

• Airbnb

  Airbnb is also a great example of using testimonials on Instagram. They feature user-generated images and videos, paired with snippets of personal experiences. This form of testimonial advertising highlights the uniqueness of each customer's stay and adds personalized tips, inviting others to explore the properties. It’s a great option to connect emotionally and grow engagement.

According to a survey, 91% of people agree that reviews, whichever positive or negative, significantly helps in making their purchasing decisions. This shows how reviews can directly impact buyer behavior, providing the credibility and trust needed to convert potential customers.

Use Reviews When:

• You need quick, concise user feedback that highlights specific product features or outcomes.
• You want to build trust with potential customers by showing honest opinions from a wide range of users.
• Your focus is on social proof to influence potential buyers during their decision-making process.
• You’re trying to grow SEO or improve product visibility by having more user generated content online.

Customer Reviews Example:

Brands like JanSport and MeUndies use customer reviews to show social proof, helping potential customers feel confident in their purchases by seeing positive feedback from others.

In short, testimonials are best when you want to tell a compelling story, while reviews are perfect for quick insights and social proof.

In short, testimonials are perfect for creating emotional, trust-building stories, while reviews offer concise, credible feedback that influences purchasing decisions. Both are essential tools for building engagement and driving conversions.

Types of Customer Reviews and Testimonials

When it comes to establishing trust with your potential audience, testimonials and reviews are powerful ways. But not every Reviews and Testimonials are the same. There are many types, each gives unique benefits depending on how you want to connect with your audience. Let’s get into the most common types and what makes them effective.

3 Types of Customer Testimonials

Video Testimonials

What is it:

Video testimonials displays clients sharing their experiences in a video format. This type of testimonial lets customers to open up directly to your potential audience, which showcase emotion and authenticity. With tools like Feedspace, collecting and showcasing these testimonials becomes super simple and fast.

Purpose:

The intention of showcasing video testimonials is to create a personal touch with potential customers by letting them know about your services or product through real experiences. They are really powerful because they showcase trust and honesty in a way text or audio can’t match.

Benefits:

• They are more engaging and memorable, making them ideal for social media and websites.
• Viewers can see the actual emotion behind the words, it can help in building trust.
• Video testimonials can help you build an emotional connection with your product or service of your potential audience.

Audio Testimonials

What is it:

Audio testimonials are mostly the same as video testimonials, but the only difference is it has only audio format. Customers record their stories or experiences, and the audio is used as a testimonial.

Purpose:

The aim of audio testimonials is to give your audience a real-life voice behind the feedback, while still allowing the customer’s experience to shine through. This format works well for podcasts or voice-driven platforms.

Benefits:

• They are more cost-effective than video testimonials while still providing an authentic voice.
• Perfect for busy consumers who prefer listening over reading or watching.
• Audio allows customers to express emotion through tone, which adds credibility.

Text Testimonials

What is it:

Text testimonials are written reviews or words from your clients sharing their experiences with your product or service. They are often used on websites, landing pages, and social media posts.

Purpose:

Text testimonials provide clear, easy-to-read feedback that highlights specific features, benefits, or positive experiences. They are great for showcasing quick endorsements.

Benefits:

• Simple and direct, making them easy to digest.
• Easy to share across multiple platforms and can be SEO-friendly for better search visibility.
• Text testimonials offer flexibility in length and style, from short quotes to longer stories.

3 Types of Customer Reviews

Reviews are one of the interesting ways to establish trust with potential leads. It helps your audience see actual feedback from real people. There are many types of reviews, which have their own unique purpose. Let’s get to know about the three main types of reviews.

Product or Service Reviews

What is it:

Product or service reviews are short written (or sometimes video) feedback from customers about a specific product or service they’ve used. These reviews typically highlight the benefits, features, and performance of the item.

Purpose:

The main goal of product or service reviews is to help potential customers to help in making informed decisions. Customers usually share what they loved or didn’t found interesting about the product and whether it helped them or not.

Benefits:

• They provide honest, specific feedback about a product or service, which helps guide purchasing decisions.
• They help to establish credibility by showing real-world usage and results.

Company Reviews

What is it:

Company reviews are feedback about a brand or business as a whole, not just a specific product or service. These reviews includes different aspects like, including customer service, the company’s reputation, and overall experience.

Purpose:

The purpose of company reviews is to give potential clients a complete sense of the business, how it works, and how it treats its customers.

Benefits:

• They showcase your brand’s reliability and how customers feel about their entire experience, from purchasing to support.
• They can help build a long-term reputation, showing your business is consistent and trustworthy.

Social Media Reviews

What is it:

Social media reviews mean comments, likes, or shares that people gives on social media handles about your product or service. These reviews are informal but can have a huge impact due to their wide reach and engagement.

Purpose:

Social media reviews help spread the word about your business quickly. They can act as user-generated content that promotes your product or service to a larger audience in a more organic, casual way.

Benefits:

• They offer real-time feedback, showing how your brand is perceived in a social context.
• Social media reviews can quickly go viral, creating buzz and increasing brand visibility.

Benefits of Using Customer Reviews and Testimonials in Marketing

When it comes to testimonial vs review, they each have their own unique benefits. Let’s break them down:

Testimonials Benefits in Marketing

• Builds Emotional Connection

  Testimonials are personal stories from your customers. They let others know about your product or service made a positive difference in their lives. This helps create an emotional bond with your audience, which helps in turning your brand feel more real and trustworthy.

• increases Brand Trust

  When people share their actual, heartfelt experiences, also it increases your brand credibility. Testimonials are often seen as more genuine and can be more strong because they feel like a friend’s recommendation.

• Creates a Positive Brand Image

  Happy customer stories can help highlight the best parts of your product or service, leaving a lasting, positive impression. Testimonials help showcase what you want people to remember about your brand.

• Encourages Loyalty

  People who leave testimonials are often loyal customers. Their stories can inspire others to trust your brand, and it helps create a sense of community and connection with your business.

Reviews Benefits in Marketing

• Offers Honest and Practical Feedback

  Reviews gives you detailed insights from people who’ve actually used your product or service. They often give a balanced opinion, showing out both side's strengths and weaknesses. This gives transparency and helps customers feel they’re getting the full picture.

• Builds Credibility with Authenticity

  Since reviews are usually more direct and unfiltered, they are often seen as more trustworthy. They show you’re open to feedback, and they help create credibility for your brand. People trust reviews because they’re from real customers.

• Helps Customers Make Informed Decisions

  Reviews generally give customers the actual information they which they could to decide if your product is right for them. When people read detailed reviews, they can understands the pros and cons based on what matters most to them.

• Improves Visibility

  Reviews can help your product or service rank better on search engines and review sites. They’re like free promotions from your happy customers, and having more reviews can improve your visibility in search results, helping attract new customers.

Using both Reviews and Testimonials gives you the best of both worlds. Testimonials help create an emotional connection and trust, while reviews provide honest, practical feedback. Together, they offer a complete, balanced view of your brand, making customers feel more confident and informed when choosing your product.

Mistakes to Avoid with Reviews and Testimonials in Marketing

When using Reviews and Testimonials in your marketing activities, it’s actually important to avoid some common mistakes. Here’s what they are:

Mistakes to Avoid with Testimonials

• Not Getting Permission

  Always ask for permission before sharing a testimonial. It’s more important to respect your client's privacy. Sharing someone’s testimonial without their permission can actually lead to harm your brand’s reputation.

• Overediting the Testimonial

  While it’s fine to correct spelling or grammar, don’t change the actual meaning or tone of the text testimonial. If it sounds perfect or scripted, people won’t trust it and think it is fake. Keep it authentic!

• Using Generic Testimonials

  Generic or vague testimonials like “This is a great product!” don’t add much value. Focus on specific, personal experiences that highlight the true benefits of your product or service.

• Using Testimonials with No Context

  A testimonial without context can feel disconnected. Include details like the customer’s background or how they used your product to make their testimonial more relatable and believable.

Mistakes to Avoid with Reviews

• Ignoring Negative Reviews

  Negative reviews can be difficult to handle, but ignoring them can not be the proper solution to it. Replying to their problem or or any complaints shows that you care about customer feedback genuinely and are committed to improving. Avoiding or deleting negative reviews can hurt your credibility.

• Only Showcasing Positive Reviews

  Focusing only on glowing reviews can make your brand look fake. A mix of testimonials and reviews (both positive and constructive) shows authenticity. People trust brands that acknowledge both praise and criticism.

• Not Responding to Reviews

  Not being able to respond to reviews whether positive or negative can lead to miss in an opportunity to engage with customers. A simple thanks for a good review or offering a solution to the complaint shows that you value customer feedback.

• Using Fake Reviews

  Fake reviews are a big no-no. It’s tempting to write your own or pay for positive reviews, but this will backfire. Authenticity is key in both testimonials and reviews, so always use real, honest feedback.

Promote Your Reviews and Testimonials with Feedspace

When it comes to collecting and showcasing testimonials or reviews for your marketing campaigns, Feedspace makes the process super easy. Here’s how Feedspace helps you in collecting and promoting Reviews and Testimonials easily:

• Easy Collection Process

  Feedspace lets you collect testimonials directly from your happy customers. In just a few easy steps, you can request for feedback via email, social media, by just sharing one single link.

• Customizable Forms

  Feedspace offers customizable forms that allow you to gather specific information from your customers. You can ask targeted questions that highlight the best parts of your product, making your testimonials even more impactful.

• Easy Import

  Feedspace lets you to import reviews from various platforms, like Google, Trustpilot, Product Hunt and many other platforms. This shows that you can bring together all your reviews in one place, making it easier to manage and display.

• Display on Wall of Love

  Feedspace makes it easy to showcase both Reviews and Testimonials on your website. You can create a beautiful wall of love in seconds and customize it as per your brand colors and styles. Also, you can decide which testimonials or reviews to showcase on it. You can even embed the wall of love directly on your website and promote it on social media handles seamlessly for your marketing activities.

With Feedspace, collecting and showcasing Testimonials and reviews becomes easy and effective. It’s the best way to build trust, engage clients, and display the true value of your product or service.

Reviews and Testimonials are both powerful for business growth, but they are used for different purposes. A testimonial is a positive story of a client, often used in marketing to highlight your business’s strengths, while a review offers honest and true feedback from customers about their experiences.

Both actually help build trust and can be used across shared on channels to 3x your conversions. To get started, try Feedspace it makes collecting and displaying video testimonials easy, helping you build trust and credibility quickly.