Testimonials make great ad copy

Michael Angelo Caruso
Nov 10, 2019
4 min read

Updated: Jul 24

testimonials make great ad copy — Pull customers closer using testimonials about your products and services

[Note: This article was updated July 24, 2025.] Testimonials are the way to go when promoting your brand, your business and yourself.

Why? Because when you tell people how great you are it’s advertising. But when others tell people how great you are, it’s the truth.

Endorsements and third-party testimonials are vital to business growth. As an added perk, your happy customers will create amazing advertising copy for you. (I'll be inserting testimonials I've received to illustrate this point.)

Dutch Nie is a graduate of the "Present Like a Pro" coaching program

Easy ways to generate and use testimonials

Testimonials are sometimes referred to as "social proof," a term that was coined by Robert Cialdini, author of the book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

Here are some ways to leverage testimonials:

1. In writing ("old school" and "new school")

2. Copy-pasting

3. Video

Yes, Nellie had a star turn on "The Price Is Right" TV show

In writing

In the old days, one asked a satisfied customer to mail a letter of recommendation. The person would have to use an envelope and a stamp to get the job done.

Then, the letter had to be properly typeset, key-lined, and reproduced so other folks could see it. That finished product could be displayed on your office wall or maybe laminated and placed in a binder for use on sale calls.

Of course, old school still works--kind of. But it's much easier to use email. The problem with email is that only two people actually know about the endorsement: the sender and you.

Use LinkedIn's popular "Recommendation" feature to acquire online testimonials that get a lot more eyeballs.

Get the process started by first writing a recommendation for a LinkedIn connection. Then ask her to reciprocate.

To make your ask, simply send a message that reads something like:

"I'm so glad you're pleased with the work I did for you. Would you mind giving me a three-sentence testimonial so we can help more people? I can have the first go at it, if you'd like, and send it to you for your approval, okay?"

LinkedIn allows you to ask the person for a revise if necessary, but I recommend not trying to micromanage the process, too much.

Instead, work on collecting more testimonials. Like this one:

The City of Plymouth, Michigan enjoyed Michael Angelo Caruso's talk on pro-active communication.

The third suggestion is to share a testimonial in your e-mail signature file. If you send only 50 emails per day, you’ll attain 18,000 “impressions” per year, give or take. You can add the testimonial as a post script (P.S.) or just include it with your contact information.

Copy-pasting

Whether a testimonial arrives via traditional mail or via email, you should create electronic images that can be shared online across many social media platforms.

Here's how to make the most of "copy-paste" when using endorsements.

If you've received the testimonial in a letter or email, take a photo or scan iit, crop it and clean it up as desired before posting the jpeg to Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and other social media pages.

If the testimonial arrives via email social media, use a screenshot tool such as Microsoft's Snipping Tool to create a trimmed up version as a .jpg or .png. Here's an example, culled from an email I received from a Present Like a Pro client:

Jean Wakely loved speaker coachign with Michael Angelo Caruso — Jean Wakely loved speaker coaching with Michael

Make sure your Facebook connections see your LinkedIn testimonials and your LinkedIn peeps see the nice things FB pals write about you.

Video

Video testimonials are the most effective endorsements, but they can also be the most difficult to come by. Only certain kinds of people are able to pull them off.

Work with people who are good on camera. If they are recording the video and sending it to you, the person is going to need at least a modicum of technical skills. It's sometimes easier to obtain the testimonial in an interview format like this (video below):

Kevin Noll credits Michael's "Zoom Your Sales" coaching with his success at AFLAC

More tips for using testimonials

Not all testimonials work out the way you want them to. If a video doesn't pan out, consider transcribing what the person says about you and fashioning their quote as an info graphic.

If the compliment is first captured in a voice mail recording and cannot be recreated in a more usable format, consider making a video using the recording as the audio track.

Give extra attention to people who generate unique sentiments. In other words, make sure the testimonials you use are special. Average endorsements won’t cut it in today's world of flashy and hyperbole.

I received a fantastic video testimonial from the great Terry Bean (pictured below). It was too special to not re-purpose for you here:

“Michael Angelo Caruso is one of the best speakers in America.”

–Terry Bean, Founder of Motor City Connect and author of Be Connected.

Don’t be shy about promoting your business or yourself, especially now that it’s easier than ever to do so.

With the great Terry Bean, author of "Get Connected"

About the author

Michael Angelo Caruso is a 30-year veteran of the speaking biz, who's spoken on six continents and in 49 states.

Michael teaches presentation skills to leaders, salespeople, and founders. He specializes in optimal audience engagement by speaking "in the round" and employing a technique he calls "performance conversation."

Here are sample videos:

/TEDx - "The Amazing Power of Silence"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_GLrlUA0q4

/Educating and having fun (performance conversation #fireball) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbRcI0r2Hn8

/Storytime! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKxQPgrEV6I