Creative Places to Find Testimonials

There are a few things that you need to have as an online business, but one of the main things is receipts.  When I say receipts, I mean positive feedback/testimonials. When you’re online, there’s no physical presence, so it can be harder to make a connection.  It’s also a little more difficult to trust small online businesses because there is no traditional customer care department if someone encounters issues. Being an online business, you have to go the extra mile to gain the trust of potential customers, so this is where your receipts come in.  Problem is, sometimes you either don't get feedback from every customer or you have a new product/service with no feedback yet. I understand this problem because I have encountered it. Today I will be sharing 5 creative places to find testimonials when you don't have much customer feedback.

1 / Social Media Comments & Posts

Social media tends to be the first place brands are discovered and from there a site visit may happen as a result.  Because of this, you may be interacting with plenty of people that may not be customers yet, but still leave comments on your posts. It’s a smart idea to keep track of social media comments that explain how helpful you were or how great a product of yours was.  For example, if you post something to instagram about a way to be more efficient when editing photos and someone took your advice and the results were great, if they leave a positive comment about it on the post, take a screenshot and save if for future reference. You may have a product/service directly related to the post topics, so the comment they left could be included as a testimonial on your website.

2 / Email Replies

If you send emails to an email list, you can use the positive replies you receive from them on your website.  You may also just receive an email from someone unrelated to your email list where they tell you helpful you are, how great a specific you shared was, etc.  These can also be used as testimonials. I have a folder set up in my email called positive feedback so I can always reference them when needed.

3 / Blog post comments

When readers leave comments on a post sharing how much they loved it or how much the post helped them, this could also be a potential testimonial if the post is related to a product or service that you offer.  A great thing about blog post comments is that they’re available for anyone to see, so if a reader sees a positive comment it may encourage them to try out your tip as well!

4 / DM Comments

Sometimes people may send you a DM telling you how helpful one of your tips was or how they loved the content in your IG stories / Live, etc.  These comments can also be used as testimonials, again, as long as they are directly related to a product/service of yours.

5 / Questionnaire Feedback

It is a good idea to send questionnaires to your email list and customers because the feedback provided can be placed on your site as well.  You can be direct on a questionnaire and ask for their feedback on the content you share as well as if they have ever tried anything that you posted and to include details in their response. Sometimes you just need to ask instead of waiting around for feedback.

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These are just a few ways to find positive feedback in places that you may not have though of for your website thus showing how awesome you are at what you do!  I only suggest using these forms of feedback for products/services that are directly related to it (ex: you post wardrobe and styling tips on your blog, you get a response from someone who tried your tips and loved the results,  you have an online styling course that the feedback can be included on), otherwise it could come across as dishonest!

I would love to hear how you handle testimonials or if you even bother with them at all. Let me know in the comments!

5 Advantages of Blogging as an Introvert

I was presented with an interesting question by one of my email list members.  She asked if I’ve ever posted about blogging as an introvert.  The interesting thing is that I consider myself an introvert because I feel awkward and uncomfortable in social situations, and find it hard to come up with words to say when speaking with people that I don’t know.  I also am more internal, prefer working behind the scenes and don't thrive in social settings. I do, however, still make new connections with other bloggers and interact with them often.  Though I am an introvert, there are ways to still blog and meet new people if you are one, too.  Today I will be discussing 5 advantages to blogging as an introvert and things that should put you at ease if you are one, too.

1 / You're online

The first and biggest advantage is that you’re online.  You're not in person talking to people or feeling pressured to talk to anyone.  You are posting words and people are reading those words.  The internet works as a shield in a way.  It is the thing that separates you from having to talk to people in real-time because everything is digital.

2 / Interaction is controlled by you

If you talk with someone on social media, through blog comments, etc., you have the luxury of planning out a response before replying.  When someone asks you a question on the spot in person, you may not have an answer right then or get so tripped up on your words you completely flop.  By having the internet as a buffer, you can do the necessary research to respond appropriately and on your own timeframe.
You also have the luxury of not having to respond at all.  If the question or comment you receive appears to be from a troll, you can completely ignore!  It’s more difficult to ignore someone in person than online.

3 / Videos can be previewed before posting

Video content is huge right now and happens to be an area that introverts fear.  You don’t have to worry about mistakes when posting video content because you can view and edit your videos before posting them in most apps these days.  This also applies to Instagram stories.  The advantage of previewing content before posting has put me at ease and I’m more comfortable posting video content on Instagram now.

If you want to go Live, however, preparation is key.  As long as you have an outline of what you want to talk about and practice it before hand, you will be more prepared and there will be less room for mistakes.  I suggest getting comfortable with short videos on Instagram Stories first and at some point considering live video.  Going live with a friend also helps!  My first IG live was with my friend Katrina and it was great!

4 / Sharing common interests

When I find myself in a situation discussing a topic that I’m not well versed in, I feel nervous and anxious.  When I’m talking about a topic that I’m passionate about, I’m a totally different person! I’m not as anxious and feel more confident when speaking. The great thing about blogging is that you control the content and essentially the audience that you attract. It should ease an introvert by knowing their audience is looking for and excited to read their content. It’s easier to communicate with people that you can relate to and share a common interest.

5 / Bloggers are friendly

I have met so many amazing people through blogging!  The blogging community as a whole is very friendly and can be super helpful.  The funny thing is that there are so many introverted bloggers out there, so they may face the same issues as you.  These introverted bloggers may be looking for someone to connect with, too, and more often if you are the first person to reach out, they will welcome you with open arms.  Feel comfort knowing that bloggers are looking to connect and make new blogging friends all the time!

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So these are my 5 tips on blogging as an introvert.  I hope they helped you feel a little more at ease about online interaction if you consider yourself an introvert.

What are some ways that you have gotten over your fear of blogging because you are an introvert?  Let me know in the comments!