𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱

What 1980s Vampires Can Teach You About Making Testimonials More Persuasive

In The Lost Boys (1987), Michael doesn’t join David’s vampire gang because somebody hands him a brochure explaining the benefits of immortality.

He sees confident outsiders who appear to have something he wants: freedom, excitement, and belonging. Their lifestyle attracts him before he understands the cost.

Essentially, social proof… with fangs.

Prospects also look at other people to imagine what’s possible. Sometimes they’re attracted to people they admire. Other times, they’re persuaded by someone who shares their problems.

Yet many copywriters assume that five-star reviews and enthusiastic testimonials will settle the matter.

Not necessarily.

Imagine you’re a struggling freelance copywriter considering a $997 training program. Which testimonial carries more weight?

“Amazing course! Changed my life! Highly recommended!”

Or:

“I’d bought three copywriting courses and still couldn’t write a decent proposal. This one walked me through rewriting an actual proposal, including the pricing section I’d been avoiding.”

The second testimonial describes a recognizable problem and a concrete experience.

That’s the overlooked power of social proof. People want to know whether somebody else’s success applies to them.

Before choosing testimonials, ask:

𝟭. 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Was this customer in a situation like my prospect’s?

𝟮. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆: What changed, and how?

𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Does this address a concern affecting the buying decision?

David’s gang attracted Michael because he could imagine joining them. Your testimonials should help prospects imagine achieving a result they want.

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

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