Answers to the 10 Most Common Questions About Testimonial Video Production
- Ellie Baldini
- Apr 28
- 6 min read
Updated: May 9
When it comes to marketing, there’s nothing more powerful than a real customer sharing their success story in their own words.
Testimonial videos help businesses build trust, humanize their brand, and drive more conversions. But if you’ve never produced one before, it’s natural to have a few questions.
In this post, I’ll answer 10 of the most common questions we get from clients before they start the testimonial video production process, so you’ll know exactly what to expect, and how to get the most out of your investment.
What is a testimonial video?
A testimonial video is a story about your brand told from the perspective of a real client or customer; trusted third-party expert; or employee. Testimonial videos are typically composed of video footage of an interview with the testimonial subject captured with a camera in a studio or setting or produced remotely using a remote content capture tool like Google Hangouts or Zoom. In my experience, the best testimonial videos also contain additional visual elements such as animations, on-screen text, b-roll, or stock footage to drive engagement and help tell the story.
Why are testimonial videos important for businesses?
Testimonial videos are one of the most powerful tools for building trust with your audience. Instead of you telling people how great your business is, your customers do it for you. And that’s far more persuasive.
Here’s why they work so well:
Trust: Studies show up to 92% of consumers trust recommendations from individuals (even strangers) over brands.
Credibility: Real stories from real people make your brand feel authentic and relatable.
Social Proof: When potential customers see others having positive experiences, they’re more likely to believe they’ll have one too.
Conversion Rates: Adding video testimonials to landing pages have been shown to consistently increase conversion rates.
Emotional Connection: Videos capture tone, emotion, and enthusiasm—making stories much more compelling than text alone.
How do we choose the right subjects to feature?
I highly recommend you define the narrative you want to convey before you start producing a testimonial video. What story do you want to tell? Who do you want to reach? How do you want them to feel after they watch your video? What actions do you want them to take?
Once you’ve answered those questions, consider who the best messenger would be for the story. Does a real customer of yours have a story that aligns to the key points you’re hoping to hit? Or maybe the story you’re telling is a bit more complex, and a trusted expert would be a better spokesperson. No matter which route you take, the most important thing to consider is: Does this person read authentic? You ideally want to choose someone that is articulate, comfortable on camera, engaging, and warm—but the most important quality to look for is authenticity.
I’ve had a lot of success capturing interviews with a customer that has had a recent positive experience with a brand—that way their story is fresh in their minds and comes across really earnest and honest. If you’re going the expert route, find someone that has a genuine passion for the industry you’re in. That always makes for an engaging interview!
Related Post: Practical Tips for Producing Testimonial Videos
How much time should we budget for filming?
For a single subject in-person shoot, I typically budget a total of four hours. That accounts for two hours for the actual subject interview, though it’s rare for an interview subject to speak on camera for that long. In fact, in my experience, subjects get fatigued and quality starts to drop after 1 hour unless they have some media or content creation experience. That also accounts for a 1 hour for set-up and prep before the interview starts and an hour after for exporting the content and breaking down the set-up.
If you’re producing the content remotely, that time frame can be reduced significantly—likely a single hour to get everything you need.
I would highly recommend getting as organized as possible before the shoot to make sure you’re using your time efficiently. Make sure you have a tight interview guide; definitely scout the location or do a test-run if you are recording remotely; make sure you’ve met with the subject beforehand, etc.
My best advice is to work with a partner (like our team at Legit) that can take care of all these details for you and make sure the shoot takes as little time and effort as possible!
What happens during the testimonial video production session?
You want to make the actual interview session as easy and stress-free as possible—both for you and your subject! If you work with a partner like Legit, we’ll handle everything from the interview guide creation to the actual interview so you can rest assured that pros are covering the content capture. But in a nutshell, an interviewer will typically sit down with your interview subject and ask them a series of questions intended to elicit responses that will convey the intended message of your video. You’ll want open-ended, authentic-sounding responses vs. anything overly scripted, though it does put your subject at ease if they get a preview of the questions they’ll be asked beforehand! The interviewer may ask the same question in a few different ways or riff during the actual session to ensure the interviewee is providing the best possible answers for the final edit.
Are interviews the only way to capture content?
Nope! Interviews are definitely the most common way to produce testimonial videos, but we’ve successfully created brand stories out of other assets our clients already have, such as audio-only recordings; presentations or speeches; or even audio-free visual assets. Definitely reach out if you have some existing content that you want to try to repurpose—you’d be surprised what we can come up with!
How long does editing take?
This really depends on the quality of the content and the intended end-result. In general, though, it will take 1-3 days to produce a V1 of a 1-2 minute testimonial video. From there, we customize timelines based on the other elements our clients want to include in the video; for example, b-roll or custom animations.
Can we add our branding to the videos?
Definitely! We highly recommend you incorporate visual elements like animated logos and CTAs; custom b-roll and photography; your brand colors and graphic elements; etc. We work with clients of all shapes and sizes—some companies have many of these elements already; some have static-only versions that they ask us to turn into motion assets; and others have absolutely nothing but a logo, and it’s up to us to create something brand new. We love crafting a video story that matches the exact needs of our clients. But regardless, incorporating branding and other visual elements is at the top of my list of recommendations. Those types of features really help with engagement.
Where should we post our testimonial videos?
Everywhere and anywhere! One of the reasons testimonial video content is such a worthwhile investment is because it is incredibly versatile. I usually tell clients they should think of their initial video as a centerpiece asset that can then be chopped into many different components tailored to different channels. Start by posting your hero video to YouTube and your website (and make sure it’s SEO-friendly—we can help with that). Then, definitely think about what other cut-downs would be helpful for your digital marketing strategy, like a 10-30s reel or a snippet for your paid campaigns.
How long should a testimonial video be?
Going off of the previous question, this really depends on the channel. The most important thing is to make sure you are optimizing your video for the channel you want to play in.
YouTube is the place for longer content, so your complete story should probably live there and on your site. (Think 2-5 minutes.) 10-30 second cut-downs are better suited to social. And even still exports make great assets for email, paid, and beyond!
The Bottom Line
A great testimonial video is more than just a happy customer on camera; it’s a strategic storytelling tool that can transform the way people see your brand.
