How to Collect Video Testimonials: A Step-by-Step Guide

Short answer: to collect video testimonials, decide where the video will be used, ask customers at a moment of real success, send them a link they can record from in the browser, give them three to five specific questions, get their written permission, and approve the video before you publish it. You do not need a film crew or a scheduled call. Most of the work is in the ask and the questions, not the camera.

This guide walks through each step in order, with copy-paste request templates and the mistakes that most often cost responses. It applies whatever tool you use; where we mention StoryProof, it is to show what a step looks like in practice.

What Is the Easiest Way to Collect Video Testimonials?

There are three common ways to get a customer on video. Each has its place, but for most businesses the first is the one that scales.

A self-recorded link removes the two biggest obstacles: finding a time that suits both of you, and the awkwardness of being interviewed. It is how dedicated tools work, including StoryProof’s video testimonial collection.

Step 1: Decide Where the Video Will Be Used

Start at the end. A clip for your pricing page needs to answer “is it worth the money?”; a clip for a landing page aimed at agencies needs an agency owner in it; a clip for social needs to make its point in the first few seconds. Write down two or three places the video will live, and the doubt each one has to answer. That list decides who you ask and what you ask them.

Step 2: Choose Who to Ask, and When

The best time to ask is right after a customer gets a result they care about: a project delivered, a first sale through your product, a goal hit in a programme. Enthusiasm fades quickly, so a request sent that week does far better than one sent at the end of the quarter.

• SaaS: after a customer reaches a meaningful milestone in the product, or at a successful renewal.
• Agencies and freelancers: when a project ships and the client has seen early results.
• Coaches and course creators: when a client or student reports a breakthrough or finishes the programme.
• Ecommerce: once the product has arrived and been used, not on the day of purchase.
• Local services: at the end of the job, while the customer is still pleased with the result.

Ask everyone who reaches that moment, not just the customers you expect to be glowing. Hand-picking who gets asked for public reviews is review gating, which review platforms prohibit. For testimonials you feature on your own site you choose what to publish, but asking broadly also gives you a more honest picture and, often, more convincing stories.

Step 3: Set Up a Link Customers Can Record From

Whatever tool you use, the recording experience should tick these boxes:

• No app, no account. The customer taps a link and records in the browser on any phone or laptop.
• Prompts on screen. Your questions are visible while they record, so they do not have to remember them.
• Retakes allowed. People relax when they know they can try again.
• A text option. Some customers will never record. Let them type a testimonial instead of losing them.
• Upload as well as record. Some customers prefer to record with their phone’s camera app and upload the file.
• A permission checkbox. Consent captured on the same form, at the moment they submit.
• Your branding. Your logo and colours, so the link looks like it came from you.

In StoryProof, one collection form covers all of these: customers choose video or text, see your prompts while they record, can upload a file instead, and tick a permission box before they submit. Video records at up to 1080p on paid plans, with a maximum length of 5 min on Starter and 8 min on Pro. See the collection page for the details.

Step 4: Write Three to Five Specific Questions

The questions do more to determine the quality of the video than anything else. Vague prompts such as “Tell us what you think” produce vague videos. Specific prompts produce stories. A reliable structure is before, during and after:

1. 1What was going on before you found us? What were you trying to fix?
2. 2What made you choose us over the alternatives?
3. 3What has changed since? Be as specific as you can.
4. 4Who would you recommend us to, and why?

For ready-made sets by industry, plus follow-up prompts and the questions to avoid, use our bank of video testimonial questions.

Step 5: Send the Request

Keep the request short, personal and specific about the effort involved. Tell the customer how long it takes, what you will ask, and where the video will appear. Then make the link the only call to action.

Send one reminder after three or four days if there is no response, then stop. Our playbook on how to ask for a review has more templates for different channels.

Step 6: Help Customers Record a Good Video

A few lines of guidance on the recording page make a visible difference. Share these tips with customers:

• Face a window. Natural light in front of you beats any ring light behind you.
• Hold the phone at eye level. Prop it on a stack of books rather than filming from below.
• Find a quiet room. Sound matters more than picture. Turn off fans and close the door.
• Say your name and role first. “I’m Sam, I run a two-person design studio” gives viewers instant context.
• Talk to one person. Imagine explaining it to a friend who is considering buying.
• Keep it short. One to two minutes is plenty.

Step 7: Get Permission and Keep the Testimonial Honest

Before you publish, make sure you have the customer’s permission to use their name, face and words, and for which channels. A checkbox on the submission form with clear wording is the simplest record. If you plan to use the clip in paid ads, say so.

In the US, testimonials used in advertising fall under the FTC’s Endorsement Guides, updated in 2023. The FTC’s guidance says an endorsement must reflect the honest opinion of the person giving it, and that if a customer was paid or given something of value, that connection should generally be disclosed clearly. Source: FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking (FTC, updated 2023) (opens in a new tab). Good practice that follows from it:

• Trim a video for length, but do not edit it in a way that changes what the customer meant.
• If you thanked the customer with a gift or discount, disclose it next to the testimonial.
• If a customer describes an exceptional result, do not present it as what everyone can expect.
• Never script a testimonial and present it as the customer’s own words.

Step 8: Review, Approve and Publish

Watch every video before it goes anywhere. Approve the ones that are clear and on-topic, tag them by product, industry or objection so you can find them later, and pick a short highlight for each page you listed in step 1.

Then put them where buyers decide. A video carousel suits a landing page, a wall of testimonials suits a dedicated proof page, and a single featured clip works next to a pricing table. Our guide to choosing a review widget covers placement, and the video carousel and testimonial wall layouts show what each looks like.

How Long Should a Video Testimonial Be?

Aim for 30 seconds to two minutes for a raw customer video. That is long enough for a before, a change and an after, and short enough that people watch it to the end. For social posts, cut a 15 to 30 second highlight from the longer clip. Longer interviews of five minutes or more work for case studies, where the viewer has already decided to dig in.

Common Mistakes When Collecting Video Testimonials

Choosing a Tool for Video Testimonials

If you are collecting more than a handful of videos, dedicated software saves hours of chasing files over email. Our testimonial software buyer’s guide compares the main tools on video length, recording quality and price. To see StoryProof’s approach, visit the video testimonial collection page or start on the collection page.

Frequently Asked Questions