From their feed to your site
Customer Social Media Videos as Testimonials
A customer posted a video about you on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, and it is better than anything you could have scripted. It is tempting to screen record it and drop it on the homepage. Do not. Ask the creator first, get the original file or a fresh recording, and bring it in with their agreement attached. The messages below do the asking.
- A first message that names the video
- A follow up asking for the original file
- A version for a short new recording instead
The problem, solved
Why a creator’s video is hard to reuse, and how StoryProof brings it in
We only have a screen recording
A capture from the app is compressed, cropped and stamped with the network’s watermark and username. It looks borrowed because it is.
With StoryProof: Ask the creator for the original file. Video files you already have can be uploaded directly into StoryProof.
The original is full of trends and effects
Their clip works on the feed but not on your pricing page: on-screen stickers, a joke for their followers, music over everything.
With StoryProof: Invite them to record a short, plain version through your collection link instead. It records in the browser, with no app to install.
They said yes in a comment
A heart emoji under your comment is not a clear agreement to appear on your website, and it is gone if they delete the post.
With StoryProof: Send your collection link. A recording they choose to send you through it lands in your own account, so your copy does not depend on the post staying up.
Their video is longer than we need
A ten minute review has thirty great seconds in the middle. You cannot cut someone else’s work without asking.
With StoryProof: Ask for a short take through the link instead. The longest video a customer can record depends on your plan.
We are not sure it is right for us
Their video also mentions a competitor, or a claim you cannot back up. You want to watch it properly before it is anywhere public.
With StoryProof: Nothing uploaded or submitted goes public until you approve it, so you can review the file in full before choosing a widget for it.
Flip the switch to see how StoryProof handles each one.
Message templates
Ask the creator for permission and the file
Fill in the details. Send the first message in a reply or direct message on the network where they posted.
- First message, short
For a public reply or a direct message.
Hi [Priya], [Sam at Brightbox] here. We loved your [TikTok] video, especially [the bit where you set it up in under a minute]. Would you be open to us showing it on [our homepage and product page]? Happy to explain more in a message.
- Asking for the original file
Once they say they are open to it.
Thank you, [Priya]! To make sure we show your video properly, could you send us the original file, before it was posted to [TikTok]? Exported without the app watermark is ideal. We would show it on [our homepage and product page], with your name, unless you would like it another way. We will not cut or change it without asking you first, and if you ever want it taken down, just tell us. Is that all right with you? [Sam at Brightbox]
- Confirming what they agreed to
Send after the file arrives, so the yes is written down in one place.
Got it, thank you [Priya]. Just to confirm: you are happy for us to show this video on [our homepage and product page] with your name. Reply yes and we will get it up. [Sam at Brightbox]
What you type fills the templates in your browser only. Nothing is sent or saved.
Screen recording versus asking properly
Screen recorded from the app
- Watermark and handle burned into the picture
- Compressed and cropped to a phone feed
- No record that the creator agreed
- Breaks the moment they delete or change the post
Original file or new recording
- Full quality file, or a plain take for your site
- Written yes from the creator, kept with your records
- Reviewed and approved before it goes public
- Stays in your library whatever happens to the post
In StoryProof
From their post to your page
- 1
Send the first message
Name the video and the moment you liked. Ask whether they are open to it, nothing more.
- 2
Get the file or a new take
Ask for the original file, or send your collection link for a short plain recording in the browser.
- 3
Upload the file
If they send a file, upload it directly and tag it with the network and creator so you know where it came from.
- 4
Approve and place it
Watch it in full, approve it, then choose the widget it belongs in.
What happens next: Keep the creator’s written yes with your records. If they ask for removal later, take it down straight away.
Before you start
What StoryProof does not do here
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
It does not pull videos from social networks
StoryProof does not import posts from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or any other network. A video comes in as a file you upload or a recording through your link.
- 02
The link records; it does not take an existing file
The collection link records a new video in the browser. A file the creator sends you by message or email, you upload yourself.
- 03
It is not legal advice
This page gives practical messages, not a legal view on who owns what. For paid ads or anything unusual, check with whoever handles legal matters for you.
- 04
Some creators will say no
Or want payment. Both are fair answers. Do not use the video anyway, and do not argue.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Can I embed a customer’s public post on my website without asking?
Ask first. A public post is shared with their followers, not offered to your marketing, and creators notice when their face turns up on a brand’s homepage unannounced.
Is a reply in the comments enough permission?
It is a start. Follow up in a direct message or email that says where you will show the video, and get a clear yes in writing.
Should I ask for the file or a new recording?
If the original suits your page, ask for the file. If it is full of effects, trends or inside jokes, a short plain recording through your link usually works better on a website.
What if they want to be paid?
That is then a paid creator arrangement, not a testimonial. Decide whether it is worth it, and if you go ahead, get advice on how a paid endorsement should be disclosed where you sell.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Bring creator videos in with their yes attached
Upload the original file or invite a fresh recording, and approve every video before it goes live.
Last updated 2026-11-07.