Your first month, from zero
How to Start a Testimonial Program
You have just been told testimonials are now your job. There is no library, no process and a vague sense that the homepage needs “some social proof”. The temptation is to email every customer on Monday. Do not. Start with a small pilot, learn what your customers actually say, and have real proof live on one page by the end of the month. Pick your start date for the plan.
- A pilot of a handful of customers, not the whole list
- First proof live on one page by week four
- A written decision on what to run next month
The problem, solved
Where new testimonial programs stall
I keep planning and never ask anyone
A strategy document feels safer than an email to a real customer. Weeks pass and the homepage is still empty.
With StoryProof: Every account starts free for 7 days with no credit card. That is enough to send a first pilot and see real answers before committing to anything.
Emailing everyone at once feels efficient
One blast to the whole list uses up your best customers on an untested question.
With StoryProof: Contacts and smart lists are on every plan, so a pilot can go to a small hand-picked list first.
I do not know what format to ask for
Video sounds impressive, but you have no idea whether your customers will record one.
With StoryProof: One collection link offers video, audio or written replies in the browser, so the pilot shows which format your customers choose.
I am nervous about publishing the wrong thing
A new hire does not want their first visible work to be an awkward quote on the homepage.
With StoryProof: Nothing a customer submits goes public until you approve it, so the pilot can run with no risk of an unreviewed post.
Getting it onto the site needs a developer
The first proof stays in a spreadsheet because nobody will touch the website.
With StoryProof: A widget is two lines of HTML, and every plan includes a hosted Wall of Love page with its own link if the site cannot be edited yet.
Flip the switch to see how StoryProof handles each one.
Launch timeline
Your first thirty days, dated
Choose the day you start. Each date is a single task, sized to fit around the rest of your job.
Day 0
Pick the one page that needs proof first
Homepage, pricing or a key landing page. One page gives the month a finish line.
Day +2
Choose a pilot of ten to fifteen customers
People with a recent, clear result who already like you. Ask colleagues in sales and support for names.
Day +4
Write the ask and the questions
Three questions at most. Ask what changed for them, not whether they are happy.
Day +5
Set up approval and tags
Decide who approves, and create a few tags for product and customer type before anything arrives.
Day +7
Send the pilot
From a named person, by email. Read every reply that comes back personally.
Day +10
First reminders
Nudge the pilot once. Note who said yes but has not submitted.
Day +16
Approve the first testimonials
Read each one in full. Approve those that are specific and that you would show a prospect.
Day +21
Put proof on the page you picked
Build a widget with the approved quotes and embed it. A live result beats a perfect plan.
Day +28
Decide month two
What did customers answer, in what format, and how many replied? Write down who to ask next and how often.
The dates are worked out in your browser and not saved anywhere.
Two ways to spend the first month
Launch by blast
- Whole customer list emailed on day one
- Untested questions, vague answers
- A queue nobody had time to review
- Nothing published by the end of the month
Launch by pilot
- A short list of customers with a recent result
- Questions improved before the wider send
- Every reply read and approved by hand
- One page with real proof by week four
In StoryProof
Set the program up in StoryProof
- You will need
- A list of recent customers and their emails
- One page you are allowed to change, or a link you can share
- 1
Add your pilot as contacts
Put the hand-picked customers into one smart list so the first send is small and deliberate.
- 2
Send one link by email
StoryProof sends requests by email. The link lets each customer write, record video or leave an audio note.
- 3
Let reminders handle the chasing
From Pro, the follow-ups automation reminds non-replies and stops when they respond.
- 4
Approve and tag what arrives
Read every submission. Tag by product and customer type from the start, so the library is organised from its first entry.
- 5
Publish on your first page
Choose the approved quotes for a widget and embed it, or share your Wall of Love link while the site waits.
What happens next: At the end of the month you know which questions work and which format your customers prefer. That is what a recurring monthly plan should be built on.
Before you start
What one month will not give you
A full library
A pilot produces a handful of testimonials. That is the point: enough to publish and learn from, not enough to cover every page.
Reliable reply rates
Ten to fifteen customers is too few to forecast from. Treat the pilot’s numbers as a first guess.
Email is the only send
StoryProof does not send SMS. If some customers only talk to you on the phone, share the link with them directly.
Good customers chosen by someone else
Colleagues may suggest friends rather than customers with results. Check each name has a story worth telling.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
How many customers should the first pilot include?
Ten to fifteen is enough to see patterns without spending your best relationships on an untested ask.
Should I ask for video from day one?
Offer it, but do not insist. Let the pilot show you what your customers are comfortable recording, then plan around that.
Who should the request come from?
Someone the customer knows: their account contact or a founder. A message from a stranger in marketing gets fewer replies.
What should be written down by the end of the month?
The questions that worked, the format customers chose, who approves, which tags you use and when the next round goes out.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Send your first pilot this week
Start free, ask a small group, and have real proof on one page within the month.
Last updated 2026-11-06.