How to Use Influencer Video Reviews to Grow Your Audience, Reputation & Revenue

A brand that’s trusted is a brand that makes money.

But how do you build trust?

That’s the challenge for brands looking to stand out online. Anyone can take their side hustle and turn it into a business. But living in the #bossbabe era means constant competition whether you’re a start-up or a well-established name. Thankfully, success leaves clues and it’s 100% possible to generate exposure and revenue without breaking the bank.

For a cost-effective and proven way to build trust, you can’t look past video. More specifically, influencer video reviews.

In this article, I’ll explain why video reviews are the best weapon you’re not using yet, blow your mind with a few video marketing stats that can’t be ignored, and show you how easy it is to use influencer video reviews to drive exposure, interest, and sales.

Let’s dig right into it.

What are video reviews?

You probably think your brand is the best thing since sliced bread (and I agree). But since it is *your* brand, that makes your opinion a little biased. ‘Authenticity’ isn’t the first word that comes to mind when a consumer watches a branded video made by you, for you.

But if that video comes from a third party - especially if that third party is highly credible and trustworthy - then the value skyrockets.

Enter video reviews, endorsements, and testimonials.

A video review, endorsement, or testimonial is authentic, unbiased, and real feedback on your products and services from your customers or brand advocates. These types of reviews are perceived as more authentic than any form of branded content, which is how you can leverage social proof to build trust.

The numbers don’t lie. 70% of people rely on recommendations from their peers to assess the trustworthiness of a brand - and that’s why branded ads and website content are viewed with suspicion. A brand talking about itself comes across as forced, fake, or full of ‘you know what’. But an authentic video review can help drive interest and influence purchasing behaviour.

So you should go out and ask your top customers to film video reviews, right?

Not so fast… 

Some reviews carry more weight than others. It’s helpful to see the average Jane or Joe recommend a product in a crisp, easy-to-watch video. But when a leading influencer - who commands the attention and admiration of thousands of followers - endorses your product on video, that’s when the magic happens.

Here’s why influencer reviews provide the most value...

Influencer video reviews are more powerful than customer video reviews. This comes down to the fact that influencers have followers who place a high level of trust in their recommendations. 

For example, let’s say you want to sell a fitness-related product. You could film your satisfied customers raving about your brand, but the videos you create will still have an authenticity AND an exposure problem. Unless someone is on your website, social media profile, or YouTube channel, your videos will be invisible.

Now, imagine you partner with a mid-tier influencer with 40,000 followers in the fitness niche. By giving away a few of your products for review, the resulting video testimonial or endorsement has HUGE credibility and exposure. Suddenly, your product (and brand) is exposed to 40,000 people who love health and fitness.

That’s how you leverage social proof to grow your audience, reputation, and revenue.

Influencers have spent months or years building audiences whose values and interests they share. The best influencers know this, and that’s why they don’t spruik every new product under the sun. Instead, they carefully select brand partnerships based on shared values. 

When you partner with the right influencer, their credibility and authority become yours. In short, an honest, positive review from an influencer can drive interest and sales because social media users feel confident buying products that their favourite influencer also uses.

3 reasons influencer video reviews are powerful

Video has EXPLODED in the past decade.

Case in point, 96% of consumers increased their video consumption in 2020. With the rise of video-driven platforms like TikTok and the increased use of social media during the pandemic, your customers are watching videos more than ever.

Diving deeper, online reviews influence the purchasing decisions of 93% of consumers. So if you’re collecting reviews on Google, Facebook, or even in video form, then you’re already giving your audience what they want. But adding influencer reviews can help supercharge your results. Here are three advantages you’ll enjoy.

#1 - Influencer video reviews… help remove obstacles, objections & hesitations

Every consumer is worried about the same thing… getting ripped off. Whether it is clothes that don’t fit, electronics that break, or beauty products that fall short of expectations, the fear of buying a dud is real.

Watching an influencer review a product - no matter what niche - helps remove that fear and build trust. For example, watching a skinfluencer use a new skincare product in real-time can help answer questions like “is this product going to be hard to use?”, “is this product high-quality?” and “is this product worth the money?”.

#2 - Influencer video reviews… help build authority in your niche

Most influencers stick to what they know. This could be fitness, travel, food, makeup… you get the idea. With a niche focus, an influencer’s audience typically shares the same interests and values. For example, a vegan foodie influencer will have followers who also live vegan lifestyles.

By partnering with a niche influencer to create video reviews, you’ll help build social proof and authority in the eyes of their followers. Building your reputation by proxy, authentic influencer reviews help turn you into an authority worth trusting.

#3 - Influencer videos… are highly memorable and keep your brand top of mind

What was the last ad you saw on the side of a bus? Or the last interesting blog you read online? 

What about the last memorable video you watched?

I bet it’s easier to think of the video content you’ve recently consumed over traditional advertising formats. And if that describes you, you’re not alone. Research shows that 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. That explains why the majority of consumers prefer video over text when consuming content.

Video reviews from influencers are viewed by thousands (and possibly millions) of people - but they’re also memorable and keep your brand top of mind. If a consumer is thinking about switching from an existing brand to a new brand, visible influencer video testimonials and endorsements can boost your chance of being considered.

Video marketing stats you can’t ignore

No one wants a face full of numbers, so I’ll only hit you with the facts and figures that matter. 😉

If you’re still on the fence about incorporating video reviews into your marketing approach, here are a few reasons why brands around Australia (and the world) are using cost-effective video content from top influencers.

• 72% of consumers prefer to learn about a product via video
• Consumers retain 95% of a message when watching a video (and just 10% from text)
• Brands who use video grow 49% faster than non-video brands
• People watch an average of 16 hours of video every week

But look, I get it. What works for other brands won’t necessarily work for you. You don’t want to sink thousands of dollars into an influencer review campaign only to see a handful of ‘likes’, or worse… nothing. 

And with #gifted, you never have to worry about paying for an influencer who can’t deliver. It’s never been easier to get authentic reviews quickly and without a ballooning budget. 

Here’s how you can grow through the power of gifting. 🎁

How to use #gifted to generate influencer video reviews

Influencer reviews are one of the most cost-effective and powerful levers you can pull in your business. With 92% of consumers trusting recommendations from influencers more than they trust branded content, partnering with a credible thought leader creates instant social proof.

With #gifted, you can create a gifting campaign around your products or experiences. Upload a photo and set your parameters (location, gender, follower count, and more), and receive applications from influencers who match your brief. You pick the influencers you like best and watch the content come rolling in.

More than a way to flex online, the trust an influencer video review generates can help grow your audience, reputation, and revenue.

If you’d like to leverage the power of influencer video reviews, download the #gifted app today.