The difference between Testimonial vs Review you should know

Understanding the difference between testimonials and reviews is more than just basic knowledge. It's a key strategic element in intelligently building brand credibility, controlling your image, and optimizing conversion rates. This article will delve into each concept, clearly defining the boundaries, and provide specific strategies to help you leverage the power of both.

Clearly define "What is a testimonial?"

A "testimonial" is a story, an affirmation, or a positive endorsement from a satisfied customer, actively collected and selected by a business for marketing purposes. Simply put, a testimonial is your marketing asset; you decide where and how it appears.

Key features of Testimonial:

• As requested: Businesses proactively contact their most satisfied customers and ask them to share their feedback.
• Controlled: You have full control over editing, designing, and selecting the best and most compelling testimonials to post.
• The purpose is clear: The goal of a testimonial is to convince potential customers, overcome skepticism, and encourage them to take action (make a purchase, sign up).
• Specificity: A good testimonial typically focuses on a specific benefit or tells a “before and after” story. It answers the question: “How did this product solve my problem?”

Common Testimonial formats:

• Quote: A few short, powerful sentences, accompanied by the customer's name and image. (For example: “ABC’s service helped me increase my revenue by 30% in just 2 months.” – Mr. Nguyen Van A, Director of XYZ).
• Video Testimonial: The most powerful format. Customers tell their stories directly. Video evokes strong emotions and builds trust.
• Case Study: An in-depth testimonial that analyzes the customer's problem, your solution, and the specific results in detail (commonly used in B2B).
• Social Media Post: Take a screenshot of a customer's compliment on Facebook or Zalo (with permission) and turn it into a testimonial.

Customer testimonials for Right Media

Clearly define "What is a review?"

"Reviews" are simply "evaluations" or "comments," which are feedback, opinions, or experiences (positive, negative, or neutral) voluntarily posted by customers on public, often third-party, platforms that businesses cannot control or edit. They are public conversations about your brand, and you are not the initiator.

The core characteristics of a Review:

• Voluntary: Customers leave reviews automatically without you asking (although you can encourage them to do so).
• Uncontrolled: Whether a review is a 1-star or a 5-star rating, it's all public. You can't delete a 1-star review on Google Maps just because you didn't like it.
• Third-party platforms: Reviews often reside on "territories" you don't own. For example: Google Maps, e-commerce platforms (Shopee, Tiki, Lazada), specialized review sites (TripAdvisor, Foody), or social media groups.
• High authenticity: Because they are not controlled, reviews (including negative reviews) feel more authentic and trustworthy in the eyes of many consumers.

A detailed comparison of Testimonial vs Review – Key differences

Now, let's compare these two concepts. This is the core part of clarifying the difference between Testimonial vs. Review. We can summarize the differences in the following table:

A deeper analysis of the three biggest differences:

1. Differences in “Control”

This is the clearest line.

• With Testimonial, you are the director. You choose the actors (the client), write the script (or guide the story), and decide which “scenes” get aired. The goal is to create a perfect marketing message.
• With Reviews, you are the audience (and the crisis manager). The community is the director; you can only sit back, watch, and respond to the reviews. You can't stop an angry customer from exposing you on Google.

2. Differences in "Authenticity"

Today's customers are very smart.

• When they read a testimonial on your website, they know it's "the best." It helps build trust, but there's always an underlying skepticism: "This is just your selection."
• When they read reviews, they trust the product more. A product with 4.5 stars and 1000 reviews (including both 4-star and 3-star ratings) is generally more trustworthy than a product with only 10 perfect 5-star reviews. Negative reviews (if any) inadvertently increase the credibility of positive reviews.

3. Differences in “Strategic Objectives”

• You use Testimonial to convinceYou place it right next to the "Buy Now" button on your landing page to close the sale. You use it in your ads to dispel any doubt from the customer.
• You use Reviews to present and listen (Be Present & Listen). Reviews help you rank higher on Google (Local SEO). Reviews are an invaluable source of feedback for improving your products and services. How you feedback Reviews (especially negative reviews) are also part of a branding strategy.

Why do businesses need both? Testimonial vs Review?

A common mistake is thinking that only one of the two is necessary. Some companies focus solely on polishing testimonials on their website, neglecting their Google Maps page which is full of one-star reviews. Others leave their brand image to organic reviews without knowing how to turn positive feedback into a marketing asset. The truth is, testimonials and reviews are not rivals; they are two arms of "trust."

The Power of Testimonials: Building a Brand Story

• Overcome specific obstacles: A testimonial is designed to solve a problem. If a customer is worried about the "high price," a testimonial that talks about "value for money" will be more effective than any advertisement.
• Create an emotional connection: A testimonial video telling the story of a customer's journey from hardship to success (thanks to your product) has an emotional power that hundreds of 5-star reviews cannot achieve.
• Conversion optimization: Placing testimonials in the right place (price page, checkout page) is a classic "sales closing" technique that helps reduce cart abandonment rates and increase direct conversions.

The Power of Reviews: Building Real-World Social Proof

• Enhance SEO (Especially Local SEO): Google loves reviews. The number of reviews, average star rating, and review frequency are important ranking factors, especially for Google Maps (for shops, restaurants, and local services).
• Build a foundation of trust: Reviews create a foundation of credibility for your brand online. When customers search for your name on Google, they will immediately see your star rating. This is the first impression.
• Free market research channels: 1-3 star reviews are a goldmine. They pinpoint your weaknesses precisely: slow delivery, rude staff, defective products… This is raw, unbiased data for you to improve your operations.

The synergy strategy: Use reviews to build credibility and attract customers (through SEO). Then, use testimonials on your website/landing page to persuade them and close the sale.

Effective strategies for using testimonials vs. reviews.

Understanding testimonial vs. review is one thing, but knowing how to apply them is another. Here are some practical strategies:

Professional Testimonial Collection Strategy

You can't wait for testimonials to appear on their own. You have to go "hunt" for them:

1. Right time:

The ideal time to request a testimonial is right after a client has achieved success or expressed satisfaction.

• Example 1: Right after a project is completed and the client emails with praise.
• Example 2: Immediately after a customer posts a photo "showing off" your product on social media.

2. Ask guiding questions:

Never ask, "Could you write me a testimonial?" The answer will be very vague. Ask leading questions to get the story out of them.

• Question 1 (Problem): "What was the biggest difficulty/challenge you faced before finding our product/service?"
• Question 2 (Solution): "What made you choose our services over other solutions?"
• Question 3 (Result): "What was the most specific result/greatest benefit you received after using it?"
• Question 4 (Hint): "How would you introduce this product to (type of person/business)?"

3. Make everything EASY:

Customers are busy, so don't make them work too hard:

• Method 1 (Good): Send an email with the three questions above.
• Method 2 (Better): Suggest a 10-minute video call. You ask, they answer, you record and edit it into a quoted testimonial (and ask them for their approval).
• Method 3 (Best): "Would you mind if we based our work on the results and prepared a testimonial, then sent it to you for review and editing?" (This method is most effective with busy B2B clients).

Smart Review Management Strategy

You can't control the reviews, but you can control how you respond to them.

1. Encourage proactive reviews:

Be proactive in "asking" for reviews (as opposed to "asking" for testimonials). The goal is to get genuine feedback, not praise.

• Send automated emails/SMS after customers complete their orders, including a direct link to Google Maps or the product page on the e-commerce platform.
• Place QR codes at stores and checkout counters with the message: "Tell us about your experience."
• Note: Absolutely do not “buy” 5-star reviews or require customers to give 5-star reviews to receive vouchers. This violates the policies of most platforms and will backfire if discovered.

2. The art of handling negative reviews (1-3 stars):

This is a golden opportunity to demonstrate professionalism. A positive response to a 1-star review is worth more than a 5-star review.

The "Golden" Response Formula (APO):

• A – Acknowledge & Apologize: "Thank you, [Customer Name], for taking the time to leave a review. [Company Name] sincerely apologizes for the unpleasant experience you had regarding [specific issue]." Absolutely no defensiveness, and no blaming the customer ("Because you didn't read carefully...").
• P – Propose a Solution (Planned solution & Personal opinion): "We have reviewed your case..." (If you can). Or “The [Customer Service/Technical Support] department will contact you immediately via [Phone Number/Email] to resolve this issue completely.”
• O – Take it Offline (Take it to a private channel): The goal is to resolve the issue via Zalo/phone, not on a public review page. You can provide feedback: "Please provide more information [order code/phone number] to [email] so we can assist you as quickly as possible."

Once the issue is resolved, the customer may voluntarily revise their review. Even if they don't, other potential customers who read your professional response will still trust you.

Returning to the introductory question, the difference between a testimonial and a review is significant.

• Testimonial It's carefully selected advertising, a marketing asset you use to persuade.
• Review It's natural feedback, the voice of the community you use to listen to and build credibility.

Testimonials show the best you can do. Reviews show how you're actually doing on a daily basis.

In short, a strong brand in the 21st century needs both testimonials and reviews. They need polished success stories on their website (testimonials), and they also need a 4.7-star Google Maps rating with thousands of genuine reviews. Start your testimonial collection strategy today, and at the same time, seriously manage and respond to all reviews about your brand. That's the most sustainable way to build trust.