Video testimonials can do something written reviews rarely manage, they let people hear tone, see confidence, and decide whether they trust what they’re watching. If you’ve been wondering how to make video testimonials that feel natural (not staged, not awkward), you’re in the right place.
This is a practical smartphone guide. Five simple steps, a few quick checks that make the quality jump, and a couple of ways to stop your finished testimonial becoming a nice clip that never really gets used. If your goal is to record a testimonial video on a phone, this gives you the essentials without overcomplicating it. And if you decide you’d rather have this filmed properly, without putting it on your team, start with video for small business.
If you want to go deeper specifically on testimonials, what to film, how to structure it, and how to keep it feeling natural, this is the next step: testimonial video production.
Why It’s Worth Learning How To Make Video Testimonials
When someone is choosing between two similar businesses, they’re usually trying to answer a simple question in their head, will this feel safe, will it work for me, and will I regret spending the money. A good video testimonial helps with that because it shows real detail, not just the words.
The point of learning how to make video testimonials is not to create “perfect” content. It’s to capture something believable. A few seconds of honest, specific description, what the problem was, what changed, and what it felt like afterwards, tends to land better than a polished paragraph full of praise. If you get stuck, start with simple testimonial video questions to ask, then let people answer in their own words.
If you want a deeper look at what makes testimonials work (and how to use them across your site, follow ups, and social), this page is a useful companion: the power of video testimonials.
Step 1: Choose The Right Environment For Recording
The first step in how to make video testimonials is picking a space where the person speaking can relax, and where the phone can capture clean audio. Most smartphone video testimonial tips start here because clear sound does more for trust than fancy visuals. If the sound is echoey or there’s constant background noise, even a great testimonial starts to feel messy.
Choose somewhere quiet and comfortable, with soft furnishings if you can. Curtains, carpets, sofas, they all help absorb sound and reduce that hollow “kitchen echo” effect. If you’re filming testimonials on iPhone, this single change usually improves quality more than any app tweak.
Here are a few quick checks:
- Indoor spaces: A living room, office, or quiet corner works well. Avoid big empty rooms with hard surfaces.
- Outdoor spaces: Outdoors can look great, but audio can fall apart fast. Wind and passing noise are the usual culprits.
- Background: Keep it simple. You want the viewer focused on the person, not the laundry pile or a flashing TV.
Example: A quiet living room, phone on a tripod, speaker sat slightly angled towards a window. The viewer hears every word clearly, and nothing in the background fights for attention.
Step 2: Define Your Message Clearly
If you want to know how to make video testimonials that people actually watch, this is the step that matters most. A testimonial needs shape, it should move from “before” to “after”, and it should include one or two specific details that make it believable.
Useful prompts:
- What problem were you dealing with before?
- What made you choose this product or service?
- What changed, and how did you notice it?
A strong, well-defined message makes your testimonial more impactful and relatable.
Keep it focused. Trying to cover everything usually creates a ramble, and the best bits get lost. One clear story beats five vague compliments.
Three ways to tighten it up:
- Be honest: Speak like a person, not a brochure. It should sound like you, not marketing copy.
- Use specifics: Swap “they were great” for one concrete example that proves it.
- Focus on benefit: What got easier, calmer, quicker, clearer, or less stressful?
Example: “I was constantly behind and stressing about it. After a month, I stopped chasing everything last minute. I know what’s happening, and I’m not dreading my inbox.” That’s still simple, it just feels real.
Step 3: Position Your Phone For The Best Shot
Learning how to make video testimonials is not about fancy camera tricks. It’s basic framing. Stable phone, eye level camera, and enough space around the head and shoulders so it feels comfortable to watch.
Here’s the simple setup: A simple video testimonial setup is usually enough, phone on a tripod, stable frame, clean audio, and one clear story.
- Use a tripod or stable surface: If you don’t have a tripod, a stack of books is fine. Shaky footage makes people switch off.
- Shoot at eye level: Eye level feels like a conversation. Too low looks odd, too high feels detached.
- Frame head and shoulders: Leave a little space above the head. Don’t crop tight on the face.
Do a ten second test clip first. Watch it with the sound on. If it looks fine and you can hear every word, you’re basically there.
Example: Phone on a tripod at eye level, speaker sat slightly off-centre, looking just beside the lens. It feels natural, not like an interrogation.
Step 4: Get Lighting And Sound Right
These two are the difference between “this feels professional” and “this feels like a rushed selfie video”. If you’re learning how to make video testimonials on a phone, focus here, it’s where you get the biggest quality jump for the least effort.
Quick fixes that work:
- Use natural light: Face a window. Soft daylight is usually the easiest option.
- Avoid backlight: Don’t put the window behind the speaker, unless you want a silhouette.
- Kill background noise: Turn off fans, TVs, and anything humming in the background.
- Get close to the mic: Phone audio is fine, as long as the speaker is not too far away. An external mic is better, but not essential.
Example: Speaker sat facing a window, curtains slightly closed to soften the light, room quiet, phone not too far away. It looks clean, it sounds clear, and the viewer doesn’t have to work to understand the message.
Step 5: Speak Naturally, Don’t Perform
The final step in how to make video testimonials is giving the speaker permission to be human. People don’t trust perfect. They trust real.
A few simple pointers:
- Take your time: Pause if needed. If they stumble, just restart that sentence.
- Be conversational: Aim for “telling a friend”, not “presenting to a room”.
- Use normal gestures: A bit of movement is good. Stiffness is what looks awkward on camera.
- Do one extra take: Often the second take is calmer, because the pressure has gone.
Example: “I was nervous doing this, but honestly, I just want to say it because it helped.” That line alone can make a testimonial feel grounded, because it tells the truth about how it feels to be on camera.
FAQ (Practical Stuff People Always Ask)
For most businesses, 30 to 90 seconds is the sweet spot, long enough to feel genuine, short enough that people actually finish it.
If someone has a bigger story, you can go up to 2 minutes, but keep it focused, one clear before, after, and outcome. A useful approach is to record one longer version, then edit shorter cut downs for your homepage, service pages, and social clips.
The easiest structure is: what life or work looked like before, why they chose you, what the experience was like, and what changed afterwards.
Encourage specific details rather than big claims. “I felt behind all the time” is more believable than “they’re amazing”. If they can name a result, a time saving, a relief moment, or a practical outcome, it lands far better. The goal is not perfection, it’s clarity and honesty.
Prioritise audio and light. Put the person facing a window (light in front, not behind), and film in a quiet room with soft furnishings to reduce echo. Good lighting for video testimonials is usually simple, face the speaker towards natural window light and avoid harsh overhead lighting where possible.
Keep the phone steady at eye level, frame head and shoulders, and do a 10 second test before recording properly. If the voice is clear and the face is well lit, the video will feel professional even without “fancy” editing. When you’re framing a testimonial video, keep the eyes near the top third of frame and leave a little looking room so it feels natural.
Put them where decisions happen. That usually means your main service page, the most visited service sub pages, and any page where a visitor is about to enquire, book, or buy.
They also work extremely well in follow up emails, because that’s often when someone is comparing options. For social, use short clips with captions and one clear takeaway, then let the longer version live on your website or YouTube if you want a deeper watch.
Don’t ask them to “say a testimonial”. Ask simple questions and let them answer in their own words. People sound most natural when they’re describing what happened, not when they’re trying to perform praise.
A good trick is to tell them they can pause, restart, and speak like they’re explaining it to a friend. Keep the camera rolling, the best lines often arrive after the first 20 seconds when they relax. Small imperfections make it feel real, and real is what builds trust.
Extra Tips For Better Video Testimonials
Once you’ve got the basics, these small tweaks can lift the result without adding loads of effort.
- Use notes, not a script: Bullet points are fine. Reading word for word usually looks stiff.
- Dress in a way that feels like you: You don’t need to overdress, but avoid loud patterns that pull attention away from the face.
- Look near the lens: Eye contact matters, but staring directly down the lens can feel intense. Looking just beside it often feels more natural.
That’s the core of how to make video testimonials on a smartphone, clean setup, clear message, and a delivery that sounds like a real person.
If you want these filmed and edited as a proper set of assets for your website and social, start here: video for small business.
