Short answer: a testimonial ad needs four things. It needs a real customer, their exact words, their written permission, and nothing given in return. With those in place, a cafe, a tradesperson or a salon can make one in about an hour with a phone and a free card maker. The rest of this page covers the formats, where to find good quotes, and the rules people skip.
What is a testimonial ad?
When you say “we’re the friendliest cafe in town”, you are talking about yourself. When a customer says it, that is a testimonial. Put their words in an advert, with a first name, a photo or a few seconds of video, and you have a testimonial ad. It might be a paid social post, a boosted post, a flyer or a poster in the window.
It works because people tend to trust what other customers say more than a slogan. You have probably done it yourself: scrolled past the headline to read what someone actually said.
Four simple testimonial ad formats for a small business
You don’t need an agency for any of these.
- Quote card. The customer’s words on a clean background, with their first name and one detail underneath. It is quick, cheap and works on any channel. The free testimonial card maker does exactly this.
- Photo plus quote. A real picture next to the words. For a tradesperson that might be the finished job. For a salon it could be the customer’s result, if they have agreed to appear. The photo matters less than you might think, as long as it is real.
- Short phone video. The customer says a sentence or two to camera. Shaky is fine, because a polished take of someone praising their plumber can look staged. The guide to testimonial videos covers filming and the permission wording for faces and voices.
- Review-style card. The words laid out like a review. Take care with this one. The words must be a genuine customer’s, unchanged. Only show stars or where the review came from if they match the original exactly.
If layout is where you get stuck, testimonial design shows how to make a card look like a real person said it.
Where to find a testimonial worth using
You probably have some already. They are in thank-you messages, emails, WhatsApp chats, review sites and the things people say at the till.
The best ones are specific. “Great service” tells a stranger nothing. “He turned up when he said he would and left the kitchen cleaner than he found it” tells them a lot. When you look through what you have, pick the sentence with a detail in it.
If nothing stands out, ask. Ask an open question that invites a real answer, and ask every customer, not only the ones you expect to be pleased. How to ask for a testimonial has wording you can use.
You can’t write a quote yourself and ask a customer to approve it. The words have to be theirs.
Get permission before it goes in an advert
A customer saying something kind to you hasn’t agreed to appear in your advertising. Those are two separate things, and they are easy to blur.
As good practice, get written permission before you use a customer’s words, name, photo or video. A short form or a saved message is enough. Say where it will appear: a quote on your website and the same quote in a paid advert feel different to the person who said it. Agree how their name will show, and tell them they can ask for it to be removed. The testimonial forms guide has consent wording you can adapt.
Keep each quote with its permission reply, so you can show what was agreed if anyone asks.
Keep the quote true: no editing the meaning, no invented customers
Don’t change what the customer meant. Fixing a typo is fine. Cutting “it was good, though the wait was long” down to “it was good” changes the meaning. If a quote is too long, use a different one, or ask the customer whether a shorter version is fine and keep their answer.
Don’t invent anyone. That means no made-up names, no stock photo posing as a client, and no “customer” stitched together from three separate comments. The CMA defines a fake review as one that claims to be based on a person’s genuine experience but is not. Its guidance says businesses must not pretend to be a consumer leaving a review or commission fake reviews. The ban covers text, speech and images, online or in print. It also covers reviews a trader puts in its own marketing materials, so a testimonial ad is included.
Rewards, discounts and paid testimonials are not allowed
Under the DMCC Act 2024, the CMA’s fake reviews guidance bans fake reviews and “concealed incentivised reviews”. A concealed incentivised review is one where someone was rewarded for the review and the reward isn’t made clear. The guidance says a reward can be money, discounts, vouchers, freebies, free stays or invitations to events. Paying someone to write a testimonial for a customer they never were is a fake review, whatever you call it.
Our rule is simpler: offer no reward at all. That means no discount for a nice quote, no freebie and no money. Once someone has been rewarded, their words stop reading as an independent opinion. A testimonial ad only works if people believe it. For the legal detail, see fake reviews and UK law.
Testimonial ad or review? Which to use where
A review lives on a platform such as Google or Trustpilot, where the customer chose to post it. You can’t edit it, and you don’t choose which reviews appear. A testimonial ad is you choosing one customer’s words, with their permission, and putting them in front of people who haven’t gone looking for you yet.
Use your reviews where people already check them, on your listing and profile. Use a testimonial ad to reach new people. To turn a review into an ad, ask the reviewer first, keep their words exactly as written, and link to the original where you can.
How to make a quote-card ad in five steps
- Pick a real quote with a detail in it, from a customer you can contact.
- Get written permission for the words, the name and any photo, including use in paid adverts.
- Paste the exact words into the free testimonial card maker, without editing them.
- Add the first name and one detail the customer agreed to, such as what they had done or the town they live in.
- Check it against the original, word for word, before it goes live.
That last check takes thirty seconds. Do it every time. A misquote in an advert is an awkward thing to explain to a customer who was kind enough to help.
Questions people ask
What is a testimonial ad?
It is an advert built around a customer's own words, photo or video instead of your own claims about your business. It can be a quote card, a photo with a quote, a short phone video or a review-style card. It should use a genuine quote the customer has agreed to, show who said it, and never be edited, invented or rewarded.
Can I use a customer's Google review in my advert?
Ask the reviewer first, and only use it if they agree. Keep their exact words, agree how their name will appear, and link to the original review where you can instead of rewording it. Check Google's own help pages before you put a review in a paid advert. This page doesn't cover Google's rules on that.
Where can I buy testimonials?
Don't. A testimonial that isn't based on a real customer's experience is a fake review, and the CMA's guidance under the DMCC Act 2024 says businesses must not commission fake reviews or hide that a review was rewarded. Ask real customers instead, and accept whatever they honestly say.
What should I say in a testimonial for an advert?
If you are the customer, say what actually happened, with one specific detail: what was done, how it went, and what you would tell a friend. If you are the business, don't script it. The words have to be the customer's own.
Do I need permission to use a customer testimonial in an ad?
Get it every time, in writing as good practice. It should cover the quote, the name and any photo or video, and say where it will appear, including paid adverts. Keep a copy of their reply with the quote.