How To Find Testimonials You Didn’t Know You Had

Who’s going to vouch for your skill and talent if you're a total noob?

Starting out in freelancing can be daunting, whether as a writer or any kind of service provider.

It’s sort of like the chicken and the egg concept. You need endorsements to get a leg up, but how will you get them if you haven’t worked with anyone yet?

The idea behind this post came to me the other day while updating my Substack Virtual Assistant website with a new testimonial.

As writers, every single one of us has web space, whether it be on Substack, a blog, Medium, or our author websites. And guess what? Our writing spaces are FULL of accolades we may not be aware of.

They’re a gold mine when trying to dig up endorsements. We can navigate straight to our comment sections where we’ll find a wealth of feedback we’ve accumulated over time.

These are your testimonials. Whether they were paying customers or not, they are your readers - arguably the most valuable asset writers have. They’re the people who visit your site and find something worthy enough to comment on.

Using Positive Comments as Testimonials

Nothing strokes our egos like some good old-fashioned feedback from strangers and virtual friends. These ego strokes fulfill two different needs for us as writers.

The first is validation. We love knowing our words are landing the way they were intended to.

Second, all positive feedback can serve as testimonials for future clients, customers, and subscribers.

Back in my days as a fledgling travel writer, long before anyone wanted to work with me, I spent a bit too much time wondering where I could get some accolades relevant to the new services I had planned to offer.

Then I realized I only had to look as far as my blog. In no time flat, I was able to create a makeshift testimonials page full of the best comments I had received on my blog posts.

Talk about an ego boost and the ability to turn readers into authentic endorsements for my writing. When I revisited comments such as these, it was all I needed.

“We love you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. When we’re feeling homesick your writing brings us back, even if only for a moment. xoxoxo Looking forward to what this power house of a woman will do in the future!”

“I love your blog! I just spent the better half of the afternoon reading *almost* all of your posts because I couldn’t get enough!”

“You’ve provided your readers with a wealth of useful information. Those who are new to Jamaica have learned a lot of things that no travel agent could ever tell them, and the “old heads” like me have enjoyed living vicariously through your adventures. I think your blog is just scratching the surface of what will soon come to fruition!”

Wow, right? Talk about fluffing up my tail feathers!

Look at the kind of appreciation you can find simply by sifting through and paying attention to your best comments.

Your readers aren’t only there to boost your stats. They are your ‘customers,’ especially in this business of Substacking, even if you don’t consider it a business yet.

The simplest way to build a portfolio of testimonials

Aside from reader comments, the easiest way to start building a “kudos” file for your Substack (or any website) is to simply ASK for them.

If you’ve got steadfast readers who follow your writing closely, give them a call to action by asking for recommendations. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing with my fellow Substackers as I build my V.A. service.

Just send an email to your people and ASK. In most cases, they’re happy to give you a short write-up authenticating your skills and strengths.

Giving and receiving endorsements is an effortless act that could ultimately change the face of any Substack, blog, or project you launch. It costs us nothing to help each other along the way, and it provides the validation your potential clients or subscribers are looking for.

After that, it’s up to you to deliver the goods and prove them right.

If your tolerance for tinkering with Substack sits below sea level, you’ve got options! I double as a Substack Virtual Assistant and I’ve got you. Send me your to-do list and forget about it.