A testimonial is a customer’s own words about working with you, used with their permission. On social media or anywhere else it must be genuine: fake reviews have been banned in the UK since 6 April 2025.
The number: UK Online Review Statistics.
How to turn testimonials into social posts
- Ask permission in writing, and agree how the customer is named, such as first name and town.
- Pull one specific line: the result, the time it took or the price. “Great service” sells nothing.
- Pair it with a photo of the actual job, taken by you.
- Link to where the full review lives, such as your Google profile, so people can check it.
- Do not change the meaning or show only the glowing ones in a way that misleads. The ban covers misleading reviews, not just fake ones.
What it means in practice
The mistake is treating testimonials as decoration: a carousel of first names and five stars that nobody can check.
The move is one specific, checkable quote per post, posted on a schedule, with a link back to the source review.
Whito stage: Build. Collect reviews as a habit first. Posting them comes second.
The numbers to hold onto
- 89% of UK adults use online reviews when researching a product or service. UK Online Review Statistics.
- The UK ban on fake and misleading reviews has been in force since 6 April 2025. UK Online Review Statistics.
- Fines run up to 10% of global turnover. UK Online Review Statistics.
Where to go next
Related: Fake reviews ban, Net Promoter Score, UGC