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13 Of The Best Strategies for Word-of-Mouth Marketing
When you think of the best marketing strategy, what comes to your mind? If your answer is word-of-mouth marketing, then you are on the right track. Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful way to build a business and get more customers because people trust their friends and family over most other forms of advertisement.
Did you know that 60% of people turn to their loved ones before making a purchasing decision?
A word of mouth impression drives at least 5x more sales than a paid impression and customers acquired through word of mouth, spend 2x more and make 2x as many referrals themselves!
In 2014, an American research firm established that a word of mouth referral had even more impact than social media in consumer purchasing decisions. Customer reviews are therefore the basis of marketing based on recommendation: in short, your satisfied customers are your first influencers!
In this article, we will discuss 13 strategies that can help generate more word-of-mouth advertising for your business!
What Is Word of Mouth Marketing & How Does it Work?
It seems obvious but deserves to be remembered.
When we have a good experience with a brand, product, or service, we’re happy to- and frequently do- share it with others. And because our loved ones trust us, they are in the best position to evaluate a service. As mentioned in the introduction: even today, the opinions of a company’s customers matter more to consumers in their purchasing decision than any other recommendation!
So, the absolute first thing you need to do, to put in place a word of mouth marketing strategy .... is to satisfy your customers as much as possible. It is only at this stage that they will become your best referrers.
Thus, in a tight market, it is essential to do everything possible to offer a quality service, PERIOD!
Why Is Word of Mouth Marketing Important For Business?
Word of mouth marketing is important for businesses because it’s a low-cost way to get the word out about your products and services. People trust their friends and family more than advertisements, so when they have good things to say about you, people will listen!
It may seem like every company has great reviews these days, but if customers are talking about you on social media or telling their friend in person then that’s just as valuable.
How To Get Started With Word of Mouth Marketing
Word of mouth marketing is what builds businesses! Keep in mind that word of mouth marketing can happen on ad offline so be sure to make use of both channels. Here are 4 ways to generate more customer referrals:
- Include testimonial quotes from satisfied customers on your website and other places where potential customers might see them.
- Use social media to reach out to new leads and current clients who have had success with the company before (e.g., posts on Facebook).
- Offer incentives like loyalty programs that provide perks when referrals are brought in by existing customer base.
- Make new connections in order to have a wide variety of people spreading your company’s name – Start generating buzz with better word on the street!
Examples of Successful Campaigns That Used Word of Mouth Marketing
What immediately comes to mind when someone says peanut butter? Was it jelly? In this case, peanut butter acts almost like an advertisement for jelly. This is the type of association you want to create for your brand.
One famous example is a KFC campaign that ran in Japan in the 1970s. Translated to “Kentucky for Christmas,” it promoted a party barrel of fried chicken as Christmas dinner. The campaign was so successful that until today, many families in Japan order some Kentucky Fried Chicken when the holiday season rolls around.
Another example worth talking about is the Rolls Royce “The Car of Stars” campaign. In this case, a celebrity or high-profile individual would be given the car as their prize for being in attendance at an event and they were encouraged to drive it around on public roads.
The idea was that people with connections to Hollywood celebrities would see them driving around town in a Rolls Royce and then they too might want to purchase one themselves. There are so many other ways you can use word-of-mouth marketing within your business model but these two campaigns show how effective it is when done correctly!
The Importance of WOMM, Social Media & The Use of #Hashtags
The power of social media is undeniable. It has become a key to success for businesses and individuals alike, as evidenced by the exponential growth in popularity across platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram, Tiktok and many more. Social media is a powerful resource for any business looking to connect with its audience or customers. But social media isn’t just about connecting people – it’s also an important tool for marketing and promoting your product, service or company.
Using hashtags on social networks can help you reach more people by getting associated searches (which are often the first few words of what someone types into their search bar) related to your products, services and business trending in real time and making them easier to find.
The power behind viral marketing strategies has been well documented by companies such as PepsiCo., who created their own hashtag – #ShareaCoke during 2015’s Super Bowl commercial campaign which generated over 4 million mentions within hours.
Similarly, when Wendy’s launched its five dollar value meal on Facebook using #5dollarvaluemeal featuring images from satisfied customers, there was an instant message sent to over one million of their followers.
With this type of marketing, it’s about building a dialogue with your customers and having them share what you’ve created with others in the hopes that they will want to try out new products or services.
Don’t forget to include an indication within your posts if there are relevant links for more information, so people can feel like they have discovered something on their own without feeling pressured by sales points!
The best part is that word-of-mouth marketing doesn’t need TV campaigns, expensive packaging or celebrity endorsements—all it needs is good quality content and a little patience…and ideally some encouragement from friends as well who keep sharing those messages.
So go ahead – embrace social media and allow those hashtags to spread the word and get people to talk about your brand!
Tips for getting your customers talking about you on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
Do you want to get your customers talking about you on ALL THE SOCIAL PLATFORMS? We all do!
Here are a few additional tips on how to get your womm strategy to word for you on social media.
- Be creative with how often posts go up – don’t be too predictable or annoying by posting every hour!
- Respond to comments promptly- if they need help or have a question, answer them as soon as possible
- Ask questions of followers (without being creepy!) in order to start conversations that will interest more people
- Share pictures from different angles
- Take photos at events where there is plenty going on but also make time for solo shots
- Put together an album showcasing various aspects of what makes your business unique
- Try sharing videos telling short stories or share pictures with captions
USE THE INTERNET IN YOUR WORD OF MOUTH STRATEGY
Obviously, the best communication channel, that is the internet, must be part of a word of mouth strategy. And to do this, the possibilities are endless with:
SOCIAL NETWORKS
The social networks allow small businesses to create a community around its brand, products & services.
It also allows you to communicate with said community, as well as share and create events that are physical or digital.
Virality can be in full swing, and social networks can help generate digital word of mouth by sharing news, reviews and referral links.
E-MAILING
E-mailing is certainly more of a recent string as word of mouth, but of course much older than the social network tools such as Facebook Messenger. However, e-mailing also makes it possible to generate word of mouth referrals from earned traffic to your very own email list. Emails containing videos and/ or images carrying a unifying and attractive message, can be shared enormously.
If your customers appreciate it, and you ask them to share, they will send it to their contacts : virality (therefore word of mouth) is therefore playing full force here.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Finally, of course, customer reviews are the main tool for simulating word of mouth on the internet.
A social media user may get introduced to your brand and get curious about your business and services.
I personally have gained clients from Instagram.
If there are customer reviews on your Facebook business page, a new lead will more than likely read them before making a purchase decision.
Hey!
DO NOT believe that negative or mixed reviews will prevent anyone from appealing to you….. As long as there are not too many of them of course!
The only problem with customer reviews on the internet is that, in recent years, fake reviews have developed and some people are just haters!
Today it is quite easy to upset just 1 person and bam: BAD REVIEWS from them and their 20 cousins!
A stain like this on an online reputation does not disappear quickly, however, going against these fake reviews and asking for REAL and reliable reviews, from both older customers and new ones, will definitely help your strategy. This strategy aims to offer small businesses a system of verified customer reviews to enhance its quality commitments. It also makes it possible to use the internet to broaden its word of mouth marketing strategy!
It’s important to remember that people are more likely to go out of their way for someone they know. Try these strategies and see how your word-of-mouth marketing strategy can be a success. So, if you’ve never heard of word-of-mouth marketing, it’s time to start paying attention. Word of mouth is one the most powerful forms of marketing out there, and companies who harness its power can see up to a 60% increase in revenue.
Yet many businesses are still hesitant about investing in this strategy because they don’t know how to get started or if their budget will support it. However, with my FREE checklist for implementing an effective word-of-mouth campaign, your worries should be put at ease!
The 13 steps on our list will have you well on your way towards building relationships that lead to increased sales opportunities from happy customers sharing what they love about you–all without breaking your bank account. Sign up to get access to your free copy.
OH & HEY!
Do YOU Need assistance with your online reputation? Book a consultation with me today!
"Word of mouth marketing is what builds businesses." - Gary vee
