Stories sell. But recommendations sell a lot more. This is what makes word-of-mouth marketing so effective.
As the name suggests this is the oldest & widest form of marketing which creates no doubt in the buyer’s mind about the product or service.
Word-of-mouth marketing is not only about getting valuable customers but about getting good raving fans with legendary customer service. It is an unpaid form of promotion where the customers share their knowledge about the product, service, or business.
A very popular example was when the multinational company ‘Coca-Cola’ rebranded its logo by replacing one side of the bottle with the simple phrase ‘Share a Coke with’ followed by any person’s name.
That summer in Australia, with a population of 23 million, the Coca-Cola company was able to sell over 250 million named bottles and cans of their product this way.
Seven years later,
Here are some proven techniques of word-of-mouth marketing that can help to grow your business at its maximum.
1. Encourage consumer-generated media.
Encourage your customers to engage more with your brand on social media by creating user-friendly contests such as fun quizzes, polls, etc. Then get prospective consumers to share your contests or quizzes through shareable hashtag marketing, as it is a great way to boost sales and searchability of your content through marketing.
2. Reviews and testimonials
Using consumer reviews and testimonials is the easiest way of pulling word-of-mouth recommendations onto your site or social feed. Look at your website for reviews or testimonials related to your business and see what people are saying about your brand. Post them on social media along with the link of the original review to identify the reviewer to improve the post’s credibility.
3. Freebies and incentives
In this busy world, no one has the time to take a break and review the product until and unless you attract them by providing incentives for an honest opinion about the business, you can launch a referral program to do that. It does not cost an arm and a leg but is just a welcoming gift for an honest opinion as shoppers love the free stuff, and one of the famous cosmetic companies, Sephora, uses this to its advantage.
You might think freebies cost more than money it’s made but the truth is I, one of the consumers of Sephora beauty products, got three products as a freebie, and for the last six months I have purchased seven beauty items from Sephora and I am just one example. The truth is freebies can hook a person in and build loyalty.
4. Generate Trigger
It’s a strategic business choice that compels conversation. What unique thing should a brand do to compel people to talk about it?
One of the famous examples is Double Chip’s famous chocolate chips cookies
Giving each guest a warm chocolate chip cookie when they arrive at the hotel makes a great impact on the customer experience.
People talk about DoubleTree cookies all the time, which is one of the reasons why the company doesn’t have to spend a lot of money advertising.
So Word-of-mouth marketing tends to incorporate two key components:
- Create something buzzworthy.
- Encourage the buzz.
Importance of word-of-mouth marketing.
A newly launched product or business may fail with bad word-of-mouth marketing tactics. Due to the popularity and penetration of the internet and social media, it has been becoming more and more important for all brands.
It is equally important for small businesses or local firms and even large investment businesses. Say for instance
When the Tata company launched the Nano car, it was a super fit for its brand image because people called it the “Poor man’s car”.
The effect of ‘negative word of mouth marketing’
Negative reviews are very devastating for any business. In this internet and social media era, good word-of-mouth recommendations promote the business to potential customers.
However, bad word-of-mouth complaints mean consumers stopping potential customers from buying the product or service. It has a huge impact on the bottom line or profits of any organization. In E-commerce, it immediately results in a drop in sales.
For instance, people generally go to see a movie based on reviews made by those who have already seen the movie, or lately, on the basis of critics’ opinions. I
n fact, a big-budget film fails due to bad-mouthing and I can prove it. A highly anticipated, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice is officially one of the worst-reviewed big budget-movies of all time and it failed miserably.
How to Get the Best Results from word-of-mouth marketing
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Quality
The better the quality of the product, the better will be the results you get from word of mouth marketing and more will be the consumers leading high profit-making business.
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Unique service
Amazing service supported by amazing staff gives people a reason to rave. Obviously, the product needs to be strong but it is as important as the staff interacting with new customers and clients is top-notch.
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Become an industry thought leader
Want to get people to talk about you? Establish yourself as an industry thought leader which requires considerable thought on your part you need to engage in dialogue with existing industry leaders and power players while being up to date with latest industry news. It is not an easy way to take but it can provide you the long term benefits of becoming an industry leader.
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Create a good name for your company
People appreciate businesses that are honest and fair. No slimy tactics here. Grow your reputation by being responsible and respectful of your customers.
Treating them right. Don’t try to trick your customers.
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Be Socially responsible
The desired company can only get success through word-of-mouth Marketing if the business considers Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) into word-of-mouth marketing. The business utilizes CSR which not only benefits the society and environment but also accomplishes various strategic objectives and gains a competitive advantage. It has also been seen that the company following CSR influenced trust and loyalty and that trust and loyalty had a positive influence on the Word of word-of-mouth marketing.
Conclusion
Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool, but for some small and medium scale businesses, it can be tough to wield. Convincing customers enthusiastic about your brand requires stellar service, a unique identity, a solid reputation, and a thriving community. Above all, put your consumers first and deliver above and beyond what you promise. Surprising clients with your awesomeness will ensure they spread the word of your biz all across the land.
