The original social media of years ago was one friend telling two friends about a product or service and those two friends each told two friends. This kept going on like a rolling stone downhill with no uphill to stop the stone.
Like mothers use to say, If you want something to get around fast, tell a friend. Word of mouth marketing has always been a commanding way to impact business results.
What Is Word of Mouth Marketing?
Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) is the technique that never goes out of style or expires. It can be a highly valuable form of marketing, as it is a common fact that clients trust their friends/closed ones. Even though it is not the main focus of marketers, it is still used.
Technology has created the place where everyone can share what they like about products or services in just a few minutes. Once a fan of your product or service writes a blog about your brand, it is picked up by millions of readers, who will also share their opinions. In just days your brand could be talked about throughout the world.
Who Uses Word of Mouth Marketing?
Cavemen or fishermen were most likely the first word of mouth marketing geniuses. They would tell their buddies of the greatest places to hunt or fish. Word of mouth lead others to come and hunt or fish in the same places.
Today it applies to all companies that promote and sell products and it now spreads across social media networks. Technically, word of mouth is now every recommendation that begins from the buyer of the product. This is regardless of the environment of the action – online or offline.
Ways in Which Word of Mouth Marketing Can Help Your Business
- You will have reviews of your products and visitors who turn into buyers because of them;
- You can develop a community of active customers and offer them discounts or entertainment;
- The promotion is higher than the amount you invest in it;
- You can join the online talks about your brand/product and make it interactive;
- You take a closer look at your niche market;
- If you have videos or ads that go viral, you touch your customers’ sensitive side.
5 Ways to Use Word of Mouth Marketing and Boost Your Product
1. Mobile and Social Media
There have been different types of mobile and social conferences where experts have presented their findings on the powers of word of mouth marketing. Data based presentations have shown how businesses have thrived in 2017 by using social media. Word of mouth marketing in all lines of social media has enhanced businesses. Marketers are taking full advantage of the importance and power that word of mouth marketing has when shared with social media acquaintances and friends.
In order to release the power of word of mouth marketing, marketers first need to master this valuable tool. The technique that should drive the sales of your company forward, is people having conversations about your product or services. You do not want to choose to leave it to chance or ignore the fact that recommendations from family and friends are part of a great form of advertising. If businesses want to win the marketing contest in 2017, marketers will need to understand and be able to apply the techniques of word of mouth marketing to their businesses.
2. Connect with Your Consumers
Studies have shown that most companies, about 60 percent in the hotel industry, have tried to master the art of social marketing, but only about 6 percent have succeeded. They are focused on the wrong element. Marketers have been focused on gaining volume of fans instead of quality of fans. The businesses will offer a prize to get fans to join their website. The marketers of the business keep collecting thousands of fans. But they never really connect to their fan base. Introducing a great brand needs focus on a small group of fans who will spread the word about your product.
No matter what type of product you are trying to sell, give your customers ways to talk about it. Let them feel important to you. Give them a chance to voice their opinions back to you and share their views with other consumers. If you want to put out a new flavor of a drink, start a contest. Ask what the public would like in a new flavor. Let them come up with a new taste.
3. Talk to Your Consumers
This would give your fan base a chance to talk to other fans and talk about your product. Consumers would then be talking about your great products, fantastic service and your knowledge of what is important to the public.
Now you are being a part of the conversation with your fans. But you are also being shaping new products for your brand.
4. Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing is another way to reach consumers instantly. With the growing sophistication of today’s phones you can send out messages to thousands of consumers at any moment. Consumers sign up for your apps from your marketing program and you can promote any sale in a moment’s notice. You can even inspire consumers to select products from their phones that they wish to purchase. Word of mouth marketing can also be done with beacons at your store or at a stadium event. Beacons are seen from miles away and will lead customers to your store.
Your brand will have a competitive edge being on the consumer’s mobile device. Many buyers will not really have a brand in mind when they pick up their phones to buy or look up information online. The information about your product will be online on the consumer’s phone. So they will have the choice to pick your brand. The information you supply on the phone app will give the consumer the awareness of your brand. You can increase your brand’s awareness just by using word of mouth marketing phone apps.
5. Online Videos
Online video word of mouth marketing ideas have given companies the leading edge with marketing strategies. Videos will cast beautiful or handsome models, a narrator who speaks well and great shots of the product to cast a winning story. Seeing the product and learning the value of the product through a video gives the consumer confidence in buying the product.
Most consumers enjoy the highly produced ads in a video. The stories in a video will hold the consumer’s attention, due to its story. Word of mouth marketing with a video is like showing consumers that someone they might see on the street is telling them about the product. They respond to the story and truth being told about the product. Most buyers of products from a video like the straight-talking, and straight-to-camera style. It is usually what makes them click and buy the product.
Ending the Sentence
Companies can learn what works best for them by using controlled experiments in different word of mouth marketing strategies. Companies may also find that a combination of strategies works best to promote their brand.
Use the media, online videos and websites to promote your company with great marketing ideas and turn them into reviews and feedback.
The images are from depositphotos.com.