Why YouShould Tap Into Word Of Mouth Marketing
If you run a business, but especially a small business, you could benefit from word of mouth (WOM) marketing.
It’s a concept that we’re all familiar with, where people take recommendations from their friends, relatives or other people in their lives whether they’re looking for a new car or someone to fit a boiler.
A recent article for Business.com explained how WOM strategies can be incorporated into a brand’s conversion strategy.
The news provider cited figures from Pew Research, which revealed that 72 per cent of consumers use WOM to learn about news, trends and current events. They also use this method to find out what people thought about services or products.
It’s easy to see how this could be beneficial to any business, and why it can be such a powerful marketing tool.
As well as helping get your brand and products in front of more people, WOM marketing has other benefits too. The news provider, for example, also noted that it is an effective way to build brand loyalty and trust.
For consumers, it shows them that you’re a legitimate business and one that delivers quality, whether that’s through your products or services. One of the most important things you can do to get your WOM strategy started is to provide a quality service.
This isn’t something you can fake. You need everyone you interact with to come away thinking that they’ve had an exceptional experience.
“Your customers are what make your brand either a success or a failure, and the way you cater to their needs and interests will determine which direction your business goes in (upwards or downwards),” the article stated.
Businesses need to ensure that they don’t ignore what’s happening on social media. You need to respond to customer comments and complaints on these channels, otherwise you’ll look like you’re ignoring your customer base.
It’s essential that you allow customers to leave a review for your business too. Make it easy for them and don’t shy away from this. Many of us read reviews before we try somewhere new, especially businesses like restaurants.
Don’t worry about negative reviews either. The odd negative review can actually help your business because it shows that you’re legitimate. “It also goes a long way with consumers if you respond to their negative reviews,” the website noted.
An article for Wharton University of Pennsylvania explained that another thing to consider is referral marketing. This involves offering financial incentives to existing customers to get them to recommend your business to others.
You might offer an incentive in the form of a discount on a service or next purchase, for instance. The article noted that the key to getting this right is how you approach your customers to ask them to refer your business or products.
In addition to working on your WOM marketing and exploring the idea of referral marketing, you might want to build up your PR activities. If that’s an area that you don’t have much experience of, get in touch with Bucks based PR agency, Flourishand tap into our expertise.
