If there’s one expense most businesses would rather do without, it is advertising. Not just because it is complicated, but because it is expensive and the results are not always predictable. That is why the best form of marketing is always word of mouth marketing (WOMM).
But why is WOMM so powerful?
The Power of Word of Mouth Marketing
Word of mouth marketing is a tactic every business must implement in their marketing strategies. Here are 4 reasons why.
Costs Next to Nothing
This is probably news the accounting department will celebrate over. WOMM is one of the cheapest (not completely free though) forms of marketing as your clients and everyone else who values your product or service will do the advertising for you.
Helps You Break Through the Barrier of Resistance Faster
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to making a sale, especially if the product is new is gaining the trust of your prospects. This is where WOMM works magic.
Research has revealed that people tend to trust a brand that family and friends refer them to. This means if you can get people to talk about your brand or product (positively of course), you will automatically eliminate the barrier of resistance.
Converts More than any Other Form of Advertising
As a result of breaking the barrier of resistance we have just talked about, your conversions are bound to improve.
The fact that WOMM converts better than other forms of advertising is probably one of the biggest reasons you need to implement WOMM. After all, conversions are what keep the business going. The more conversions you garner the more the profits you get.
Encourages Repeat Business
Another great advantage that WOMM has is that it encourages repeat business. Studies have shown that people are more likely to stick to a brand they were referred to, than one they saw on a commercial somewhere.
So, if you want repeat customers, you have to know how to trigger viral word of mouth marketing. But before I show you how to do that, let’s lay the foundation first and understand how human beings are wired.
How to Trigger Viral WOMM – 3 Simple Ways
One thing you need to understand if you are looking to get people to talk about your product is one misunderstood word – psychology.
No, I don’t mean you should go and consult with a shrink.
Psychology is simply the study of the human mind and behavior. In other words, it’s the study of what makes people tick. By understanding this, you get a general overview of what triggers excitement in people. And that excitement is the fuel for virility.
So what are those triggers that will help you set off a viral WOMM? What can you do to get people talking about your product?
Provide Real Value
These days, people are short of time. As a marketer or brand, you need to value your prospects time. What does this have to do with viral word of mouth marketing? Everything. Well, nearly everything.
If there is one thing people want to be, it’s a source of valuable information to their family and friends. And where do they get that valuable intel? From the smart marketer.
If you want people to talk about your brand, provide valuable information, services, or products. For example, if you want to generate many leads, the easiest way to do so is to create a value packed blog post. People will pass it on to their friends and more likely than not, many readers will sign up for your offer.
And when it comes to promoting a service, you can also offer some “some insider tips”. By so doing, not only will you pique people’s interest but you will gain trust. So much so that people will refer their family and friends to you.
The same applies to a product. One of the best examples to explain this is Huawei’s guerilla marketing tactic at the launch of the Apple XS. Knowing that their phones have better battery life than Apple phones, they handed out free power banks at the launch.
Now that’s adding value.
And guess what? People talked about that gesture – a lot of them. And it will be a topic of many conversations for a long time to come. Although the value they provided cost them something, it will probably be offset a hundred times over by the new customers they will gain from providing real value.
Inspiration Works All the Time
Another great way to trigger a viral word of mouth marketing campaign is by inspiring your prospects and clients. This is a surefire way because everyone is looking for inspiration in this tough world and trying times we are living in.
One of the best examples is the Nike “Find Your Greatness” campaign. This campaign triggered a lot of talk as it did two powerful things:
- It evoked strong emotions
- It inspired people to be better versions of themselves
These two ingredients not only moved people to talk about the campaign, but moved them to participate, furthering the message and boosting Nike’s sales.
If you can find a way to inspire people, especially in personal development, you will definitely get people talking about you.
One entrepreneur who has done an excellent job of building a multi-million dollar business on inspiration is Sam Ovens. His successful consulting business has helped thousands ditch the 9-5 and become successful entrepreneurs. And he does that by telling the inspiring story of how he started his journey to success in his parent’s garage.
Inspiration is a powerful force that triggers conversations. If you are the source of that inspiration, not only will people talk about you and your product, they will want to be a part of what you are doing by buying into your product.
Let Your Customer’s Tell Your Story
There is a trending strategy that smart marketers are capitalizing on – user generated content.
In its simplest form, user generated content (UGC) is letting your current clients to tell their story. Nothing excites customers more than being given the power to share their experiences. When you solve a customer’s problem, they’ll definitely want to share how you helped them overcome a pain point.
Give them that platform.
One thing you need to remember as a marketer is that when a prospect is looking for a product or service, it’s not the company tagline that seals the deal (cute as it sounds), it’s a satisfied customer’s story that does that. Give your customers a voice that goes beyond reviews.
By giving your satisfied customers the opportunity to tell your story (they think it’s theirs but don’t tell them), you gain in 2 ways.
- Authenticity: When a satisfied customer tells others about your product, it’s more authentic than your fancy ads. It shows other people that your brand can be trusted.
- You tap into an untapped market. When you give one happy customer the opportunity to tell their story they’ll definitely share it on their social media networks. This means they give you direct access to their friends and family and they in turn pass it on to their networks.
If that isn’t a good (and inexpensive) marketing strategy, then I don’t know what is. It is an untapped referral gold mine.
So how do you give your customers that platform? It’s actually easier than you think.
A few ways you can do this include asking them to share their photos with your product on social media, running a competition whereby they send in a written testimony or video, and many other creative ways. Whether they share it on your platform or not, one thing is certain – they will spread the word about what they are doing.It’s definitely a win-win for everyone.
Word of Mouth Marketing – The Immortal Marketing Strategy You Should Revive
Although WOMM is the oldest marketing strategy around, many marketers have abandoned it for the newer more novel forms of marketing. Not only is WOMM the least expensive marketing strategy of them all, it is also the most powerful one.
So what’s are you waiting for? Employ these 3 strategies and get the world talking about you.
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