Word-of-mouth marketing (WOM) is the older form of advertising and marketing. WOM was the only way to share news and gossips in the ancient era. Word of mouth marketing is the process of influencing and encouraging word of mouth discussion about a brand, product, service, etc.
Stats show that 92% of consumers trust more a recommendation from friends and family than marketing or advertising.
Word-of-Mouth Marketing: How to Promote and Grow Your Business
Here are some strategies for the word of mouth marketing and how to promote and grow your business.
The power of word-of-mouth recommendations is pretty huge. Word of mouth can generate traffic, leads, and sales for your business.
2 Popular Types of WOM
a) Organic Word-of-Mouth
Organic word-of-mouth marketing occurs when your customers are happy with your service and become your advocates. They recommend you to friends and family because of the great experience with your products and customer service.
This type of WOM is free. All you have to do is focus on providing an excellent customer experience.
b) Amplified Word-of-Mouth
Amplified word-of-mouth marketing is to use strategies that prompt new or existing customers to promote your business.
The Benefits of Word-of-Mouth-Marketing
Humans are social creatures, and we trust opinions and recommendations from other people.
So this is the reason why 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family, and 88% of shoppers read online reviews before buying a product.
Also, 85% of small businesses get discovered as a result of WOM recommendations.
Like most online marketing forms, WOM works best when you have an effective strategy.
Here are some strategies you can use
- User-Generated Content
User-generated content is when customers publish online content that supports your content marketing strategy or plan.
This is great because it requires minimal effort from you. It’s free advertising for your business.
- Create Viral Content (Video) on Social Media
Another great way to encourage WOM is to create engaging, shareable, viral content for social media. Video is the best tool to use.
Stats show that 92% of users that watch an engaging video on their mobile device will share it with others. (friends, followers, etc.)
Start publishing shareable videos on social media now.
- Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is huge these days. Influencers are individuals (marketers, TV stars, models, actors, etc.) with large numbers of followers within their niche.
Usually, these followers trust their opinions and follow their advice. If an influencer recommends your product, their audience is likely to buy it.
The key to influencer marketing success is to create an authentic marketing strategy.
You need to have loyal brand ambassadors to represent and promote your products.
- Referral Marketing
Referral marketing is about when an individual share a positive opinion about your product with others.
Stats show that 85% of clients are happy to provide companies with a referral if they receive a positive experience.
It’s important to have high-quality customer service and consumer experience to generate more sales. You need to ensure that shoppers have a positive interaction with your brand.
- Build Long-Term Relationships
It’s important to build a long-term relationship with your customers. You need to ensure that every interaction customers have with your company is polite, efficient, and fast.
Also, check if it’s easy for customers to contact you with their questions or concerns.
You could even set up an online help center or a chatbot where customers can access self-help resources and answers to their queries.
- Start A Blog
Blogging it’s one of the most affordable and effective ways to boost your SEO and establish yourself as an authority in your niche. Also, blogging allows you to show consumers you know what you’re talking about.
Use proven content marketing strategies to grow your blog. You need to use relevant keywords and phrases that will attract organic searches.
You can create blog posts with guides, listicles, and reviews. Also, if you have the budget, you can find professional services if you need to outsource.
It’s essential to create high-quality content to achieve higher rankings and SEO success.
Word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the most influential and long-lasting (Evergreen) marketing strategies. But you need to provide high-quality products, excellent customer service, and a top-notch consumer experience.
It’s essential to satisfy your customers. Don’t forget that your customers are your business, not you! No customers, No sales, No business. Very Simple!