Author: Guest Post / Source: Duct Tape Marketing < All Articles Word-of-mouth has been both King of Advertising and a marketer’s b
Word-of-mouth has been both King of Advertising and a marketer’s best friend for ages – and I mean literally, ages. A naturally occurring phenomenon, word-of-mouth is as old as human communication itself. It’s no wonder then, that word-of-mouth has (in more recent times, at least) been deemed the most valuable form of marketing on the planet.
According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers rate recommendations from people they know over all forms of advertising. It makes sense that customers trust what their friends and family have to say about a business. After all, we are bombarded constantly and relentlessly with advertising and marketing messages that come directly from companies themselves. We’ve become conditioned to be at least a little skeptical of brands or products we don’t yet know or trust, despite advertising claims.
Think of it like this. Your customers have superpowers when it comes to influencing their buddies. So naturally, you want to do everything possible to harness and direct that power in a way that will ultimately increase your bottom line. Here’s how social media word-of-mouth can help:
Social Media & the Wonderful World of WOMM
As we work to grow our businesses in what has become a highly digitized, social media-obsessed world, word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) is more relevant than ever before. Prior to the widespread use of Facebook and other social platforms, word-of-mouth happened relatively slowly. People would tell their friends over coffee or on the phone about the great new hairdresser they found, or the awesome deal the local shoe store at the mall offered them. Nowadays, however, sharing business recommendations and consumer experiences is much easier, simpler and faster – done at the touch of a button. And the best thing about it? Members of your target audience may end up choosing to share something about your business with their networks before having even tried your product or service themselves. Like the hilarious video you devised. If you’re clever and lucky enough, you may even break into viral territory.
3 E’s of WOMM
Don’t make the mistake of spending precious time and resources building up social profiles, only to then sit back hoping conversations about your brand or business will simply crop up organically. This is unlikely to happen. Instead, consider the “three E’s” of WOMM – engage, equip and empower. These work best if you understand your consumers, what attracts them to you, and what…
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