What is Word-of-Mouth Marketing?

There are endless ways to market your brand or product. The most common methods include social media marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and email marketing – you’ve already heard of these no doubt. There is one method of marketing, however, that is extremely effective, yet easily forgotten.

This method is word-of-mouth marketing.

Word of mouth marketing (WOMM) is when information about a company’s product or service is discussed in daily dialogues. Essentially, customers have a notable experience with a company, and then they spread the word about their experience.

We believe that word-of-mouth marketing is crucial for a successful business and an essential part of your marketing strategy. If you are interested in learning more about how WOMM transforms the presence of your business, read on.

How is Word-of-Mouth Marketing Effective?

Word of mouth advertising is considered by many companies one of the most valuable forms of marketing. It is the type of advertising that customers trust most. And, it is a great way to expand brand awareness for your company.

Customers tend to trust word-of-mouth marketing more than other marketing strategies. When companies advertise their own products in commercials, online ads, or other forms of advertisements, they are going to make their products seem as great as possible. No matter how great or terrible their product or service is, they will make it look like a must-have for consumers.

Because of this, it is often hard to tell if a company’s products are really that great or not. As a result, consumers will often turn to other information about a company to find out if they should invest in their product or service. One source that customers often turn to is word-of-mouth reviews.

It’s All About Trust

When potential customers receive recommendations from friends and family about your business, they trust that the product or service must be great. Therefore, if someone a consumer trusts gives a great review of a product or service, they are more likely to try the product themselves.

According to Nielsen’s Global Trust in Advertising report, 92% of consumers around the world trust earned media, such as word of mouth reviews, above all other forms of advertising. This means that most of the customers that will come to your business are coming to you because of word-of-mouth commentary from someone’s first-hand experience with you.

Clearly, word-of-mouth marketing works, and it often dictates whether someone purchases from your company or not. This is why it is crucial for your company to try to achieve word-of-mouth marketing in any way possible. 

How Can You Encourage Work of Mouth Marketing for your Company?

You may be wondering what steps you can take to get people talking about your business. After all, it is ultimately up to each person whether or not they want to share their customer experiences with others. There are some things you can do, however, to encourage discussions about your company and grow your social currency. 

When working to achieve word-of-mouth reviews of your business, it is crucial to keep in mind the three E’s of digital marketing: Engage, Equip, and Empower. If you incorporate these three steps into your word of mouth marketing strategy, you will get people talking about your business in no time.

The first step is to engage. 

This means that you need to engage with your customers and become part of the conversation about your products and services. Being active and present for your customers is important, as it will encourage them to talk more about your brand. Sometimes, this initiative leads to viral marketing. 

One way you can engage with your audience is to respond to their posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or other social media accounts. Whether they’re standard comments or questions, take the opportunity to answer! You can also respond to any questions which are in your comments. Some other ways to do this could be to do a giveaway or contest on your account or ask questions on your posts for your followers to answer. There are several ways to engage your followers across different types of marketing channels. 

The second step is to equip. 

You need to “equip” your word-of-mouth marketing audience with a reason to talk about your company or brand. You can equip your customers in various ways – one way being by providing them with great products. When someone is immensely pleased with their experience, they will share their positive feedback. 

Additionally, the better your customer experiences are, the more likely your customers are to talk about your company. If a person has a great customer service experience with a member of your team, they spread the word. 

Related Reading: Don’t Underestimate Your Reputation Management

The third step is to empower. 

Empowering your customers means giving them ways to create user-generated content about your company. Letting consumers know that their feedback is important to you encourages them to respond. Be sincere in your request to hear what they have to say. 

One way that you can empower your customers is to send them a link to a page where they can leave reviews after they work with you. Another way you can empower consumers is by encouraging them to share their experiences on blog posts or social media, maybe with a specific hashtag or account to tag.

This is where hosting a competition or giveaway on your website or social media can come in handy. If you offer a gift card or a discount to the consumers who share their feedback, they will be more determined to share! 

When your customer is happy, they will do the word-of-mouth marketing for you. It’s that simple.

The three E’s are crucial in achieving good WOM marketing. We highly encourage you to keep these three simple steps in mind when working on your future marketing strategies. 

Spread the Word!

Overall, word-of-mouth marketing is an excellent way for your business to attract new customers. Although it may seem difficult to achieve it at first, we can promise you that it is possible to get people talking about your business. When the customer shares content without being prompted to it is a rewarding feeling. Going the extra mile to engage with your customers and encourage a dialogue about your products and services will be worth it!

Here at Noble House Media Group, we understand just how important it is for your business to have strong marketing strategies. We help transform your business’s marketing presence and would love to hear from you what you need assistance with. To get started with our team of industry professionals, go on a journey through our website or call (203) 903-1225.