Word-of-mouth marketing is perhaps the oldest and one of the most effective forms of marketing. When consumers get a recommendation from someone they trust—or even another consumer—it carries more weight than any paid ads. In today’s world of social media, word-of-mouth marketing is still important. A HubSpot report indicated that 71% of people are more likely to purchase based on social media referrals.
Why is Word-of-Mouth Marketing So Effective?
Trust. Consumers trust other consumers. When someone asks for a recommendation, people they trust will respond. Family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances will provide their good (and bad) experiences. People trust feedback from other consumers over paid ads. Is your company using positive reviews in your marketing materials? Are you tracking and responding to all reviews? If not, you’re missing an important piece of your word-of-mouth marketing.
Why Should You Care About Word-of-Mouth Marketing?
Customer loyalty. It is much more cost-effective to keep a current customer than to find a new one. Keep your customers happy and they will help reduce the need for other types of marketing. If you can make your current customers brand ambassadors, you not only retain their business, but they will enthusiastically tell others.
How Can You Generate Great Reviews?
Providing a great customer experience is key. And it really has to be great. Go above and beyond for your customers. An example of this is the online pet retailer, Chewy.com. This brand is known for going above and beyond for customers in all kinds of ways. From sending commissioned paintings of pets to respectfully and compassionately reaching out to people whose pets have recently passed away.
Sometimes you need to ask! It’s well-known that more people are likely to share a negative experience than a positive one. And many times, consumers don’t write positive reviews because they don’t think about it. When you ask your customers for a review or prompt them, you have taken the first step to increase your word-of-mouth marketing.
Referral programs can also help you capture new customers by tapping into your current fans with an incentive for them. One example of this might be a certain percentage off of the price of your products or service with every referral. You can reward your current customers with special offers, loyalty points, etc., and gain new leads and potential customers.
Need Help?
Baseline Creative can help you develop a strategy for word-of-mouth marketing through public relations, digital marketing, and web development. Contact us today to learn more.
