8 Ways To Leverage Word of Mouth Marketing
Alice Miriam 
Learn how to create a buzz and leverage word of mouth marketing to generate more leads and sales without ads.
It’s the dream, right? Having a product or service so fabulous that people want to shout it from the roof tops. That’s Word of Mouth Marketing and today I’m going to show you 8 ways to leverage Word of Mouth Marketing to create a buzz around your business so you can generate more leads and sales.
There are small businesses whose Word of Mouth Marketing is their main source of leads and sales, they have zero ad spend.
Take my sister-in-law, she has a small commercial insurance agency whose only source of leads and the subsequent sales, come from Word of Mouth Marketing. Insurance is traditionally an industry with high marketing and ad spend, especially commercial insurance, so how did my sister-in-law accomplish this amazing feat?
By providing the most fabulous service of course. Really, it was a combination of her providing fabulous service and another agency failing to provide any service whatsoever on an epic scale. When one panicked business owner was welcomed in and taken care of with the highest level of professional service, they told the other business owners in their circle, word spread like wild fire, and the rest is history. It’s been 20 years since that happened, and to this day her phone rings off the hook, she actually has to turn business away.
If you can leverage Word of Mouth Marketing you can amplify your reach and build your reputation, then maybe you’ll be turning away business too.
How Word of Mouth Marketing Works
Everywhere you turn, you’re bombarded with ads and marketing messages. So much so that you can spot one a mile away, right? Well, your ideal customers can spot them too. The power of Word of Mouth Marketing is in the fact it doesn’t come from a marketing campaign or ad, it comes from someone you know, like, and trust.
Research has shown time and again, people are much more likely to make buying decisions based on what their friends say versus what ads or marketing say. Think about some of your favorite products, services, even the last book you read, how many of those favorites came in the form of a recommendation from a trusted friend?
We’ve all had similar experiences, so it’s easy to see Word of Mouth Marketing works and it works well.
Accelerate Your Word of Mouth Marketing
As you know, Word of Mouth Marketing is nothing new. People have been sharing information about products and services for as long as people could talk. One person tells two friends, they each tell two more, and so on. It’s the pre- Al Gore’s internet version of viral marketing.
This is what’s known as “organic” Word of Mouth Marketing. It’s organic because it happens naturally, without you having to prompt it. But you don’t have to count on the idea that people will talk about you. Instead, you can cultivate it by using “accelerated” Word of Mouth Marketing.
This is when you launch a campaign and use tactics specifically designed to encourage word of mouth.The idea behind accelerated Word of Mouth Marketing is to create a buzz that gets people talking. As a Business, you should be creating products and content with shareability in mind. Leverage influencers and brand advocates to help spread the word and even offer incentives to your customers for telling others.
There are strategies you can use that are guaranteed to get people talking and give them the nudge necessary to spread the word. All it takes is a little planning and effort.
An example of this would be to run a free challenge where you’d engage your current customers and audience over a specific period of time to help them achieve something important. By helping your audience achieve something important you create excitement and get people talking, it’s a win for you and your audience. Learn more about the benefits of running a free challenge here.
8 Ways To Leverage Word Of Mouth Marketing
#1 Offer Expert Advice and Information
Create and share content that helps your audience, offer this help free with no strings attached. If your content is unique and offers value, people will be much more likely to tell their friends about it.
#2 Excellent Products and Services
Offer excellent products and services with stellar customer service. If you offer the highest quality possible, people will tell others, especially if they get results from using them.
#3 Learn How to Build Buzz
Since Word of Mouth Marketing works best when people are talking, take the proactive steps to get them talking. Make everything shareable. Create events that will get talked about. Take advantage of current and upcoming trends.
#4 Do One Thing Really Well
Don’t try to be all things to all people. Focus on one thing and do it really well. If you can do one thing better than anyone else, you’ll get to be known for that specialty. You’ll gain an edge over the competition and word will spread.
#5 Exceed Expectations and Wow People
Go above and beyond what people expect of you. Give them unexpected surprises that will create a wow moment. These experiences are memorable and build buzz. The easiest way to wow people is to make promises and overdeliver on them.
#6 Tell a Good Story
Learn to tell stories well. If you share stories that connect with your audience through the core values you share, this will build a great relationship. People will buy from you because of your story, and then they’ll spread the word.
#7 Create an Experience
Don’t just create a product or service. Create an experience. Think about the journey your customer takes from initial contact to becoming a repeat purchaser and brand advocate. Make each step as engaging, helpful, personal, and enjoyable for your customer as possible. Seek ways to add value at every step along the way.
#8 Stay in Touch with Your Audience
Good communication with your customers is the key to making Word of Mouth Marketing work. You need to know what problems they face and why they buy from you. You should have a plan for consistently gathering both positive and negative feedback that you can take action on, continually creating an even better experience.
Ready to Leverage Word of Mouth Marketing for Your Business?
The first step is to identify some strategies you can use to get people talking about you. If you know your audience well, you can easily find some ways to build buzz over your products and services.
Go ahead and pick from some of the ideas and examples in this article to start with. Then let your own creativity kick in. Implement and refine, and soon you’ll know exactly what you need to do to get your customers talking about you and telling others.
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Imagine doing these 8 things while growing your audience and your list, collecting testimonials, and selling your course or membership program...and so much more.
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