Word of mouth marketing (WOM marketing) thrives when people are enthusiastic about talking or tweeting about a product or service.
Even though there are many different brand marketing strategies in the market, the majority of marketing professionals agree that word of mouth is the most productive advertising strategy because customers place more trust in personal recommendations than they do in commercials.
And while your consumers and supporters are ultimately responsible for your word of mouth advertising’s success, you may still influence it. Word of mouth marketing strategy can be improved in numerous ways.
In the following, you’ll learn everything you need to know about word of mouth advertising, from the terminology you’ll need to get started to the unique qualities that set it apart from other types of advertising.
What Is Word of Mouth Marketing?
To influence and encourage organic word of mouth discussion about a brand, organization, resource, or event, word of mouth advertising (WOM advertising) or word of mouth marketing, is one of the most underutilized and cost-effective marketing methods available.
Simply expressed, the goal of word of mouth marketing and advertising is to generate buzz about a product or service through the efforts of its target audience. Promoting your business through people’s recommendations requires providing them with an exceptional experience.
In general, individuals place a great deal of trust in the recommendations of those they know and trust, especially when it comes to making major purchases. By encouraging consumers to talk positively about a product or service, WOM marketing hopes to set off a snowball effect that indefinitely generates new customers and revenue for the company.
Key Takeaways
- In word of mouth marketing (marketing WOM), satisfied customers recommend a company’s product or service to their social networks.
- As 88% of consumers say they are more likely to believe suggestions from friends than those made through other channels, word of mouth marketing is a very effective kind of advertising.
- WOM marketing can be fostered when a company goes above and above in terms of product quality, customer service, and the disclosure of proprietary information in order to satisfy its client.
- The finest word of mouth marketing tactics, according to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), have these characteristics: they are truthful, trustworthy, social, replicable, quantifiable, and considerate.
- Buzzing, blogs and social media marketing are all examples of the many methods that make up word of mouth advertising.
Why Is Word of Mouth Marketing So Important?
Both companies and customers benefit from word of mouth advertising. This is because individuals put much faith in the recommendations of those they know and trust.
Overwhelmingly 92% of respondents to a Nielsen survey said they would trust a personal recommendation from a friend or family member over a commercial, and surprisingly, only 7% of marketers think it has an effect on sales.
According to a poll conducted by Active Campaign and Dynata in 2021, 42% of customers first hear about Black-owned companies through personal recommendations.
RRD found that among a sample of 1,000 people, 55% heard about a product via a friend or family member. Assuming brand conversations will occur naturally is a foolish strategy, so why not actively encourage them?
Marketing by word of mouth aims to initiate a snowball effect of new customers, leads, and revenues for the business.
These are some facts on word of mouth advertising to further demonstrate the effectiveness of this form of promotion.
- Millennials ranked word of mouth as the #1 influencer in their purchasing decision. (Source: Radius Global)
- 67% trust online opinions from other consumers.
- 72% say reading positive customer reviews increases their trust in a business; it takes, on average 2-6 reviews 56% of them to this point.
- A consumer’s likelihood of making a purchase increases by a factor of 4 when they hear about a product from a personal connection, as reported by Nielsen.
- For marketers, referrals from satisfied customers receive an average of 4.28 stars out of 5.
8 Proven Word of Mouth Marketing Strategies
1. Talk to key opinion leaders and influencers in your field
Those who are considered influencers have a sizable fan base and the ability to sway the opinions and actions of their followers.
A trusted opinion leader’s endorsement is the most effective form of advertising because of the credibility they’ve already earned in their niche.
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2. Think about imposing some sort of exclusivity
Think about restricting access to your new product or service at launch. If you want useful input from beta testers, you should invite influential members of your community.
Then, they can spread the word to their influential friends and family, who will hopefully buy your goods and spread the word for you.
When people hear about your product, it’s likely to be from those who could actually benefit from it. In addition, they will hear about it from a trusted source, such as a member of their own family, a close friend, or a colleague at work.
3. Upload customer reviews of your products on your website
Having customers provide feedback on products, services, etc., right on your website could be a massive boon for your business.
If you run an online store or a tech business that sells a variety of products, you’ll find this to be extremely helpful.
4. Create a tight-knit network on your preferred social media platform
This necessitates research into the preferred modes of expression within your intended demographic. Where can I find them online? Maybe it’s not what you’re expecting. You should survey your target audience to see if they prefer Facebook or a smaller, more specialized social network like Quora.
However, nuance is essential for constructing a strong social media community. Identify the tone that best suits the situation, and then ask yourself:
- How should one best communicate with them?
- Are they always serious and want you to get right to the point?
- Is it just a place to have a chat?
If you want to be genuine friends with the people you’ve connected with online, you need to make monitoring and engaging with your community a regular part of your routine. You need to ensure that their success is tied to yours and vice versa. This is how you establish a fan base that will not only speak for you but also shout for you.
5. Promote content created by users (UGC)
User-generated content (UGC) refers to information regarding a company’s services or goods that have been produced and distributed by its end users. Sincerity is reassuring, confidence is bolstered, and new marketing opportunities are presented, which gives marketers extra collateral to work with.
71% of customers agree that user-generated reviews make them feel more secure in their decision to purchase a particular product over another.
In case you’re wondering how to inspire content creation among your audience, here are two strategies:
1. Create a special hashtag to track user-generated material.
2. Next, encourage users to upload their own photos, movies, and gifs to various social networking platforms. Provide a free promotion in the form of a low-cost service or feature.
6. Acquire expert knowledge of your offerings, business, and field
Be well-versed in your field and your product inside and out. The best way to promote your products through word of mouth is to involve everyone from the marketing department to customer service and development.
One last thing: make sure you “understand” your firm and its mission. Is your company taking a stand on the major problems facing its sector? Do you have an idea of what your rivals are doing and how they feel about the issues that arise?
Prospects and customers may ask you questions about any part of your product or service, company, or industry. That’s what it takes to be a leader in your field, and those are the qualities that people will remember and spread the word about. You can’t expect others to risk their good name for you if they don’t believe in you and respect your expertise in the industry.
7. Determine the influential members of the community
If you’ve established a solid network of friends and acquaintances, you probably already know who the key players are. Nonetheless, it’s important to keep an eye out for thought leaders beyond your immediate sphere of influence.
It is your responsibility to introduce yourself to influential people around the globe who could use what you have to offer. Influencers are typically bloggers or creators of original content, and they have a significant social media following and are always up-to-date on the latest news because of these activities. If you can win them over, you may leverage their influence to spread the word about your wares.
8. Inquire about users’ experience with the business and any suggestions they may have
41% of consumers believe they trust online reviews more when they include photographs, keywords, and other visual cues.
As was mentioned before, potential customers will be wary if there aren’t enough substantial reviews to go on. Having more reviews is a tried and true method of gaining the confidence of your target audience.
Just like with user-generated content, sometimes all it takes to score reviews is to ask. This is most conveniently done via email because it is not obtrusive.
Each purchase is a possible opportunity to earn a much-needed review since many brands use post-buy autoresponders to ask for feedback automatically.
The way you solicit feedback, though, is crucial. More than just a happy smile, you should consider offering some incentives (think: discounts or free shipping). Customers’ time is valuable, therefore offering a discount in exchange for a positive review is a worthy investment.
Why are influencers essential for increasing your word of mouth marketing efforts?
The power of influencer marketing extends beyond the B2C realm. According to the B2B survey, customers have greater faith in the opinions of industry influencers than they do in the claims made by suppliers themselves.
HubSpot reports that 68% of marketers use influencers in their campaigns. Additionally, 34% of organizations are spending between $50K and $500K annually on influencer marketing campaigns.
One guaranteed strategy to increase the effectiveness of your word of mouth advertising is to form partnerships with creators. In reality, you can capitalize on the trust that producers have spent so much time earning from their audiences by working with them to develop genuine and trustworthy content.
Have you made the commitment to earn the trust of your potential customers? The next step is to capitalize on the genuine bond established between creators and their audiences. Learn about your target market, identify influential people who are already communicating with them, and collaborate with them to create content at each stage of the sales process.
Top Word of Mouth marketing advertisement Examples
Let’s now examine some successful word of mouth marketing examples.
1. Coca-Cola – Share a Coke campaign
Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognizable brands, faced challenges in expanding its customer base, especially among the young. But then one of the most effective word of mouth campaigns ever launched.
Coca-Cola placed famous names on the labels of its bottles to make a more personal, relatable connection with consumers. Finding a bottle labeled with your name or the name of a buddy was all the encouragement you needed to buy it and drink from it.
Share a Coke was built on a digital campaign that prompted customers to tweet about their Coke-fueled moments with the hashtag #shareacoke.
The campaign was a smashing success thanks to its innovative use of personalization, its quirky sense of humor, and the uplifting act of giving. Customers literally handed the product to prospective buyers by passing bottles to one another.
In the United States alone, sales of ‘Share a Coke’ bottles increased by 11%, and the brand gained a new legion of adolescent devotees.
2. Netflix
By consistently exceeding customer expectations, Netflix has successfully fostered a culture of positive word of mouth advertising. Because of this feature, the service quickly gained popularity as a go-to for home entertainment.
One of the main selling points of this service is that it employs user behavior analysis to make personalized recommendations for TV and film. Moreover, Netflix ensures that all of its videos are played in high-definition (HD) quality for a superior viewing experience.
With these tailored suggestions, users not only feel more understood but also have a better time using the service as a whole.
In addition, Netflix promotes its content by using social media to get people talking about its episodes. Using teasers and memes is a great technique to get people interested in what you have to say.
This is one way in which Netflix fosters user-generated content and facilitates conversation among its subscribers.
3. In-N-Out
In-N-Out is a popular fast-food chain specializing in burgers. Among its exceptional burger-centric menus, there’s one thing that makes it stand out: its secret menu.
Starting from being a hidden gem that only exists among its loyal customers, the not-so-secret menu became extremely popular after In-N-Out listed it on its website.
Due to its secrecy, many people talk about it on various social media platforms. The hype gets to the point where people from other states travel across the country to try out the secret menu.
4. Wendy’s
Carter Wilkerson tweeted at Wendy’s around a year ago, inquiring as to how many retweets he would need to qualify for a free order of chicken nuggets. Even though he didn’t receive 18 million retweets, his tweet became the most retweeted ever as Wendy’s replied with a staggering number.
Suppose Wendy’s had ignored his tweet. There would have been no such thing as that viral campaign. Achieving the status of “most retweeted tweet ever” is a really massive accomplishment. The tweet’s content, the record he set, and the nuggets he ended up receiving while failing to achieve the objective all contributed to a flood of free media coverage.
There will be endless opportunities to connect with clients as you develop your store. Positivity, playfulness, and activity with each of them increase the likelihood that you will eventually hit a home run. While it may not have the same impact as “the most retweeted tweet,” it could still be beneficial to the popularity of your brand.
5. The Ice Bucket Challenge in Support of ALS
Everyone, no matter where they live, probably remembers the ice bucket challenge of 2014. Two people started the campaign to raise money and awareness for ALS (also known as motor neuron disease), but it has since been taken up by charities all around the world.
The concept was stunningly straightforward: have individuals film themselves having a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads, then share the videos online.
The campaign quickly gained traction. Everyone wanted to be the one to follow. So many famous people were participating that it was hard to keep up. The amount of money collected was in the hundreds of millions.
The Ice Bucket Challenge capitalized on people’s fear of missing out (FOMO) by encouraging donations rather than purchases. More and more people were doing it, which increased our desire to join them. What you’re about to read is some really potent material.
Related Word of Mouth Advertising Concepts
WOMA stands alongside many other marketing
concepts as a major business approach. Listed below are some that are more widespread than others:
#1 Buzz Marketing:
This is a form of word of mouth advertising in which influential people are enlisted to promote positive talk about a product or service. The goal is to create widespread interest in a product or campaign by spreading it via the internet, typically via the use of eye-catching methods (such as videos or memes).
#2 Viral Marketing:
This is a style of advertising that uses a person’s preexisting connections to rapidly disseminate content. This frequently happens in the digital realm, especially on social media, when people come across something that is so engaging that they feel compelled to share it.
#3 Blog Marketing:
Influencer or brand ambassador-created blog articles are an example of blog marketing’s use for word of mouth promotion. Blog content easily goes viral thanks to writers’ readers spreading the word through social media and email. There is a lot of word of mouth advertising potential for businesses with the appropriate blogs.
#4 Social Media Marketing:
The marketing potential of social media is amplified by the use of hashtags and the ease with which material can be shared among a wider audience. As we’ve seen, though, the value of shared material increases when it comes from a source that readers already know and respect.
Conclusion
In terms of viral potential and efficiency, WOMM is unparalleled by virtually all other marketing strategies. Don’t discount the influence of referrals and recommendations from satisfied customers as a marketing strategy.
The word of a friend or family member carries more weight than that of a stranger. When people they trust endorse your items, they are more likely to buy them themselves.
The best approach to take advantage of this is by utilizing various forms of word of mouth advertising as mentioned above.
A “word of mouth” strategy is a form of marketing that aims to get people talking about a brand’s products or services. Examples include giving away free products, establishing programs in which brand advocates spread positive word of mouth, and making an impression on key influencers and consumers.
WOM marketing, also known as word-of-mouth marketing, takes place when satisfied clients freely and favorably discuss a company’s goods or services amongst themselves. It’s a type of marketing where happy customers advocate for a business by telling others about their positive experience.
The spread of good reviews may do wonders for both your brand’s visibility and your ability to draw in new customers. This fresh and natural form of marketing can help companies strengthen ties with their existing clientele while also attracting new ones.
Every year, word-of-mouth advertising accounts for 13% of all purchases and generates $6 trillion in revenue worldwide. Product sales increase by a factor of five when a satisfied customer recommends a product or service to a potential buyer instead of using traditional advertising.
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