Word of Mouth is easily the oldest form of getting the word out. It’s been around since Ugg told Krug the mammoths in the next valley were bigger, tastier and had a better referral scheme.
The question is, in our rapidly changing digital world, can this faithful old workhorse still compete? Can Word of Mouth hold a candle to automated, laser-focussed EDM, PPC and SEO campaigns?

Well, it probably isn’t a surprise to you that 75% of people don’t actually believe ads. Odds are good you’re in that percentage after all! You know what roughly 90% of us do trust though? Our close friends and family’s advice. So how do you go about leveraging that knowledge on the web?

Word of Mouth & Social Media

Unsurprisingly, it’s a big factor. It’s the modern day town square rumour mill and gossipmonger crammed into a single convenient screen. User generated content can be a major (and free) boost to your visibility and credibility. That people take the time, and have the good will, to create content about you is a definitive sign of a brand’s trustworthiness for millenials.
Want to get in on the act? First up you’ll want to decide on a unique hashtag to identify content created by customers. Then, incentivize creating and sharing pics, gifs, video etc. about you by offering a gift or discount with the use of your hashtag. This all creates a sense of community around your business. A community you can boost further by showcasing user content on your site or profile.

Don’t get a lot of interaction on Social? Try dragging in your followers by adding questions to the end of your posts: Do you agree? How would you use it? Can you improve it? With minimal engagement they can spark engagement from their own network and net you a cascade of new interest.

Another Word of Mouth use for social media is sharing customer testimonials. Similarly, you want to have reviews of your product posted up on your site. Why? In the same way we’re likely to trust the opinion of our friends, seeing previous users’ good experiences can help sway an undecided customer. Despite this, it appears only a third of businesses actually seek out positive reviews to boost their credibility. Make sure you’re in that number!

Rewards and Referrals

Another foolproof Word of Mouth marketing technique is to offer rewards for referrals. A 2017 survey of US entrepreneurs has referrals as easily the most important method of gaining new custom. Take a look at that link – referrals are more than twice their nearest competitor. Why is this? People are 4x more likely to buy when referred to you by a friend. We’re tapping into that trust factor of a close companion again.

Customer Service

Probably the part of Word of Mouth marketing that will be the most time consuming for you – ensuring top quality customer service. Always remember, great customer service can turn unhappy customers into brand advocates: treat each complaint as an opportunity. A major weapon in your arsenal is to provide something unexpected as part of you goodwill gesture. It helps people feel listened to and cared about. So, while It’s a good idea to have a set strategy for specific problems, try to personalize each response to the customer and their complaint. Have you ever tried to contact your local politician and received a generic response with no relation to your actual questions? Yeah, avoid that at all costs.