An Oldie but Goodie: How Word of Mouth Advertising Can Work Wonders!

With our constant exposure to technology, it’s easy to get caught up in innovative online marketing practices and dedicating resources to predicting the Next Big Thing (fingers crossed for ads on the side of hover cars). However, even while we use technology in marketing, we shouldn’t lose sight of that old tried and true marketing technique: word of mouth.Word Of Mouth Advertising

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why use word of mouth advertising when you can use sponsored Google ads to reach a wider audience much more quickly? Maybe because 92% of people trust recommendations from their friends and family more than any other form of marketing. Sure, email campaigns and online marketing can help increase brand awareness, but that constant exposure to advertising can be wearying to the viewer and lead them to distrust the message. 18-29 year olds, a coveted demographic for many marketers, are particularly skeptical about advertising.

How Can Word of Mouth Advertising Help Your Business?

You’ll increase brand awareness. When people scroll through their Facebook news feed and see that one of their friends has liked a brand or organization that they’ve never heard of, they’re likely to do some more research (or at least remember the brand the next time they come across it). In fact, 49% of U.S. consumers say that they consider their friends and family their top source for brand awareness.

You’ll encourage more purchases. Although online product reviews still influence the purchasing decision of many consumers, more and more people are becoming skeptical because they know that anyone can write an anonymous review. Consumers are much more likely to trust the recommendations of people they already know, and according to Nielsen Media, 77% of us are more likely to buy a new product if we learn about it from a friends or family member.

It’s a relatively untapped marketing medium. Even though research has shown just how effective word of mouth advertising is, almost three quarters of marketers don’t fully recognise the value of customer referrals or use word of mouth advertising to their advantage. If your company does, you’ll be reaching out to potential customers in a way that many of your competitors aren’t.

Best Practices for Word of Mouth

If you’re not already taking advantage of word of mouth advertising, you’ll hopefully be encouraged to do so now. At the same time, you shouldn’t throw all other forms of marketing out the window. Here are some ways you can integrate word of mouth advertising into your current marketing strategy.

  • Encourage consumers to “like” your brand on social media channels like Facebook by offering them some kind of deal or discount.
  • Offer current customers rewards for referring their friends. For example, you might offer them a $20 gift card if they get one of their friends to join your loyalty program.
  • Create unique content. If you regularly update your website or blog with useful or entertaining information, web users will be more likely to share those posts through social media.
  • Excel at customer service. This should be obvious, but if you want people to like your company and recommend you to their friends and families, you need to provide exceptional service and make sure they leave happy.

Tags: , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

         


Merchandise Ltd + 44 (0)1895 438459 - 63 Fairfield Road - Yiewsley - West Drayton - Middlesex - UB7 8EZ
GB Reg No. 6270341 - VAT No. GB919738969

SSL Secured | © Copyright 2017 Merchandise Ltd | All Rights Reserved | Powered By ProMart 3.0
Our Accreditations