How do you get word of mouth marketing? What does that really even mean? Is just as simple as it sounds or is it something else entirely? In an ideal world, word of mouth marketing is something you never have to put any effort into because true word of mouth marketing happens naturally and it doesn’t come from you. It comes from your customers because they’re so happy with your product or service they’re willing to tell others about your company. Essentially they’re marketing for you and all you had to do was provide the service/product they paid you for. So, other than making your customer extremely happy, what are some things you can do to help tip the scales in your favor and get people doing some good old fashioned word of mouth marketing for you?
1. Ask for it. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers to spread the word. Whether they do it on social media or they do it in person, there are a ton of ways for people to talk about you, but lots of people just don’t think about it. You’d be surprised how many people will sing your praises if you ask them to.
2. Offer an incentive. You see major companies offer it all the time, for example: DirectTV they will take $10 off your monthly subscription for every friend you refer and Netflix will give you a month’s subscription for free if you refer a friend. Offer a little incentive. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but incentives can really encourage word of mouth marketing.
3. Do something people will talk about. This one is self explanatory, but easier said than done. It’s the idea behind going “viral”. You can do this virtually, ie; word of mouth marketing over the internet, or do something in real life that people will talk about with their friends and neighbors. What do you do that people will talk about? That’s up to you. It’s time to get creative! If you’re able to strike gold with an idea this can be the single most powerful form of word of mouth marketing. It’s definitely worth spending time considering as you develop your marketing strategies.