5 Ways to Boost Word-Of-Mouth Marketing for Your Business

    
5 Ways to Boost Word-Of-Mouth Marketing for Your Business

Source – https://www.forbes.com/sites/pauljankowski/2013/02/27/quick-what-are-they-saying-about-your-brand/#410b0cd9209a
Marketing is important to every business. Because it’s so important, there are almost as many different ways to market your business as there are different kinds of businesses!
No one marketing strategy is necessarily better than the others, but if you’re looking for a good way to market your business that is fun and effective, give word-of-mouth marketing a shot.
Why is word-of-mouth marketing so important? In one study, 92-percent of consumers believe suggestions from their friends and family more than the suggestions they get from advertising.
If you want to leverage that kind of marketing for your business, but you don’t know how to get started, give these tips a try.
Invest in the Coolest TechOn the surface, it may seem like investing in cool tech is more of a benefit to you and your employees than your customers, but they can benefit from the tech you use too.
In some cases, an upgrade is something you can brag about when you talk to your customers. For example, you can mention all of the benefits of using Python 3 over Python 2, and how it can make the design of your customer’s web applications better.
Upgraded tech can make the customer experience better too. Faster systems mean pulling up customer information more quickly, and more complex systems can integrate customer information more effectively so nothing falls through the cracks.
Why does this boost word-of-mouth referrals? People like to brag about receiving an outstanding customer experience.
Connect First, Sell SecondThe entire purpose of marketing is to sell a product or service. Many people mistakenly believe that means you should jump right into talking about why your product or service is the right solution to your customers’ problems.
If you want to increase the chances of your customers recommending you to their friends and family, you have to leave the traditional sales tactics behind and connect with customers on a more personal level.
A few ways to do that include:

• Focus on face-to-face interactions and voice interactions over email.
• Keep conversations more personal, and learn about their needs without pressuring them with a sale.
• Alter your methods based on each individual customer.

If your customers think you care about them as a person, they’re more likely to recommend you to others.
Learn to ListenYou may think you’re listening to your customers and clients, but you’re likely listening through the lens of selling more stuff. That will make your customers feel like you’re just humoring them by listening, which isn’t good for word-of-mouth marketing.
Instead, learn how to become a better listener and apply those techniques to your interactions with your customers and clients.
A few tips for becoming a better listener include:

• Listening to learn something new without planning your response before they’re done speaking.
• Asking more questions about what the other person is saying.
• Striving to spend less time talking than you do listening.
• Repeating what the other person is saying to ensure you understand.

Actively Participate on Social MediaThere are many different reasons why social media is good for businesses of all kinds, but one of the most convincing reasons to add social media to your marketing strategy is because it is one of the easiest ways for people to share your business with others.
Liking your posts, adding you as a friend on Facebook, and tagging friends and family only takes a second, but it exposes many people to your products and services. Their wider networks are also exposed to your business! Many companies have been built on word-of-mouth thanks to social media.
Encourage Referrals with IncentivesIf you’re struggling to boost word-of-mouth customers, try giving your existing customers a reason to spread the word about your business. That means providing them with referral incentives.
There are many different ways to do this. You can offer a discount on a future purchase, you can offer a free gift, or you can extend an invitation to an upcoming event. Being entered into a giveaway is also a good incentive idea, especially if you don’t want to keep track of discounts and spend money on gifts.
Some incentives don’t have to cost any money at all. Sometimes, simply asking your customers to tell their friends and family about you is all it takes to boost referrals!
Any kind of marketing strategy is better than no marketing strategy at all, but if you want to connect with your customers in an authentic way, try word-of-mouth marketing with the tips on this list.