A lot of people think they can’t do anything about the marketing that happens by word of mouth. WRONG! There is so much you can do to ensure the things people are saying about your brand promotes it in a positive way.
People talk…a lot! This can be great for brands, but it can also lead to a decline in success depending on a person’s experience with your brand.
What is it?
Word of mouth is when a consumer talks about an experience they had with a brand. Ideally, it will have been a positive experience, and the consumer will recommend your product to someone else. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Word of mouth can make or break a consumer’s willingness to test out or purchase your products. Making it one of the most successful forms of marketing… and the least understood. This is because brands have very little control over what consumers discuss about their products. WOM is one of the few traditional marketing strategies that are still effective today.
How to use it
In the old days, word of mouth was just that… physical conversations. But like everything else in the marketing world, the tactic continues to evolve. In this case, it’s moved online and to social media. People can get online and write reviews in under five minutes using social networking, Twitter posts, Facebook groups, and more. Regardless of how valid someone’s perspective on your brand is, it still counts toward or against you and affects your consumers. Especially if the review comes from a trusted source. You don’t believe it? Research shows that 92% of people trust recommendations from people they know more than they do from marketing campaigns.
Brands are most successful when word of mouth is done organically. Organic conversations happen when a consumer tries your product, is happy with it, and spreads the word to people they know due to their satisfaction. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through product sampling events.
Product sampling allows your consumers to try out your products before they purchase. When consumers can test your product, they are over twice as likely to buy it than if they were just to see it on the shelf at the store. Even if a purchase isn’t made right then, there is still a positive response and a higher likelihood that a purchase will be made in the future.
You can also implement word of mouth into your marketing. Brands use targeting strategies to encourage consumers to say positive things about their brand. This tactic is where the idea of influencer marketing comes from. It proves to be a successful tactic as influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular, but it does have its faults. When word of mouth doesn’t happen naturally, people are more skeptical. Influencers are given free products and are even paid to promote brands, so it doesn’t always mean they are supportive of the products themselves. After all, it’s their job to hype up the brand they’re working with. This isn’t always the case, but it’s something to be aware of. When in doubt, organically produced word of mouth is your best bet.
Using experiential marketing
If people care about something, they’re more likely to tell others about it. Building strong connections is the key to creating positive word of mouth for your brand. This is where experiential marketing comes in.
Experiential events give your consumers an inside look into your brand. Not only are you giving attendees an interactive way to shop your brand, but you’re leaving a lasting impression in their minds. The goal is to immerse consumers IN your brand while providing a memorable experience! When you implement experiential marketing into your strategy, you’re bonding consumers and brands on a deeper level.
Experiential marketing also leads to the development of brand fanatics. Who are they? They’re consumers who love your brand so much that they will ALWAYS choose your products over a competitor. These people are loyal to your brand and will continually provide positive word of mouth to everyone they interact with.
Word of mouth has a significant influence on your brand’s reputation. The positive things people have to say about your products will generally outweigh the marketing efforts you implement. Making this tactic one of the easiest and most common marketing methods. The perfect time to generate positive, sharable consumer experiences is NOW! And guess what? There is still time to implement experiential events for your brand this holiday season.
That’s right! Lime Media takes pride in our quick-turn programs that successfully achieve your brand goals. The holidays are coming up FAST, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to take advantage of experiential marketing.