When was the last time you didn’t have second thoughts on buying a product? Aside from the fact that you have the money for it, was it because you saw an advertisement about it on TV? Or was it because your sister told you about the wonders it did for her? It’s a commonly known fact that people are more likely to buy something if it has been recommended to them by a friend or someone they trust; which makes Word of Mouth Marketing the most powerful and credible type of marketing.
Statistics show that 82% of Americans seek recommendations from friends and family when considering a purchase. The power of existing customers in influencing prospective customers’ purchase decisions is huge, and sometimes businesses forget this. Instead, they end up focusing too much on targeting new customers when their biggest asset is already in their hands. Having a lot of people testify to the quality of your brand will generate trust among other prospective customers and increase the odds of them relying on you for their future needs.
So you think you’ve done everything you can to give your product, service, or start up the exposure it needs, but you still can’t get people talking about it and you’re wondering why. This might enlighten you.
You’re offering mediocre service
You’re giving satisfactory service to your customers, but that’s not enough. No one talks about being given an ‘okay’ experience. If their experience is unmemorable, customers would prefer to stay silent about it. If you’re looking to get people excited to talk about your business, you have to do better than that. Go above and beyond. Research says that happy customers tell nine people about their experience with the business. Don’t let your customers leave “satisfied”; make sure they leave “happy.” This is one way to help you earn their loyalty and get referrals through your door.
You’re not targeting the right audience
If you’re already spending everything you can on marketing your business but you’re wondering why no one is still paying attention, maybe the problem is that you’re not targeting a relevant audience. Use the power of influencers, bloggers, and brand advocates. You don’t necessarily need to hire a celebrity who has a huge fanbase or a million followers on social media to promote your product or business. You just have to use individuals that have built a reputation relevant to your business in order to make sure that they get the attention of a relevant target audience. These are people your customers would trust getting recommendations from.
You’re business-centric and not customer-centric
Remember that the goal of your business is to get customers to buy your products and avail of your services. So stop telling customers what your business is all about and start focusing on discussing how your products and services can benefit them. Craigslist, an American classified advertisements website, is the perfect example of a business that became successfully popular for being customer-centric. Since its inception in 1995, the site never contained any ads for fear that it would take away quality from the site. For 22 years, they focused everything on their customers. They created superior user experience by continuously giving customers what they want and relied solely on word of mouth as its sole source of marketing.
You’re not thinking out of the box
Your goal is to get your business to create buzz-worthy headlines that will get people talking and eventually get them to share the word about your business voluntarily to other people, but no business became the talk of the town just because they kept doing what everyone else was already doing. It’s no secret that in order to survive in the cutthroat business landscape, your business has to stand out. When your business is just starting, it’s understandable that you don’t have enough money to launch extravagant marketing campaigns. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune to attract the attention of plenty of people. All you have to do is think of creative ideas for your campaign that no one else in your industry is doing. It may be hard to think out of the box when you’re not a naturally creative person, but all you need is to come up with an idea that fits your budget, and something people can relate to and will make your brand stand out from your competitors.
Leverage the power of social media. There may be a lot of businesses already doing this but it’s how you use it that matters. Understand how consumers use different channels so you can use them to your advantage. Using hashtags on Twitter and getting consumers to participate by regularly holding contests or offering to have them featured on a magazine or winning a small prize if they use the hashtag is a good way to get the word out there.
You’re too afraid to spend
If you’ve truly set your eyes on getting the proper exposure for your business, don’t be afraid to spend a little money for it. Allot a budget for a marketing campaign or an experience that would generate buzz-worthy headlines. You don’t have to spend a fortune on billboards and TV commercials. There are a lot of low-cost options to market your startup. It’s how you implement your strategy that makes all the difference. An example of a low-cost idea that you can incorporate in your campaign is the use of proximity marketing. It is a marketing strategy that is only recently becoming a global phenomenon. It involves the use of a beacon to send promotional messages directly to people’s phones and is one way to get the word out there without breaking the bank.
Customers don’t have a proper channel to talk about you
Is your business presence on social media? If yes, is your business profile available publicly for everyone to see and post discussions on? According to a study conducted by Holleschovsky and Constantinides from the University of Twente, 98% of the sample population they conducted the surveys on check online reviews when considering a purchase. If your consumers have a proper channel to leave feedbacks and reviews about your products and services, it would give prospective customers a basis and make it easier for them to make a purchase decision.
Conclusion
Word of Mouth Marketing is much harder than you think it is, but it is also the most important information source that could greatly and immediately affect a buyer’s purchase decision. With the right strategy and creative idea, it can give your business its big break and get your customers be your brand ambassadors and do your marketing for you.
