Effective Word-of-Mouth is Made Not Born
If you’re shaking your head back and forth, wondering what that title means – because everyone knows that word-of-mouth is organic, not manufactured – let me share a secret with you: word-of-mouth is as much a creation by you and your brand as it is an organic component of your fabulous marketing plan.
Anyone not aware of the studies proving that consumer trust is placed in “people like me” may leave the room. Personally, I didn’t need a study to tell me that my family and friends value my opinion more than the local TV critic or the latest press release from a Big Brand Box or Bag or whatever. And they know I value their opinions, too. People being people, we all talk and discuss and share with each other and the resulting word-of-mouth is stronger and more powerful than talking lizards, fancy swooshes, or come-hither glances bathed in pink lingerie.
Here’s what else Mike Allton, author of the article linked above, had to say about word-of-mouth:
The reason why word of mouth is so effective lies in the way our brains process information. When we receive information from someone we know and trust, it activates the reward centers in our brain, which release dopamine and other feel-good neurotransmitters. This makes us more likely to remember and act on the information we receive.
Here are 5 Effective Ways you can create positive, actionable word-of-mouth for your brand, your book, or your business.
1. Be where your customers are.
Hang out where they hang out. Bring your best smile and something “free” for them to take away. If you’re mainly online, be on LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs, and sites like Mashable, where you can offer educational content in a comment that directs people back to your site where you have case studies and PDFs of Top Tips articles that show your expertise. Always give people something to talk about. Of course, having your own blog doesn’t hurt, either!
2. Learn how to use LinkedIn audio and video events.
Host your own podcast on LinkedIn. Invite smart people – choose from your followers. Attend events other people hold and make sure to comment. Always comment. Always engage. Often, at someone else’s event, they will invite you to share your latest book or mention your website. People supporting people. That’s what works wonders for word-of-mouth.
3. Create a Facebook Fan Page that engages your fans.
Don’t create a page just to have a page. Make it worth their while – add content daily (more than once a day, if you can), host contests, invite fans to discuss their company or blog, and have a reason for them to visit regularly. Hootsuite, the social media management company, has this guide on how to use Facebook groups effectively. My favorite Facebook group is hosted by Rocky Buckley. It’s called The Personal Project. Check it out.
4. Share national holidays that coincide with your brand or book.
I’m writing this on July 3rd, and that’s National Fried Clam Day. I’m in! Tom’s new book, I Am Perfectly Flawsome, will teach you how to be happy as a clam. Before we eat them, I guess. But it’s a hook to get some attention to a book that celebrates being flawsome. Flawsome is a celebration of being flawed, by the way. Imperfect. Or what we could say is just normal. What can you find to shout about, support, or just share relevant to the day or week? Make it worth my while. Make it funny. Make it useful to my life or work. Make it something I just have to share with everyone I know!
5. Be notable.
Be like Scott Ginsberg, who had his name tattooed on his chest, “I wear a nametag 24-7. Just for fun,” he says on his site. “And yes, I got a tattoo. MSN Living called it the 5th worse tattoo of all time.” Scott could teach all of us a lot about word-of-mouth. In his blog post “How to Show Up Without Showing Off,” he says, “Don’t just DO differently – BE differently.”
Or, check out this brand that gave away a pair of $80 leggings…just for sharing their story.
Girlfriend Collective
Word-of-mouth strategy: Pre-launch referral program with free product
Athleisure brand Girlfriend Collective, which makes leggings from recycled water bottles, completely rejected paid ads. Instead, they smartly decided to use a referral program to promote their leggings before they launched. And this referral program made them famous!
More brands that used word-of-mouth here
6. Of course, you know I have to add a sixth.
First of all, I love even numbers. Second, I always like to give a bonus. Word-of-mouth is about being creative. Not just asking friends and family to support what you do. Or read your book. Or buy your new jewelry or whatever you sell. It’s about that nuance – leaving items on the benches all over town where people catch the bus. Free, but branded. It’s about supporting your local food bank and writing a blog post about the need, sharing what food banks need most. It’s about supporting your local pet shelter. They need lots of stuff besides pet food all the time. Bring a group of people together to gather the items they need and deliver them all in one fell swoop! The pet shelter will praise you to high heaven! Find ways to put yourself in front of the people who matter – not just your specific audience, but the people who surround your specific audience.
I have this quote on my desk and read it daily, “We are remembered not by what we take with us, but by what we leave behind.” Leave behind something tangible when you can, but when you can’t – leave behind the memory of your personality, your bright red tie or blouse, your fantastic advice on how to get ahead in a down economy, and your invitation to pass out other people’s business cards at your next networking event. When you show people it’s about them, not about you, they start telling the world how smart and talented you are (after all, you gushed over them, so you must be terribly talented and smart, right?).
Got big word-of-mouth ideas? Share some in the comments.
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