When it comes to buying things, roundabout 96% of the people follow the advice and recommendation of their friends and closed people that they trust. Today, we’ll discuss what is word-of-mouth marketing; or word-of-mouth advertising; its importance, its benefits, how to use it, and examples.
What is Word-of-Mouth Marketing?
Word-of-mouth marketing is a type of strategy that depends on the recommendations of customers to their friends and family member based on their experiences of using the products of the brand. It is a free form of advertising caused by the thoughts, feelings, and impressions of shoppers.
Businesses and companies launch various publicity activities to promote WOM advertising. It is to encourage the interaction between customer-to-marketer and customer-to-customers. However, WOM marketing comprises social media marketing, emotional content, bog, viral, and buzz.
Importance of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Nowadays, the focus of every company is to improve its ranking on Google and become visible on social media platforms. Companies should develop a better product if they care about the customers; they would promote it by themselves without asking. When customers share their positive experiences of using the product or service of the company, it attracts the attention of potential new customers.
According to a survey study by Nielsen, roundabout 83% of the participant said that they trust those companies referred by their friends and family members. The experience of other people is the main credible and trustworthy source of information for many other customers.
Any customer could become a part of WOM advertising in various ways. It could be in the form of unboxing videos on Instagram, tags, hashtags, or reviews on the website. When other people come across such content, they would think of buying the products from that particular company. Companies could amplify the conversion rate and approach new customers.
How to Use Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Some of the top ways how to use word-of-mouth marketing are as follows;
Referral Programs
If you want to achieve success through WOM advertising, you should launch a referral program. When you offer incentives and rewards, they would actively promote your products. You should offer free products, gifts, discounts, and coupons to your regular customers to show that you value your loyal customers.
For instance, Spotify offers gifts to those users that invite their friends to the platform. The new users would enjoy access to the
Contests & Giveaways
Giveaways would offer you a lot of exposure to your brand. It won’t help you to approach your new target audience; rather it would amplify your customer database. Your existing customers share the news of giveaways with their friends and family members, and they would like to be part of the reward program. It would make your customer share their activity on various social media platforms.
For instance, the Koparri brand offers free giveaways (coconut beauty products) to its regular loyal customers.
Offer Freebies
People like the idea of getting things for free, and it presents great opportunities for businesses and companies to fill the space. You must have come across freebie offers on various social media platforms. It is a great way to attract the attention of new customers that are using the products of other brands. Freebies would amplify the loyalty of customers and sales.
For instance, Sephora provides customers an opportunity to select a gift for their birthdays.
Reviews
Nowadays, people have got access to the internet on their mobile devices and accounts on social media platforms, and finding the information about the products they want to buy is not a difficult idea anymore. Before buying anything, customers read the reviews of previous customers. If overall reviews are good and satisfactory, then it amplifies the conversion rate.
According to an estimate, 9 out of 10 customers read the reviews of other customers before purchasing anything. If the company wants to make a good impression through reviews, then it should have a good reputation and satisfied customers. Make sure to highlight some of the top reviews on the landing page; it would help you to make a good impression on the customers.
Hashtags
Social media platforms encourage businesses and companies not only to rely on popular tags but also to focus on emerging trends. It helps companies to improve their product visibility, customer engagement, and brand recognition. In fact, some companies develop hashtag strategies to amplify their market reach. You can various types of hashtags to approach a wide range of audiences.
Influencer Marketing
Influencers and opinion leaders promote products of different companies by using their influence. According to an estimate by Statista, approximately 49% of people follow the recommendations of customers.
Benefits of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Some of the main benefits of word-of-mouth marketing and advertising are as follows;
- In order to attract new customers, brands don’t have to do paid advertising, site optimization, and pre-roll ads.
- Satisfied customers would refer your product or service and bring you more profit
- WOM strategy doesn’t require you to incur any type of cost either to approach a new customer or to make them loyal to your company
- Reviews and recommendations of your existing customers would attract new customers and establish your image as a trustworthy, reliable, and credible brand
- WOM advertising allows companies to increase their market reach, sales, conversion rate, and higher profitability ultimately
- Recommendation helps companies to increase brand engagement and brand awareness
Examples of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Netflix
Influencer marketing helps the online video streaming platform earn a great number of subscribers. It is because the platform followed the recommendation that a lot of customers listen to their influencers, and the company partnered up with them to amplify its market reach.
Coca Cola
The soft drink brand Coca-Cola launched a social media campaign “share a coke.” It helped the company to attract a lot of new potential customers who bought the company’s drink.
Conclusion: What is Word-of-Mouth Marketing? How to Use It
After an in-depth study of what is word-of-mouth marketing; its importance, benefits, how to use it, and examples; we have realized that WOM advertising is highly important for your business growth. If you’re developing the advertising strategy, then you should keep in mind the abovementioned tips and suggestions.
Ahsan Ali Shaw is an accomplished Business Writer, Analyst, and Public Speaker. Other than that, he’s a fun loving person.
