How to Get Your Business Into the Discussion

Author Jacob Black

"How to Get People Talkin’"

?Word of Mouth is by far the most powerful marketing tool. Discussions at the dinner table, recommendations from a friend, or a casual run-in at the grocery store, marketers need to get their business into those conversations.

The numbers show that family and friend recommendations are trusted by 92% of individuals, and are 5x more likely to convert a buyer.?

Most businesses are aware that word of mouth plays a key role in their business. But they never ask themselves, “How do I get the people to talk about my business?” At the end of the day, word of mouth only can happen when people talk about you. So, here’s a list of how to get people to talk about your business.

1.???Do a fantastic Job

2.???Highly interesting marketing

3.???Be around

4.???Position yourself to be more than a product/service

5.???Give Back

?The first and most important way to be a part of people’s conversations is to do an amazing job. If someone hires you to mow their lawn, do an excellent job. Then, when they have friends and family over, they will say, “your lawn looks amazing”. You will respond with something like, “Thank you so much. Cooper from across the street did it.” Now, Cooper has another potential client. Although this may be a very simple way of looking at it, word of mouth can only begin if you did a good job. On the other hand, if you do a really bad job, people will talk about your business in a negative light. Step one is to do a great job, so people will want to talk about you.

?The second step to entering into people’s conversations is to have highly interesting content. People want to watch a video because they want to learn something, or they are entertained. Focus on creating content worth looking at. Think about advertisements, billboards, commercials, or posts. What draws your attention? What part of it makes you want to have a discussion? Once you identify the components you like, do them for your own business. For example, if you like how a competitor is showcasing its office activities on social media, you can do the same thing. Focus on finding out which specific parts of the ad you liked, and plug and play for your business.

?The third way to become a part of the discussion is to be around. “Monkey see; monkey do.” When your business is “around”, people will see it and use it more. So now, you need to focus on how to be around. Being on people’s social media feeds, in their mail and email, having signs around town, sending gifts, SEO, and brand ambassadors, are all great and unique ways to advertise your company. There are honestly an infinite number of ways to market a product or service. Always remember, being in people’s line of sight is most important. You want people to see you, and therefore, think of you.

?The fourth way to have people chatting about your business is to be more than a product or service. Position your business behind something larger than what you are offering for sale. Look at Nike, its ads are about a story of someone achieving something great. In the ad, the person telling the story is wearing the gear and showcasing it. However, actual product promotion is kept to a minimum. Nike is showing that its products are more than just clothes. The clothes are worn by people achieving great things. Hinting at the idea that if you wear Nike clothing, you too will be great. Of course, a shirt is a shirt as a shirt is a shirt. But, Nike has been able to position itself to be more than just clothes. Think about that for your business. How can you make your business out to be more than just selling items??

?The fifth way to be a part of the conversation is to give back selflessly.?Anyone can become a customer of any business at any time. Sponsoring community events, charities, or even coaching the soccer team, are just a few examples of ways to give back. You never know who might show up to your event. Also, consumers want to know that their money is being used for a good cause. Show your consumers that you care about them, and they will care about you. What goes around always comes around.?