Word of Mouth is the best medium of all!

Imagine having a midnight craving and you go out for a snack. There’s a new momo corner and you try it out, with dysentery the next morning. You’re cursing yourself for trying them out and the very same day, your friends call you to try out the new momos. What would your first reaction be? I’m sure it’s not going to be any less than anger, disgust and the aftermath would be laughter.  But, on a serious note, would you allow your friends to eat from that corner?

You see, that momo corner is market, you are the customer and your disallowance towards consuming it with your friends is called “Word of Mouth.”

Word of mouth (WOM) is a free form of advertising or promotion. It's shared by customers and triggered by an event the customer experiences. This event is something beyond what's anticipated. It's one of the most reliable forms of advertising because a person puts their reputation on the line every time they make a recommendation and that person has nothing to gain but appreciation. Let us talk facts here, 92% of customers are likely to try out or buy things recommended by their friends and family over any other type of marketing. With game-changing figures like those, we cannot ignore the importance of reviews, recommendations, and ratings when it comes to planning your organization’s marketing strategy.

Now, why does this happen? Why does a company do well or close down because of word of mouth, sure there are other factors, but according to statistics, word of mouth is a very strong factor which determines a company’s future endeavors. Customers are emotional when it comes to loyalty and it is seen very prominently when customers feel they are being listened to. That is one of the main reasons why many companies have sales representatives who will calmly sit and discuss their products or services with consumers personally. This stimulates a sense of loyalty and friendship and at the same time conversations around the product or service.

There are three major WOMM rules to avoid issues in the future:

• Say who you are representing - Always disclose what you represent and never keep things from your customers.
• Say only what you believe - Be honest with your client and have a true opinion.
• Never lie about who you are – You can never fool all customers all the time, that is why, always be honest about your identity and never conceal your identity.

So, you must be wondering, how can you, as an entrepreneur increase WOM marketing?

I have come up with five tips that can actually enhance WOM marketing and take your company to the next level:

1.    Use User-Generated Content (UCG):

User- Generated Content refers to the content created by customers and shared amongst other consumers about brands or products. It is quite a reliable source as its honest and builds trust and gives marketers extra collateral to work with. Some tips are listed below:

·      Generate unique hashtags

·      Offer free gifts and discounts

·      Incentivize sharing images and videos, gifs and other sharable items.

·      Create a community feeling; this not only generates emotions but also keeps the conversation engaging and revolving around the product/ service.

2.    Share Customer Testimonials:

Sharing testimonials; oral or written can help increase your community and help enhance your brand image, augmenting the overall goodwill of your company. Stating facts again it is said that 79% of people trust testimonials and online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

They help reassure the performance of the company, quality or value of your assertions and statements. It aids in creating a comfortable space for your prospective clients.

3.    Provide Value:

Sharing valuable information makes you valuable. Great, enriching experiences and sharing them within your community creates a lot of buzz, in turn, a good WOMM. For example, you might have gone to a great French restaurant and had a good night out. You know a co-worker who loves croissant- you relate your experience to them.

4.    Provoke Emotions:

The creation of emotion is equivalent to creating value and relatable content. People are more likely to share a wonderful experience rather than an ok-ish experience for stimulating emotions and conversation around it. They may also share a very horrible experience so as to show that they have been there and done that and nobody must ever go through that experience.

5.    Triggers and social currency:

Social currency relies on the idea of exclusivity. We love the idea of being exclusive and special, hence it triggers our need to belong to an exclusive group or community. Using social triggers are a natural social mechanism that reminds us about a brand or product even when we don’t see advertising. In this way, word of mouth can be a way to improve existing customer engagement strategies.

These are just some of the critical elements and considerations of word of mouth marketing. Used well, it can be an influential way to spread your brand - and with users now able to connect faster and more largely than ever before, it's a significant aspect to consider in any outreach process.

Word-of-mouth is one of the oldest forms of marketing and has evolved with modern society and technology. Now that you have a clear idea as to how Word of Mouth marketing works, I hope you implement it wisely.

Also, go find a better momo corner next time.

Wishing you all the success!