Posts Tagged ‘word of mouth’

Social Media: The New Word Of Mouth

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

A new study shows that small business owners recognize the value of word of mouth advertising, but they don’t see a need for social media. Perhaps SMBs are not aware that social media is the new word of mouth.

Let’s face it, we live in a world where the Yellow Pages are used less and less often. People now conduct their searches for local businesses online. Looking for real estate? They start online. Want to buy a car? They start online. Interested in buying a product – any product? People start online, read reviews, ask their friends via social media, and maybe – just maybe (OK, probably) – they’ll make the purchase offline. But more and more they are starting their search online.

Maybe your business is doing fine without advertising. Maybe you have a steady string of customers based on your lifelong reputation. That’s good. But what if you’ve been in business for less than five years? Less than ten?

If your business is less than ten or fifteen years old, then I’d say you need to develop a social media presence. Word of mouth advertising is essential, but in the future that word of mouth will travel via social media. It will travel near and far. If you’re not doing something online, through social media and through search, then you will be relegated to history.

Learn how you can make social media be your most effective word of mouth tool.

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Posted in Social Media | 8 Comments »

The First Step To Going Viral (You Won’t Have A Chance If You Don’t Do This)

Monday, June 27th, 2011

I’m sure you’ve heard of the term “gone viral.” Viral marketing is a term that was coined in 1997 when Hotmail got everyone to sign up for a free e-mail account. I’d be willing to bet you were one of those who did it (and you might still have that account). Am I right?

Asides aside, David Jackson has an awesome article at SiteProNews that showcases 7 viral marketing techniques that work. And believe me, they ALL work.

Those 7 techniques (in a nutshell) are (brace yourself – spoilage coming):

  1. Videos
  2. Social media
  3. Articles
  4. Twitter
  5. Share widget
  6. E-books
  7. Newsletter

Trust me, these techniques all work. I know because I’ve tried them. But before you go out and start implementing these techniques in your marketing campaigns, there is one thing you have to do before you start seeking the viral in viral marketing. Do you know what that one thing is?

I hear you saying, “Create content.” That’s true. Without content, you can’t go viral. But that’s not it.

How about “great content?” Close, but no cigar.

Give up?

Well, I don’t want to keep you guessing for the next 20 days, so I’m going to spill the beans. In order for your content to go viral, you first have to create awesome knock-your-socks-off content. Truly, I mean your content has to be so awesome that your readers, site visitors, or whoever you put that content in front of forgets everything else and helps you promote it.

That’s it. Viral marketing is nothing more than word of mouth advertising at near lightning speed. OK, slight exaggeration. What I mean is: Super Fast Speed.

To achieve that effect, your content has to be awesome and nothing short of it.

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Posted in Viral Marketing | 4 Comments »

Who Are Your Biggest Word-Of-Mouth Advocates?

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

Word of mouth advertising has been around for ages. It may be the oldest form of advertising. It is certainly the oldest form of unpaid advertising. But it can just as well be a form of paid advertising.

When a company gives out free samples in hopes that people will talk about them, that’s “paying” them to talk. Isn’t it?

It may not be a direct form of payment, but it certainly is offering an incentive. And as long as you aren’t requiring the recipients of your freebies to say good things – as long as you allow them to say whatever they want – then it is considered ethical. But have you considered encouraging your employees to be your spokespeople?

I’m talking about a tactic that isn’t discussed much. Think about who you have working for you. Do they Twitter? Do they have Facebook friends? Maybe you should consider letting your receptionist take a tour of the inside of your plant. Or perhaps you can give free samples to your truck drivers and see what happens.

There’s really just one rule where this kind of word-of-mouth encouragement comes into play. Be sure you are touching the people most likely to talk. If you manufacture women’s perfume, for instance, and you give free samples to your shipping employees, 90% of whom are single men, then you may not get much in the way of results. On the other hand, if your shipping department is 80% female and 90% of the remaining employees are married men whose wives fit your target demographics then that would be a good investment.

So who do you encourage to spread news about your company by word of mouth?

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Posted in Traditional Marketing for Small Business | 2 Comments »