What is Word of Mouth & How it Helps Increase your Sales?
Daily, as a customer, we come across lots of products in the market, but we choose only those products that are recommended by our friends and family.
We tend to purchase those because of trust recommendations, and this kind of marketing is known as word of mouth marketing. It is the oldest form of marketing because we are using it for a long time.
Word of mouth, as its name suggests, means to refer or share personal experience regarding any product or service with a friend or family member. Word of mouth can be positive or negative as it depends upon the customer experience with that particular product or service.
Word of Mouth Marketing Strategies for Business Growth.
1. An authentic product.
We all are aware of the fact that the quality of the product is the essence of any business. If you want people to talk about your product, then its quality should fulfill the customer’s expectations. If they find your product good, then they will do positive word of mouth marketing for your product or vice versa. Make sure that you have the right product for your customers. If you have an authentic product, then word of mouth marketing is for you.
2. Sound customer support system.
Product quality is not the sole criteria to fulfil the customer’s expectations. Customers need an excellent support system so that they can feel free to get your support. When you solve customer queries they feel more privileged, and it will increase your customer trust.
These two criteria should be there while planning for a word of mouth marketing strategy.
Now, you must be surprised to know that why we call it referral marketing? The reason behind calling it referral marketing is because the traditional word of mouth marketing has revolutionized its way and come up with an extraordinary way that can help the business to grow.
Before we move forward, let’s learn about its advanced version.
Referral marketing works like just word of mouth, but it has a purpose of promotion. Businesses intentionally encourage the customer to have a virtual conversation with their friends and refer them to their products.
Referral marketing has now widely used by startups, industries, and companies to promote their brands to others.
Companies not only intentionally encourage customers but also try to tie them with their business. They offer lucrative offers so that they can directly hit the customer’s interest.
Suppose a company has body care products, and they want to expand their customer base. They will use word of mouth marketing Aka referral marketing, in which they will ask their existing customers to spread positive word of mouth and for doing that they will get free body care products or get discounts on them.
See how effective it is to bind your existing customers with your brand while adding more potential customers.
When we say potential customers, it means that that new customer will also promote your product to their friends in the future. It creates multiple chains of the customer, who will remain by your side for the long term.
Let see how it helps business to increase its sells.
It’s a continuous process.
Yes, you read it right. Word of mouth marketing is not a one time process; it a continuous chain of recommending the product from one person to another person, and its chain goes like this. Once your customer has started doing it, it will gradually increase your sales base without requiring any extra efforts.
Cost-effective methodology.
Unlike advertisement, it does not require a large amount of investment; you can start word of mouth marketing by investing an amount according to your business scale. You can choose those incentives that are inexpensive and still manage to make your customers happy.
How can you make it a success?
1. Freebies or discounts
Freebies are the most attractive and straightforward way to grab your customer’s attention. Those customers who have years of trust in your brand deserve an incentive or freebies for being loyal to you. Therefore, it allows you to reward them and ask them to become an advocate for your brand.
There are different incentives for every business. A business should choose them wisely according to their budget.
They have two choices.
- They can give their products to their customers as a reward because their customers already know the product quality.
- They can give them coupons, vouchers, or something that they can use in their day to day lives.
Some businesses choose to do both. They tend to use both side gratification, which means that they will reward not only the loyal customer but also the new customer, who has joined them recently.
It is the most effective way; because loyal customers are already liked your product and giving them something different will work as icing on the cake, and new customers will get a chance to use your company product or service.
2. Keep updating your customers.
Updating your customers is a critical way to make them feel connected with you. Its a fact that if you see anything at regular intervals, then it is more likely to stay longer in your memory. Therefore, it will indirectly fulfil your purpose. Forward them an email about what kind of changes you are making in your product or service to make it better. Share your success stories with them and invite them to share their feedback as well.
3. Show gratitude towards them.
It is the right way to make your customers feel privileged. Send them a thank you message after their every purchase. Make them feel that it does not matter how many customers your brand has, but every customer is essential for your brand. Show your gratitude when they participate in your marketing campaign.
See how these small steps and initiatives can help your business to establish goodwill among your loyal customers as well as your new customers. Word of mouth marketing has a lot of potentials to make any business a success.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have learned about the basics of the word of mouth marketing and how it has digitally changed itself. Businesses need to plan their campaign according to their need and requirements.
Every industry can use it to make a well-established business and can increase its revenue.
