There are tons of different ways that you can promote your company and offers. But the most effective and trusted method is word-of-mouth marketing.
According to a Nielsen report, “More than eight-in-10 global respondents (83%) say they completely or somewhat trust the recommendations of friends and family.”
But this trust isn’t limited to only people consumers actually know. Consumers are also likely to trust recommendations from other consumers posted via social media or as reviews or testimonials.
Basically, in whatever form it takes, word-of-mouth marketing is powerful. And below, you’ll find three techniques for how you can encourage more word-of-mouth marketing to expand your business.
1. Use An Employee Advocacy Tool
Whether you’re among friends or family or meeting someone for the first time, in social settings, two of the most commonly asked questions are “Where do you work?” and “How’s your job going?”
And when you respond positively to these questions, a positive impression is left on whoever you’re talking to about the company you work for (or own).
Accordingly, you want to cultivate a work environment that treats employees well. You should be doing this anyway. But the bonus effect is that your employees will be more apt to share positive news about their jobs with the people they meet.
To help inform these conversations, use an employee advocacy tool, such as Trapit, Bambu, or Smarp. You’ll be able to keep your employees informed of the most up-to-date company news, like product launches, special offers, and new partnerships.
Using an employee advocacy tool also makes it easier for your employees to share company news on their own social media profiles. Plus, employees can communicate with one another. Analytics also allow you to see which topics people discuss and share the most and which employees are the biggest influencers.
To discover more employee advocacy tool options, click here.
2. Encourage User-Generated Content
User-generated content, or UGC, is content created by your customers that pertains to your company or brand. For instance, if a customer posted a photo of him or herself using one of your products, that’s a form of UGC.
UGC is “honest, it builds trust, and gives marketers extra collateral to work with,” says Ramona Sukhraj.
But how can you get most customers to post UGC about your business?
For starters, you can come up with a unique hashtag and lead by example, using the hashtag in your own social media content so your audience will see it and start using it too. You can also include the hashtag in your company’s social media profiles.
Then, you can offer incentives, like special discounts or free gifts, for sharing content.
And lastly, once you start generating UGC, you can add a gallery or section on your website specifically designed to showcase your business’ UGC. ModCloth is one website that does this especially well. You can check out their
Style Gallery filled with user-generated photos here.
3. Reach Out To Relevant Niche Influencers
Influencers are people who have a sizable presence on social media, meaning lots of targeted followers and engagement via comments, likes, and shares.
And what you can do to benefit from some of the social clouts of social media influencers is form mutually beneficial partnerships.
To do this, contact the top influencers pertaining to your business’ niche on whichever social media platforms your customers use most. Then, come up with a win-win proposal to pitch to influencers. For example, you could offer a free sample of one of your products in exchange for having influencers post a photo and a link to your website.
This technique can be really effective, especially if you don’t yet have a significant social media presence yourself.
What are your thoughts on word-of-mouth marketing? Do you think it’s an effective approach to expand the reach of your business or brand? Get in touch and let us know.