Last night, I suddenly had a craving for salty chips. So, I figured I would order online for my future cravings.
So, I searched for "vegan chips" on Google. And I was flooded with choices. I was not sure what brand to pick!
While looking for the perfect bag of chips, it made me think... no matter what industry you are in, competition in the world of eCommerce is already aggressive.
Having an online presence with a fancy website is no longer enough to make your business stand out in the sea of eCommerce brands.
In this digital age, if you want to excel as an online business... you have to attract customers through effective ecommerce marketing strategies.
Most brands use different paid and free marketing strategies to grow business and entice potential and existing customers.
But there is one powerful area often overlooked by the owners and digital marketers. I'm talking about the word of mouth marketing.
The magic of word-of-mouth marketing is real and can bring businesses lots of sales and conversions when done right.
Here are some word of mouth statistics: According to a study by Nielsen, 92% of customers trust recommendations from friends and families over all forms of advertising.
You see, present-day customers are savvy.
They already know how to block out the noise of ads. You may want to reconsider your marketing strategy if you think you can lure them through your paid advertising efforts.
Take the example above. Put yourself in that position. What do you do when you have to buy anything? Most probably, you'll take a quick Google search.
You may ask for recommendations from friends or family, and follow the suggestions of influencers you follow and trust.
Here's a big idea: people admire authenticity. They follow the personal recommendations of loved ones through word of mouth more than trusting any random guy bragging about a product or service on TV.
But unlike other forms of marketing that come with their own set of rules, word-of-mouth marketing could be challenging at times.
It is crucial to understand that the goal of word-of-mouth marketing isn't to get people to talk about your brand. It's to convert them into your long-lasting loyal customers.
I will highlight seven essential word-of-mouth marketing strategies to grow your business in 2024... and beyond!
Let's start with...
What Is Word Of Mouth Marketing?
Word-of-mouth marketing is a promotional activity that revolves around the recommendations of your satisfied customers.
It is a free-of-cost advertisement from a buyer resulting from a positive experience with a brand.
These customers are called brand advocates. They openly share their opinions and positive reviews about a brand within their social circles.
They even share their amazing experience on different social media platforms. They can help others make profitable purchase decisions.
To sum it up... they are spreading the word for you. They talk about you.
You may hear other terms surrounding WOM marketing. Keep reading and learn the differences among...
Why is a Word-of-mouth Marketing Strategy Effective?
Due to trust and credibility, word-of-mouth marketing works so well. Personal recommendations from friends or family carry genuity, foster emotional connections, and are memorable. This cost-effective strategy builds communities, amplifies messages, and targets relevant audiences, contributing to its power in influencing consumer decisions.
Word Of Mouth Marketing VS Referral Marketing VS Word Of Mouth Advertising
Word-of-mouth marketing is often confused with two other terms referral marketing and word-of-mouth advertising.
Let me tell you the differences between the three.
As mentioned above, word-of-mouth marketing revolves around happy customers. These customers actively encourage others to buy from your brand based on their positive experiences.
On the other hand, referral marketing isn't about asking for opinions and recommendations.
This marketing campaign requires customers to recommend your brand to their friends and family. It is a process that involves eCommerce businesses identifying their loyal customers.
Then, they reach out to them with a specific message.
Referral marketing still involves word of mouth, but some businesses have a rewards process for customers who refer products to their families and friends.
Word-of-mouth advertising works more or less the same way as word-of-mouth marketing.
The only difference is you have to pay your influencer to promote your product on your brand's behalf.
In other words, it is a form of paid advertising. It gives businesses control over what relevant influencers say in front of their target market.
Now, doesn't that WOM marketing sound pretty beneficial for your eCommerce business? Well, here are the reasons...
Why launch a word-of-mouth campaign?
Have you ever wondered why many online businesses use word-of-mouth marketing to spread positivity about their brand? The reason is simple. It is powerful.
Here is what will happen when your potential customers talk positively about your brand. And prospects trust recommendations so much.
When they actively promote your eCommerce business to their friends and colleagues, your market reputation and credibility will automatically increase!
Take a look at the must-know word-of-mouth marketing statistics:
- 92% of consumers trust recommendations from a friend or a family member before making a purchase online.
- Another study reveals that over 88% of people go through online reviews before purchasing anything from a website.
- 74% of online consumers consider word-of-mouth marketing a key influencer in their purchasing decision.
- Only 33% of online businesses have a system to collect testimonials and reviews.
When your current customers share their personal recommendations, you can reap the...
Benefits Of Word Of Mouth Marketing For Your Ecommerce Business
Word-of-mouth marketing...
1. Establishes brand loyalty
Did you know that customer acquisition can cost businesses five times more than customer retention?
Studies also suggest that a 5% increase in customer retention can increase a company’s revenue by up to 75%.
If your customers are happy and satisfied with your services, they’re likely to refer your brand to more customers. So, you get to create a loyal customer base that stays true to your brand no matter what.
A word-of-mouth strategy also...
2. Helps build a community
Word-of-mouth marketing also enables you to build an online community. It can consist of your brand advocates. Each one can share a worthy experience they all can relate to.
But one wrong move can also result in negative word of mouth, ruining your overall brand image and reputation.
Furthermore, your marketing campaign...
3. Helps your brand go viral
Every business wants to invest in ads, and other paid marketing efforts to help them build awareness. As well as increase sales and conversions, of course.
But these strategies are expensive. It also requires you to spend extravagantly on your social media marketing budget.
Also, the recognition you get through organic word-of-mouth marketing is incomparable. Imagine impartial people applauding your brand in the media and on social media.
The impact is going to be absolutely massive! As a brand owner, you also get to have...
4. Free marketing
The good thing about word-of-mouth marketing is that you don’t have to pay anything in exchange for a positive review. As long as your product or service makes customers happy, it's free!
It’s an organic form of marketing that revolves around genuine buyers and authentic reviews. When talking about word-of-mouth marketing campaigns, you can't leave out having...
5. More Revenue
The formula is pretty simple...
Happy customers = Repeat Sales and Referrals = More Sales and Conversions.
The most significant perk of using word-of-mouth marketing is that it helps drive more sales and conversions.
Lastly, it can also...
6. Build Social Proof
Having social proof is critical for the success and growth of any online business.
Word-of-mouth marketing lets you build social proof for your brand that you can showcase on different platforms to build credibility and trust.
Getting excited about looking for word-of-mouth marketing ideas? Hold on to your horses and learn...
How does word-of-mouth marketing work?
Word-of-mouth marketing in 2023 happens in two ways. You can either do it organically or use paid amplified marketing campaigns.
If you don't currently have a loyal customer base and want to start from scratch, you can go with the organic approach.
But if your word-of-mouth strategies are already in place, it's time to switch to amplified word-of-mouth marketing tactics.
Let's get to the main event! Here is...
How to create word-of-mouth marketing strategies to grow your business in 2024?
You can display this marketing strategy to your target audience in many channels.
But unless your products and services are super good... it is not easy to trigger a conversation among website visitors.
For your convenience, I have created this guide to reveal seven impactful word-of-mouth strategies you can implement immediately to grow your business.
Start with this word-of-mouth strategy...
1. Promote Your Brand’s Unique Selling Proposition
Are you surprised when innovative and unique products go viral in no time? Not really, right?
Similarly, any hot topic becomes trending quickly as online users actively seek conversations.
Remember Domino's fresh and hot pizza deal? The brand promised to deliver pizza within 30 minutes or less. Or you get it for free.
(source)
The deal went viral in no time and became the talk of the town as soon as Dominos made it official.
Make sure you highlight your USP in your digital marketing campaigns as it can attract your audience's attention. Excite them and get your customers talking about your product... enough to share your content with their friends and family.
Once you create content for your word-of-mouth promotion, you can...
2. Use Visuals As They Go Viral In No Time
The internet has quickly become a visual place. No other form of content is as engaging as visual content, especially on social media posts.
So, include exciting and engaging visual content in your campaigns. That includes customer photos, videos, and infographics. That way, you provide value to your users and create hype.
People also share visual content more than text-based blogs and articles. Also, you can reuse visual content in different ways and multiple times based on the user’s needs.
Maybe one of the classic organic word-of-mouth marketing ideas is when you...
3. Create Viral Campaigns
If you have been thinking about leveraging viral marketing, let us tell you it doesn’t exist. You cannot create a campaign to make it viral.
So, what can you do?
You can include different elements in your campaign that have the potential to create a buzz and excite new customers.
Discover areas that you think go well with your business niche. People love humor and trending news. So you can use these things to make your campaign look more exciting and appealing.
Some businesses also have a dedicated WOM writer who can write viral content for their brand.
All of these strategies will help you gain exposure. As well as create brand awareness and user engagement.
Keep building on your WOM marketing strategy.
4. Create An Emotional Experience Through Storytelling
Good or bad, it’s human nature to share experiences with others. And you can incorporate that nature into your campaign to get people talking.
One of the most effective ways to tap into buyers’ sentiments is through the art of storytelling.
Storytelling has gained massive popularity in recent years. Many big brands adopted it to create an emotional experience.
When buyers see campaigns that value their sentiments and emotions, they talk more about them with their friends and family.
Create story-based campaigns that connect with your customers at an emotional level. The best way to do this is by using social media. It comes with possibilities for engagement and high exposure.
Encourage customers to participate and...
5. Have Positive User-Generated Content
User-generated content goes hand in hand with word-of-mouth marketing.
The more user-generated content you have on your website and social media profiles... the better your business will rank on search engine results pages.
Also, people engage better with recommendations coming from like-minded individuals.
Welcome users to comment on your posts. Encourage user-generated content and let them share ideas. Then, drop their feedback so that you can have unique and positive words on your website.
Positive user-generated content is the best strategy for building customer loyalty, business reputation, and, above all, conversions.
Also, user-generated content is usually free! Customers make content about products they genuinely love. That's what makes them credible.
Now don't forget about influencer marketing so...
6. Collaborate With Influencers
Using industry influencers is another foolproof way to build trust and credibility. This marketing strategy doesn’t need to be too pricey as well.
Don’t choose celebrities and famous influencers! They charge a lot to recommend a product or a service. Instead, choose micro-influencers. There are people who have a decent following on social media.
Ask them to talk about your brand on their social media channels. Some influencers even agree to collaborate in exchange for a free product. Others ask for a reasonable payment for your social media work.
All in all, this is one of the best ways to build a reputation, especially if you have just started out.
Lastly, you can encourage word-of-mouth marketing strategy and...
7. Introduce Reward Programs
Everybody loves free stuff! Who would say no to a free product, gifts, and rewards?
So, offer rewards to your customers. When you do, they will feel special and get their future purchases from you.
Plus, they will also feel obliged to share their honest reviews and positive recommendations with others. This will also help you retain customers because they'll return to use the rewards.
With this strategy, you can even earn plenty of positive testimonials for your website and social media pages.
That reward could be anything - a free product, coupon code, discount, or reward points that they can redeem in the future.
But remember, your rewards should still make your business profitable. You don't need to offer big rewards; you just have to choose the one that will make your customers happy.
There you have it! So go for it and...
Keep people talking, and keep your business growing!
Yes, consumers trust online reviews. But as you have learned, nothing beats the influence of our loved ones.
You can start with one or two of the strategies. Just make sure also continue on your social proof as your business grows.
Remember, social proof is crucial in converting your target audience into actual customers. So, use these tips to take advantage of word-of-mouth marketing.
Also, don't forget to ask your customers for reviews! Trust me, there is no harm in asking. If you're in doubt, here's...
