What is Word of Mouth Marketing?
Word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing is simply, recommendations! It is the oldest and most powerful way of marketing, more powerful than any other media put together.
It definitely existed before the internet
Even before TV and radio ads.
And even before printed ads.
It’s been existing since time unknown.
You can say word of mouth is the original social media.
It’s the dream for any business
WOM marketing is earned (and more importantly, free) media for any business. When people talk about your brand or product, it doesn’t cost you anything. That makes it the most effective channel of marketing. No wonder it’s the most powerful and sought after media to promote your business.
Its strength is explained in numbers in this Nielsen report. It says that in Asia-Pacific
- 94% people trust recommendations from people they know
- 76% people trust opinions posted online
The oldest media has gone digital
The oldest and strongest way of marketing has now joined forces with today’s digital media, making it mightier than ever. About 62% of consumers search online for reviews and information before purchasing a product.
How to leverage this might? How to have it by your side? User-Generated Content (UGC) is the key.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Facebook recommendations, tweets on twitter, posts and stories on Instagram, Google Maps reviews, Zomato reviews, reviews on e-commerce platforms, reviews on your website are all user-generated content.
However, you don’t have the power to create it, your customer has. But you definitely can help it reach more people. That can be done by building your brand and your community online. Here’s how:
Branding
Branding is a good way to boost WOM. People love to talk about the brands they use and they like. If your brand isn’t clearly defined, people won’t be able to talk much about your business.
You can read more about the other perks of branding in our blog post, 7 Ways Branding Will Boost Your Business. It’s Not Just Visuals!
The world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, has a rich quote about brand,
Branding is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. – Jeff Bezos
You can also read more quotes on branding by the legends of marketing and business.
Social Media
Facebook pages have the ‘recommendations’ section, where people can read reviews of your business, whether your customers recommend your products or services.
To help this reach out to the rest of the world, you can also put up these reviews as posts on your social media. This is more visible.
