Word-of-Mouth Marketing
With the evolution of both modern and traditional forms of marketing, sometimes one of the most important kinds goes forgotten. Word-of-Mouth Marketing…in the most simplest of terms, it is marketing through people. Whether one of your customers has had a great or terrible experience, the opinions and experiences they share with others is incredibly valuable to your brand. According to Nielson “92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family over any other type of advertising .” This is a staggering statistic for marketers who spend their lives with one common goal in mind…to gain the trust and business of customers.
Word-Of-Mouth Marketing has come to encompass things beyond us running to our friends and family with dramatic customer service experiences, or incredible event highlights. Because “74% of consumers identify word of mouth as a key influencer in their purchasing decisions,” it is vital for marketing to consider how they can use this form of marketing to promote their brands POSITIVELY, and to identify the different ways word-of-mouth reaches their customers.
Online Reviews
Online reviews are now being considered a factor considered under the WOM umbrella, and for good reason. “88% of people trust online reviews written by other consumers as much as they trust recommendations from personal contacts.” Much research shows that consumers will do extensive research and online review stalking before making purchases, especially significant ones. If your company is not taking the time to monitor online reviews, this could work against you or you may not be taking full advantage of it. If negative reviews are flocking your product pages, you need to respond and resolve these comments and issues quickly. Visitors who see negative reviews, especially ones without any resolution can be turned off quickly to buying those products or anything from the brand as a whole. On the other hand, if your pages are getting great reviews, you should be leveraging these, and still commenting back that you appreciate their time, input and business. You should encourage customers to leave reviews, especially considering how much consumers trust and rely on this form of WOM. What methods are you using now to encourage reviews? If you can’t think of any, I recommend putting this on tomorrow’s “to-do” list.
Customer Service
“I called customer service and waited forever for no answers.” “The customer service representative I had was such a ********.” “No one could answer any of my questions and I couldn’t get in touch with a manager.” You know you have heard a family member or friend complain about a bad customer service experience before. You also probably know that it affected the way you thought of that company, and the chances you would be a customer. Additionally, you know that if your friend or family member has a really great customer service experience, you will hear about it. The interactions your customers have with in-person, over-the-phone, or virtual customer service has a big impact on their overall experience and the kind of WOM effect they will have. Customer representatives should be trained appropriately, should behave respectfully, and should know how to comfort disgruntled customers. If they have already experienced a problem, this is an opportunity to make up for it before you get bashed at the next Backyard Get Together. If you turn a bad experience, into a horrible one, you are doomed at this week’s Book Club. Products, brands and experiences are becoming increasingly personalized, and this personalization can also be a factor in your customer service plan. Don’t let your company turn into that “bitch on the customer service line.”
Customer Experience
Customers want to be WOW-ED. The number of substitutes, and opportunities for something more unique, cheaper, more elegant, more customized or personal, etc. is only increasing with time. If you want your customers to go out and tell people about how great your brand is, then show them a great customer experience. This includes but is not limited to the experience in-store, online, on an app, the follow-up after a purchase, the attention they receive if something goes wrong, the perks they get for being a customer…this list goes on. Creating a unique and enjoyable experience is a great way to get positive WOM. Create great customer experiences AND encourage customers to talk about them (it’s all coming together now).
WOM Today
WOM is not just people talking face-to-face anymore. It is showing the beautiful dinner plate they got to their Snapchat followers, Live Video sharing of the disaster that is the department store floor, the reviews on the face product they got that caused an allergic reaction, the screenshot of the rude customer service agent response, or the Instagram posts from a great night on the cruise. Marketers and company leaders forming strategy need to understand the importance and impact of WOM. You should be doing everything you can to create positive WOM, because it will have greater returns than any flashy campaign, and can create greater losses than any flop ad.
What are some of the benefits of a strong WOM Marketing Plan?
Less Resources Spent on Ads & Campaigns and More on the Customer
Genuine Customer Testimonials (hopefully in your favor)
Customer Involvement (there is so much to gain from customers showing off that they love your brand and hearing what they want in the future)
Feedback - There is always room to learn, grow and be better (you can even benefit and learn from some negative comments once in a while)
Have you told someone about a good or bad shopping experience lately?
Bean
http://linkedin.com/in/sabinaruggles
@sabinaruggles
