Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Talk Is Cheap, And So Is This

As the world gets slammed with advertising from all angles, businesses need to think smart to appeal to their audiences. And what better way to get a genuine dialogue going than with word-of-mouth marketing?

The marketing trend – harnessing something we all love to do naturally – is all about encouraging organic discussions about your business or brand. Considering that 82% of marketers use this uber-effective strategy, it’s one you want to add to your arsenal.

Ready to pay your marketing strategy more than just lip service? Pucker up with Smartpay and our guide to word-of-mouth marketing.

What On Earth Is Word-of-Mouth Marketing?

We’re glad you asked. Word-of-mouth marketing, also referred to as WOMM, is the process of encouraging organic discussions from your customers about your business. Whether it’s your products, services or overall brand, you want all the good stuff about your business to be reflected in their dialogues.

Picture this. One of your customers is getting stellar service and a great product. They’re pumped. They decide to tell their friends, family, coworkers and the next-door neighbour’s dog. In all the excitement of sharing, they’re doing you a huge favour and marketing your business for you. More leads, sales and brand awareness? Yes, please.

Lip Service: Types of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

The two types of word-of-mouth marketing you need to know are amplified and organic.

Amplified WOMM is when your business sets a marketing campaign in motion to encourage chatter. And it’s usually incentive driven. Think referrals, affiliates, brand ambassadors and influencer marketing. Plus, those trusty social media campaigns that encourage sharing and tagging to get the buzz going. 

Organic WOMM happens when someone hypes up your brand without any direct prompting. Exceptional customer service, a gift with purchase, amazing promotions or sales and other events will lead to this type of love. If you’re lucky, it results in social media sharing, positive Google and customer reviews and organic storytelling of your brand.

Building A Kiss-worthy WOMM Strategy

Ready to add word-of-mouth marketing to your business strategy? Here are our helpful tips. These cover the basics for building a solid WOMM strategy that’s money in the bank.

• The first rule of the WOMM club: balance negative feedback with positive. We all know bad comments can have a bigger impact than good ones, so you want to monitor what’s being said about your brand so you can be on top of it.
• Find that one thing about your brand that will generate a buzz. What are you doing differently? What’s your best product or selling point? Use this knowledge to stand out from the crowd.
• Decide whether you want to create organic chatter or develop a campaign to amplify it. Buzz can be generated with storytelling, share-worthy events and offering memorable experiences for your customers.
• Harness the power of referrals. A simple referral program makes it easy to spread the word, gives you an easy ROI analysis and rewards your loyal customers. The perks can be monetary or non-monetary, whatever you think they’ll love most.
• Lean into user-generated content. We want customer reviews, campaign hashtags and social media posts. And don’t forget to reward those who spread the word.
• Make meaningful connections. Give better customer service and focus on positive engagement with your customers. This marketing technique is about being worthy of the buzz, not just creating it.

Be The Name On Everybody’s Lips

We’re not ones to kiss and tell, but word-of-mouth marketing is a cost-effective and simple way to market your brand. Turn your everyday customers into brand advocates with our tips and get people talking.

We love word-of-mouth marketing, too! Get your lips moving and refer a friend to Smartpay to score a $100 bonus for you and savings for them. For every successful referral, you’ll get an entry into our quarterly draw for the chance to win $5,000. Pretty cool right? T&Cs apply.

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