You have a great product or service to offer, and you’ve invested time and energy into creating a solid brand message. You’ve identified your audience and you are ready to get the word out. But while you may be utilizing all the traditional methods of relaying your message to the masses—emails, press releases, media coverage—you may be missing a key element of brand recognition: word-of-mouth.
According to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), “On average, Americans speak ‘positive’ about brands during word-of-mouth conversations 66 percent of the time.” To harness that positive chatter, here are a few key tools you can use to boost your word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) strategy and get your audience talking:
1. Instagram
Consider incorporating user-generated content as a tactic. People love to post photos, so Instagram might be a great way to engage your audience. Ask your fans and followers to share experiences with your product by taking a photo and using a hashtag. It’s fun for your community, and helps you market easily and effectively. Take it a step further and create a contest, asking participants to get creative.
2. Hashtags.
Use hashtags for real-time marketing. Monitoring hashtags on Twitter and Facebook allows you to keep up on current news and trends, and gives you the opportunity to incorporate your brand into the larger story that is taking place. Think Oreo during the Super Bowl blackout two years ago. Earlier this month, The Salvation Army effectively inserted itself into the hot #TheDress debate that blew up on social media. Just be sure to use caution—creating a campaign that trivializes a serious news item is never in good taste.
3. Give.org.
Purpose-based marketing, or cause marketing, is a great way to market your brand by doing good at the same time. Partner with a charity or non-profit that aligns with your brand’s mission, but be sure your motives are in the right place; your audience will know if you are partnering with a non-profit as a promotional gimmick. Find a charitable organization your brand believes in and nurture that relationship. Give.org is a great resource to research and vet quality, respected organizations.
4. Twibbon.
In the same spirit of giving, evangelism marketing creates brand advocacy by creating a groundswell of support within the larger community. Check out Twibbon to give your fans and followers an easy way to show support for a cause or initiatives related to your brand.
For more on word-of-mouth marketing, get our latest white paper, “Build and Evangelize Your Community With Word-of-Mouth Marketing.”
