Even in this age when we have access to more resources than we could possibly consume, we still trust recommendations from our peers (aka word-of-mouth) above all else.
Instead of one-to-one in-person conversations, word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) has evolved to include interactions we have on social media. Whether digital or in-person, WOMM has big benefits for brands. For example:
- Word-of-mouth drives 13 percent of consumer sales
- Offline word-of-mouth produces two-thirds of measured business impact
- One offline word-of-mouth impression drives five times more sales than a paid media impression
Our latest white paper, “How to Build and Evangelize Your Community With Word-of-Mouth Marketing,” details everything you need to know about WOMM from how it works to best practices.
Here are five factors to consider when developing a WOMM campaign:
1. Credibility
Having a genuine message and sources is key to getting your message to spread and having people listen and act. A lack of authenticity is one reason why many PR pros question paying influencers to talk positively about your brand.
2. Respect
Roughly two-thirds of offline conversations about brands are positive, but even the best brands will get a few naysayers. When you face criticism, stay cool and rely on processes you have already put in place. Meltdowns can haunt brands.
Develop day-to-day processes for online and offline interactions and develop a crisis communications plan. When you weather and respond appropriately to criticism, you will actually generate goodwill from other fans and maybe even the person with the issue. As Peter Shankman says:
There’s no greater lover in the world than a former hater.
3. Social
Whether having a conversation in-person or over a social network, WOMM requires brands to deliver the right answer at the right time. Largely, this comes down to understanding the motivation of the person tweeting your brand. Do they want advice or are they unhappy with the product or the service they received?
4. Measurement
For a long time, brands had to guess at what impact WOMM had for their brand. No more. Today’s technology and tools give a better idea of word-of-mouth’s impact. You have to align data against other tactics and KPIs to ensure quality, measure word-of-mouth triggers, incorporate sentiment and evaluate impact on owned media and search.
5. Repeatability
Building and evangelizing a community arises from practices that you can repeat. To repeat your performance, track your efforts, outline the processes used and assess the results. This information can inform your next WOMM campaign.
Want to see 10 ways to engage in WOMM? Get your free white paper now!
