Do you have customers who are talking about your brand with people they know? If so, do you know what they are saying or where they are spreading this information?

When you begin thinking about word-of-mouth marketing, these are a few of the essential questions you must think about.

If you have customers who say things such as “they have amazing customer service,” or “this product is the next big thing,” are you even listening? Today, everyone is turning to peer recommendations, and you need to keep up with what is being said. The fact is, having word of mouth marketing impressions can drive up to five times the impressions that paid media marketing does.

Consumers trust one another when it comes to product recommendations more than brands or other popular advertising methods. Even though the fact of if people are discussing your brand may seem like something out of your hands – it is not. Regardless of if it is a Le-Vel Thrive Review or a review on the latest and greatest new toy, you need to pay attention to what is being said and then leverage word-of-mouth advertising for your business’s ongoing growth and success.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing Defined

Word-of-mouth marketing refers to the process of generating buzz or conversations about your brand, online, in a manner that helps to attract new customers. In many situations, it will rely heavily on user-generated content. This is content that is related to your brand, products, or services but created and posted by customers.

Typically, a word-of-mouth marketing strategy is something you can create with minimal or no budget. The results produced are organic and generally incredible. Unlike some of the other advertising strategies used today, word-of-mouth marketing is an ongoing and constant process. It is much more than just sending content out on social media and hoping that you get a response. Instead, this is a strategy that is all about creating a community and then engaging with those in it.

However, if you are like most people, you may wonder if it takes too much time, is it really going to be worth it?

Consider this – up to 75% of people do not believe advertising; however, 62% trust online reviews left by real customers. Even though advertising can help get the attention of people who see it, most people would instead work with an audience who will tell others about the services offered.

Because word-of-mouth marketing allows your fans to handle most of the work, this method will draw a lot more traffic to your website. However, what is even more important is that when people bring in new people, they are already primed for a purchase.

This means that you are not just getting more traffic, but you also receive quality views from consumers further down the purchase path. Now that you understand what word-of-mouth marketing is, it is time to learn how to create your own strategy. Keep reading for some tips with this process.

Create a Memorable Hashtag

At first, creating a unique and viral hashtag can seem like a daunting process; however, it is a crucial step to take when creating a word-of-mouth marketing strategy.

While you may know how successful the #shareacoke hashtag from Coca Cola was, not all businesses are Coke. It is up to you to create a hashtag that is both creative and simple. While this may seem impossible, there are a few tips that can help.

For example, create something simple and straightforward. The more words and letters you add, the more complex the hashtag will be, making it hard to remember and share. Keep things short and sweet. You should also capitalize the first letter of each word in your hashtag. This helps reduce confusion.

If possible, add branded keywords and use something distinctive to your company. You may also need to create a contest to get it kicked off. This is going to generate some buzz, which makes it easier to spread the word.

Help Your Customers Make Their Friends Jealous

Giving away some type of unique experience is an effective way to create new buzz. A share-worthy story is something that can encourage people to talk about your brand to other people.

The question is – how can you provide this unique experience. It does not matter if it is a discount on a future purchase or a day at a local attraction; a giveaway can help encourage people to discuss your brand. After all – who does not love to brag to people they know about all the cool items they received for free?

Engage in Social Promotions

Giving away something free is not a new concept. Also, it is not something that has to cost you a lot.

You can create a unique rewards program and reward your audience for shares, likes, reviews, etc. This is something else your customers can brag about, making their friends jealous, which leads to more fans and buyers for you.

Harness the Power of Video

If you can create video content, your audience wants to watch; you can make something that people want to share with others. Everyone loves watching and sharing all types of video content online. It does not matter if you create branded content, entertaining videos, or something emotional – people are going to watch and share.

Video content can be branded and promote your products. It can also be helpful in purchase pages and product descriptions. However, it would help if you did this in a manner that encourages entertainment and engagement with your customers. Make sure to be personable and authentic, which will help people connect with your brand and its personality.

Harnessing the Power of Word-of-Mouth Advertising

As you can see from the information here, there are several ways you can harness and use word-of-mouth advertising for the good of your business. Knowing what to do and expect are two of the best ways to make the most of these methods. Being informed about what word-of-mouth offerings is also beneficial, as this will help you see why this is a marketing method you should adopt.