The most powerful and credible form of advertising also happens to be one of the most cost-effective: word of mouth marketing, an unpaid form of promotion where satisfied customers tell other people how much they like your company and its offerings. Nothing beats a personal referral or recommendation from a trusted colleague or friend of the buyer.
Thanks largely to the Internet – where it’s commonly called “buzz marketing” – it’s become easier than ever to utilize and benefit from word of mouth advertising.
Some tips for generating positive word-of-mouth advertising include:
- Go above and beyond. Don’t just slightly exceed customer expectations in your product or service quality. Exceed them by a wide enough margin so that the customer will remember you, and sing your praises to friends and colleagues.
- Don’t say it; do it. Avoid talking about exceptional service in ads or promotions. Talk is cheap. Instead of promising, just keep delivering it again and again.
- Ask for referrals. That applies not only with face-to-face requests (“Tell your friends about us!”), but also to social media, where you can invite customers to “like” you on Facebook and other social channels. They can also recommend your products and services to their networks.
