Word of mouth marketing ( WOM marketing) refers to the actions taken by a company to motivate users and customers to spontaneously talk about the products and services it offers.
Below, we will explain in greater detail what this marketing strategy consists of and its importance in inbound marketing.
In marketing, the term “word of mouth” is defined as a form of oral communication between people, in which personal experiences and impressions about a brand are shared.
For example: how many times have you visited a restaurant because a friend recommended it to you? Or how many times have you seen a movie because a family member told you it was great? Probably many times!
Well, that's what word of mouth is all about: encouraging the purchase (or not) of a product or service through recommendations that arise in casual conversations. Therefore, word of mouth can be considered a persuasive process that influences purchasing or consumption decisions in general.
However, as you have probably already guessed, word of mouth taiwan contact number can be a communicative action with positive or negative effects for a company. Of course, the quality of customer service and the products and services offered depend on this.
Now then…What is word of mouth marketing?
Word-of-mouth marketing focuses its efforts on getting people to positively recommend a brand, product and/or service to friends and family.
The goal of word-of-mouth marketing is to get prospects and customers to position a brand through positive reviews and recommendations that generate trust in its products and services.
Likewise, word-of-mouth marketing is also considered to be the action of a customer posting assertive comments about a brand on social networks, accompanied by images and videos.
In general terms, this means that through word of mouth, your customers are essentially doing your marketing work for you: they are authentically promoting your products and services.
But be careful! Your customers' recommendations are not strictly free for your company: your marketing, sales and customer service teams have probably worked hard for months to meet the objectives set and ensure that these customers feel comfortable with their shopping experience.
Don't forget: the marketing your customers do to benefit your business is an investment.
The importance of word of mouth marketing in inbound marketing
Word of mouth marketing is a vital aspect within the philosophy of inbound marketing , even more so with the adoption of the FlyWheel as a new metaphor to understand its methodology.
In this new vision, all efforts to attract, interact and delight must be focused on making customers feel so comfortable with their shopping experience that they spontaneously take on the task of attracting new buyers through their recommendations.
The wheel-on-funnel metaphor is used in inbound marketing as a way to explain this type of cyclical relationship in which one customer attracts another customer to a company.
Putting the importance of word of mouth marketing at the center of inbound marketing arises because the recommendation of a friend or family member can be more powerful in stimulating a purchase than many marketing efforts together, such as: advertising campaigns, web articles positioned in search engines, email marketing campaigns, among others.
We show you:
inbound-marketing-flywheel-methodology
Unfortunately, we do not have up-to-date statistics on the impact of word-of-mouth marketing on brand positioning and sales growth, but studies conducted in previous years have found that:
92% of consumers surveyed believe in suggestions from friends and family more than in advertising. Source: Nielsen (2012).
Online consumer survey opinions are the second most trusted source of brand information and messaging. Source: Nielsen (2012).
In addition to recommendations from friends and family, 88% of people surveyed trust online reviews written by other consumers. Source: Bright Local (2014).
89% of women between 25 and 45 years old surveyed trust recommendations from a friend, partner or family member more than recommendations from a brand (11%) Source: Mom Central (2014).
What does it take to make a word-of-mouth marketing strategy effective?
Below, we will advise you on some actions that can boost positive recommendations for your brand:
Make sure that the product or service you offer meets customer expectations and satisfies their needs: it must have quality standards and be designed to provide solutions and benefits.
You need to have a number of customers who will keep referring you for a long time. To achieve this, you can offer discounts and promotions on future purchases, contests on social media, invitations to educational webinars, among others.
Have alliances with influencers who have a good reputation and connect with the target audience you want to captivate.
Read also: Everything you need to know about the types of social media influencers
Address negative comments on social media and reviews on Google My Business immediately , either by offering an apology or clarifying the situation so that other users understand the situation and do not misinterpret what happened.
In this article we give you tips to handle negative comments efficiently .
Demonstrate success stories and positive results: Testimonials from satisfied customers are important for successful word-of-mouth marketing, as they demonstrate the usefulness of your product or the quality of your service; your company's success stories are business cards that improve your reputation.
Host brand events and activations where people have the opportunity to interact with your products and learn about your identity.
In short, word- of-mouth marketing is a highly valuable strategy at an organizational level because it allows it to be made known in a natural and spontaneous way: through personal conversations.
Word of mouth can have both positive and negative consequences, so it is important that much of your company’s efforts are focused on providing satisfactory shopping experiences to encourage favorable recommendations of your products and services.