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Fostering Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing accomplishes what the best organized marketing campaigns can do, in a fraction of the time. Even better, word-of-mouth costs nothing. Find out more about turning satisfied customers into emissaries.

No matter what business or industry you're in, there's no more cost- effective form of marketing than word-of-mouth promotion. Think about it: if you see an ad proclaiming that one office supply store has the best prices on fax machines, but your friend tells you another store actually has lower prices, who are you going to believe? You're obviously going to believe your friend, because he or she has no agenda, and therefore is a credible source.

The same applies when it comes to word-of-mouth referrals. You should be looking to your base of happy clients and encouraging them to share their satisfaction with friends and peers, spreading the word around your target market. Make use of the trust relationships your customers have with their friends and family: no amount of marketing will be as seamlessly believed, digested and absorbed.

Here are some good word-of-mouth techniques you can use:

Once you are sure you have a satisfied client, ask them for the names of other people they think will be interested in what you sell and for the right to use their name in a conversation with these potential customers. For example "John Henry was very happy with the car I sold him and he thought I might be able to help you find what you are looking for."
Ask your satisfied clients for testimonials that you can then use as part of marketing, whether in advertisements, direct marketing campaigns or radio campaigns.
Whenever a new client does business with you, ask how he or she heard about you. If you get many "referred by friend" responses, think about how you might set up a rewards program. People naturally talk to others about their experiences, both good and bad – but an organized system that rewards them for speaking positively certainly won't hurt.

Don't ignore the cheapest, easiest marketing tool available to you – encourage your customers to speak up and spread the word.

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