Sales are down, the product isn’t moving, we need more customers/clients, we have a new product/service to launch, and a host of other issues face business leaders every day. When these happen, many decide it is time to do something about it and will say, “We need to get some “Word-of-Mouth” going out there to make this happen.” Sound familiar?
Why Word-of-Mouth instead of another ad campaign or more radio spots or direct mail or some other type of campaign. Because while a business might not have a “Word-of-Mouth Strategy” in place, they do know that it is the lowest cost and highest return marketing anyone can deploy. And today, with the advent of New Media (social media) it has the potential to go “viral” and really create some nice exposure and returns.
But what everyone seems to miss and doesn’t understand is that Word-of-Mouth is not a “campaign” to get started, it is what you build over time because of who you are and what you are about – the DNA of your business.
Having people talk about you consistently, proactively, and regularly is a STRATEGY, not a CAMPAIGN. It’s doing things like demonstrating how much you really care and take care of your customers and employees. It’s “arming” your audience with really helpful, relevant, and insightful content they can freely share through either new media or just by talking to people. It’s creating a foundation of trusted relationships that cause more of your audience (customers and non-customers) to become your Advocates. This is what Word-of-Mouth is all about – the harder stuff that becomes the most valuable asset you can own.
Because at the end of the day, if you have more advocates than your competitors, more people in your audience “proactively” talking more about you than anyone else, deliver on your promises better than anyone else, and create a truly memorable experience – YOU WIN. It’s really that simple. But this becomes your DNA, not your next marketing campaign…
