Since the beginning of time (more or less), marketers have attempted to attain marketing nirvana: the successful word-of-mouth marketing campaign. Even though you don't need us to tell you why it's so important, we will anyway. Word of mouth marketing is affordable way to generate leads, as in most cases the customers themselves do the marketing work. It's powerful, because as good as your rock-star salesperson may be, a customer is more inclined to purchase a product when their friends recommend it. Lastly, a successful viral or word-of-mouth marketing campaign serves the dual purpose of growing your brand and selling an "experience." That's more valuable than simply moving a product.
The good news is that social media makes it easier for companies to drive word of mouth marketing campaigns. The bad news is that the secret's out, and everyone is trying to do it. The challenge, therefore, is to cut throughout the digital clutter to methodically leverage current customers to attract new customers. It won't happen overnight, and it certainly won't happen with one pithy and creative Tweet. It takes work and here are three key steps involved:
Referral Campaigns
Ask your followers to refer a friend. In exchange, they get something of value. Just post on your timeline the nature of the campaign and instructions for receiving the prize. You may also consider customer referral apps like the Facebook app Appirio, which lets users make referrals to friends, upon which the individual who signs up can see other people in their network who like the same product.
Testimonials
Visitors pay attention when they see a customer talking about the value of your product. Of course, not any customer will do; your testimonials need to be aligned with your buyer personas such that visitors "see themselves" in the satisfied customer. Furthermore, make sure you testimonials build a personal connection with the visitor and provides valuable context. That is, rather than having a satisfied customer say, "I loved working with Nicole Carlson wedding photography," it is even more powerful for them to say, "Choosing a wedding photographer shouldn't be hassle, and Nicole Carlson made the process easy. She was with me every step of the way," etc. Provide a backstory with unique details.
Ask for Reviews
Want to get customers to refer their friends? Ask them to give you social media love and their friends will pay attention. Of course, this approach is a double-edged sword: by proactively asking for reviews on social media, you run the risk of inciting unhappy customers to air their grievances. (This possibility underscores the importance of periodically checking what people are saying about your brand on sites like Yelp.) Therefore, a good place to start is to sit with your sales team and come up with a short list of satisfied customers. If they're a follower on Facebook or other social media sites, ask them for a nice review.
We imagine many of you have experimented with these approaches in the past, so we ask you: what are successful strategies for driving word-of-mouth marketing efforts? What's difficult about this? If there was one piece of advice you could give, what would it be?
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