Word Of Mouth Marketing. A Loosely Used Term...

When we ask business owners "what forms of marketing are they using"? the reply is usually "word of mouth". This word of mouth marketing reply is often given as if it something that they are strategically implementing, with a campaign geared just towards that.What they consider word-of-mouth marketing, is often the case of the product or service that they are offering is so great that the referrals are glowing, and this keeps business afloat. But what if there was a word of mouth campaign put into place? Where current customers are asked to generate a buzz within their communities? What if your target market began to promote your business consciously or unconsciously? Have you ever wondered how this could dramatically change your business. This is not a new concept and many businesses are implementing such campaigns. People talk. They spread information faster than the internet it seems, and in most cases it is the internet, and technology, that is used as a mode of conveying this information. Your objective as a marketer is to make sure that they are singing your praises more than denouncing you. Therefore it is very important to get feedback, and encourage it. Many businesses are now asking customers, how did you hear about us? They want to know whats effective, because then they can do more of it. Notice the word hear. Who conveyed the message? Get people talking positively about your business. How can you convey the message and encourage more people to consider you when thinking about your product or service? What are you doing to get inside the inner circle of people who have an interest in what you offer? Most importantly, how can you get them to have an interest through word-of-mouth marketing. I notice that in the entertainment industry they say that no press is bad press, although you want to be conscious of what message you are sending, however by not sending a message, you are in fact sending a message, and that message is that you are not relevant within your industry. Your business is not an option when considering purchasing, selecting, or engaging. Brutal truth, in a competitive business environment. However, this sheds light on the importance of always upgrading, making offers, and publicizing company news. Even if its a menu change, specials, promotions, etc. There is always something new going on within your operation. Here is some research on word of mouth that I found on Wikipedia. It shed some light on some of the ways to harness technology and get a buzz started. Word of mouth, is a reference to the passing of information by verbal means, especially recommendations, but also general information, in an informal, person-to-person manner. Word of mouth is typically considered a face-to-face spoken communication, although phone conversations, text messages sent via SMS and web dialogue, such as online profile pages, blog posts, message board threads, instant messages and emails are often now included in the definition of word of mouth. There is some overlap in meaning between word of mouth and the following: rumour, gossip, innuendo, and hearsay; however word of mouth is more commonly used to describe positive information being spread rather than negative, although this is not always the case. Word-of-mouth marketing, which encompasses a variety of subcategories, including buzz, blog, viral, grassroots, cause, influencer and social media marketing, as well as ambassador programs, work with consumer-generated media and more, can be highly valued by product marketers. Because of the personal nature of the communications between individuals, it is believed that product information communicated in this way has an added layer of credibility. Research points to individuals being more inclined to believe WOMM than more formal forms of promotion methods; the receiver of word-of-mouth referrals tends to believe that the communicator is speaking honestly and is unlikely to have an ulterior motive (i.e. they are not receiving an incentive for their referrals). For more information of guerrilla marketing, buzz marketing, word-of mouth marketing, please visit http://www.shoestringmarketer.blogspot.com. We look forward to networking with fellow guerrillas and other alternative marketers. We specialize in helping companies, individuals get the word out about their businesses within the Triangle area of North Carolina. We also engage in online and offline consultations for small to medium size business owners.