Intrepid LLC

I read somewhere recently that word-of-mouth is STILL the best way to win at marketing. Sorry, I can’t cite the particular source, but you don’t need one. Because you already know this.

There’s just something about third party validation that is very powerful.

Oh sure, blogs are cool. Social media is changing the world. And traditional marketing still works if done right. But still, there is nothing like word-of-mouth “advertising” for your product or service. And you probably know that to win the “word of mouth” game, you need to create something remarkable, something that people will want to talk about and share.

What is important to remember is that you can help people talk about you. You can provide a way to gently encourage your community to spread the word about you. But there are certain steps you have to take to help push it along.

This probably isn’t the first content you have read on this subject. But my goal with this post? To start a dialog about simple strategies one can employ to foster word-of-mouth advertising for their business. Here are a few ideas:

1. Play the face-to-face networking game the right way. And there is a right way to network. Doing it wrong will cost you word-of-mouth points.
2. Do what you say you will do. Keep promises, because if you don’t, people will talk about you, in a bad way.
3. And yes, you need to create a remarkable product or service. This goes without saying. And is easier said than done.
4. You need to be CREATIVE.
5. You need to be insanely focused on the customer experience – never settling and ALWAYS seeking improvements. Talking about good customer experiences is easier than it has ever been.
6. Take advantage of the tools that allow people to share details about you and your business, such as social media, a functional business card, etc…
7. Make it easy for people to tell your story. What is the one sentence about you that people can easily repeat to others? Be sure people know what to say about you and your business.
8. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and customers for referrals. They may not know you want referrals unless you tell them so.
9. Give value first. If you get known as someone who serves and gives value first – and not focused on making the sale – people will be more likely to tell people about you. People don’t want to refer someone to their friends who will sell sell sell. That reflects poorly on them.
10. Listen well. Being a good listener will make it much more likely that friends will tell their friends that spending time with you is worthwhile.

What strategies did we miss? Please share new ideas!

Be Intrepid.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites