Strategies to Inspire Word-of-Mouth Marketing

REEFExperiential Marketing Blog
Word-of-Mouth Marketing
What is word-of-mouth marketing and why should we work to inspire it? Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) is a powerful organic tool triggered by customer experience. It differs from other forms of paid marketing in the apparent value: it’s unsponsored so, inherently, it carries more weight. In a 2015 study of digital trust, more than 8 in 10 global respondents reported trusting recommendations from friends and family. WOMM enables marketers to drive sales without the huge price associated with traditional advertising or sponsored posts and it builds a community among your happy consumers. Here are a few tips to make the most of your next brand marketing initiative and inspire your customers to become your loudest brand advocates.

The value of vocal currency

Word-of-mouth is a type of marketing we’ve all participated in. Not only do we love making product and restaurant recommendations to our friends, we actively seek them out, whether it be over dinner with friends or online in the reviews section. Word-of-mouth marketing comes with such intrinsic value because it establishes trust between a person and your brand, before they’ve ever experienced you. Influencer campaigns are, at their core, similar to a WOMM as they are designed to feel like a friend providing you with an amazing recommendation (but with a side of eyebrow raising as you question how much their recommendation is worth). Unlike influencer marketing, WOMM buzz isn’t legally required to include “#sponsored” in the caption, so the voice shouting your praises is louder and that much more salient.

Encourage user-generated content during live marketing

Create share-worthy experiences that encourage user-generated-content (UGC) in your live marketing initiatives. Ideally, WOMM will help to establish trust in your brand via people’s feeds. The more a person comes across your brand’s positive unsponsored product or service recommendations, the more likely you’ve piqued their interest, the deeper their connection with your brand, and the farther along the buyer’s journey they’ll travel, all before actively choosing to support you. The key to inspiring UGC from your existing consumer-base during a live marketing campaign is to show, not tell. Including visually dynamic elements that appeal to your target audience encourages consumers to take photos that they can share on social and mention your brand. Consider the work we did with SYNR.G Cannabis at Toronto’s Rosé Picnic. We designed a beautiful flower wall that festival attendees literally lined up to take photos in front of. No doubt those that posted their flower wall photos received many “Where is this?” comments from followers.

Foster a sense of community

Communities help consumers identify themselves. Encourage a sense of community among your consumer base by empowering customers. Give them different ways to talk to you and share their experiences. Let them know you value their feedback and opinion. Your live marketing initiative should not only inspire UGC, but your brand should encourage dialogue behind-the-scenes on your social platforms. When consumers and fans of your brand post positive reviews or provide you with feedback, respond in the comments. Retweet, like, share and let your consumer base know you’re here for it! Not only will consumers rave about your product or service, they’ll also buzz about your online customer service.

Add a personal touch

We’ve all been out at a restaurant, loved the food and enjoyed the ambiance, but complained the entire ride home about how the rude waiter ignored you and the hostess definitely gave you side-eye as you left the building. Without staffing the best event-staff or brand ambassadors that can foster positive connections, your consumers won’t be happy. Focus on creating positive one-on-one interactions so that people engaging with your brand don’t have an excuse not to say something positive.

Using experiential marketing campaigns to inspire word-of-mouth marketing

At Reef, we design the most visually engaging custom builds and staff the best of the best to promote your brand. Contact us to get noticed and start a conversation.