If you haven’t already heard, word of mouth marketing has many marketing advantages that big budget advertising simply can’t compete with. Startups don’t need to spend as much as they think in order to influence potential customers or users when it comes to utilizing blogs, social media outlets, or interviews. In fact, what’s really needed for many in the startup landscape is a word of mouth recommendation from a trusted source.
So what should you keep in mind when using your online resources to create product buzz? Let’s take a look at these important factors:
The Type Of Message
In order to influence consumers, startups need to address the most important products or services they offer. In other words, instead of trying to associate your brand or product with an emotion or an exotic location, tell the consumer exactly what your product or service does. Customers share product information with each other with anecdotes about how it helped them not how it reminded them of the beaches in Mexico.
The Voice Of The Sender
When reading a post, the customer needs to feel that the poster is completely familiar with the product they are writing about. Clarity and enthusiasm are key here also. If there’s no trust from the potential customer’s point of view regarding the authority of the poster, then their trust for you and your product is out of the window.
Where The Message Is Dispersed
You want to do your research here and get your posts or messages in tight and organized communities where the buzz will have greater impact. What are the contexts or communities in which people could use your app? What online communities are your targets currently members of? Find out and target your posts to these people and their communities.
If you’ve heard a product recommendation from a friend or family member, you know it has more staying power than if you’ve just heard a recommendation from someone you just met at a party, so remember to find the communities that matter to your product or service.
Don’t think that taking these kinds of strategies seriously is a lazy person’s way of marketing. Social media marketing or marketing through online communities or blogs really is one of the most powerful ways to spread the message about your product. Remember to interact with potential customers when they react to your posts and more importantly, remember to answer their questions directly on the post itself.
Usually, potential customers ask questions that are common ones for those interested in your product, so answering questions in the post itself or in the comments section helps others decide too!
Also, remember to respond appropriately if you come across any negative comments or responses. Don’t take the comments or responses personally and take a step back before responding immediately. The moment you respond to an ugly comment with more ugliness, chances are much greater that potential customers may react more negatively to you as a brand.
What has been your experience with word of mouth and social media campaigns? Share your experience with us in the comments!
