6 Systems to Grow Your Business with Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Word of mouth marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing. In fact, it’s often said that it’s the best kind of marketing because it’s organic – meaning that it comes from people who are genuinely happy with your product or service. When you have a system in place to encourage and manage word of mouth referrals, you can see tremendous growth in your business. In this blog post, we will discuss six systems that you can use to grow your business using word of mouth marketing!

 

Client Retention System

One of the most important systems for growing your business with word of mouth marketing is a client retention system. When you have a system in place to make sure your clients are happy and satisfied with your product or service, they are more likely to refer you to their friends and family. The key components to a client retention system include:

– Providing excellent customer service

– Following up with clients after they purchase your product or service

– Asking for feedback and using it to improve your business

– Offering loyalty programs or discounts for referrals

Customer Feedback System

This system automates requests for feedback from your customers and includes the processes to analyze and respond to this feedback.

 

 

Referral Rewards System

A referral rewards system is another key component of successful word of mouth marketing. When you offer incentives for referrals, you encourage your clients to spread the good word about your business. Some of the most common incentives include:

– Money back or discounts on future purchases

– Free products or services

– VIP status or membership

– Gift cards or other merchandise

When you implement a referral rewards system, make sure to clearly communicate the terms and conditions to your clients. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that there is no confusion about how to earn rewards.

Customer Rewards

Treat your customers like kings and queens, and they will refer their friends to you in droves! Customer rewards are a great way to show your appreciation for referrals.

 

Testimonial Marketing System

Testimonial marketing uses customer testimonials to promote a product or service. These testimonials can come in the form of quotes, videos, or images and are often placed on the company website or distributed through social media channels.

One of the benefits of testimonial marketing is that it helps potential customers feel more confident about making a purchase. Customer testimonials can be especially powerful when they are from people who have had a positive experience with the product or service. These testimonials also build trust with your customers, making them more likely to do business with you.

Set up an automated way to continuously seek new testimonials from your happy customers. This is easily done with a tool like Google Customer Reviews. Create a short link to your google review page, and send an automated email to customers soon after they make a purchase. This email should ask for a quick review, and include the link to make it easy for them.

Customer Testimonials

Great customer testimonials can make all the difference in the world. Emarketer found that 62% of shoppers are more likely to buy a product after seeing other customer photos and videos.

 

Social Media Marketing System

In this day and age, the most common way that word of mouth spreads is through social media. This is why it’s important to have a social media marketing system in place. This system should include:

– A plan for creating and publishing content

– A schedule for monitoring and responding to comments and messages

– Strategies for amplifying your content through paid ads or influencer outreach

– Guidelines for tracking results and adjusting your strategy as needed

When creating your social media marketing system, make sure to consider the different platforms that are most popular with your target customers. For example, if you’re targeting millennials, you’ll want to focus on Snapchat and Instagram. If you’re targeting baby boomers, Facebook and LinkedIn would be a better fit.

Social Media Marketing

Publishing great content is essential for a successful social media marketing strategy. But simply publishing content isn’t enough. You also need to make sure that you’re monitoring and responding to comments and messages. This helps you build relationships with your customers and shows that you care about their feedback.

 

Public Relations Marketing System

Having an effective public relations (PR) marketing system is essential for any business looking to create a positive image and build relationships with the media. The key components of a good PR marketing system include:

– A plan for creating and pitching story ideas to the media that highlight the positive accomplishments of your company

– A schedule for monitoring and responding to media inquiries

– Strategies for amplifying your message through retargeting ads or influencer outreach

– Guidelines for tracking results and adjusting your strategy as needed

Traditional Media Marketing

Social media may have changed the landscape, but traditional media outlets still carry a lot of weight. Developing an effective strategy to get your business featured in these traditional outlets, can give you that step above your competitors.

 

Online Reputation Marketing System

Once you have built up a good online reputation, you want to both ensure that your reputation remains intact, and you also want to use that good reputation to garner new customers. An effective online reputation marketing system should include:

– A plan for monitoring and responding to negative reviews and comments

– Strategies for amplifying positive reviews and comments

– Guidelines for tracking results and adjusting your strategy as needed

One way to monitor your online reputation is to set up a Google Alert for your company name or product names. This will send you an email notification anytime someone mentions your company or products on the web. You can also use tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social to help you track social media conversations about your company.

When creating your online reputation marketing system, make sure to consider the different platforms that are most popular with your target customers. Ensure that you are touting your excellent reputation on as many platforms as feasible. Besides Google, you will want to have positive testimonials on Facebook, LinkedIn, and even YouTube.

Encourage your customers to leave both video and text reviews for maximum reach.

Online Reputation

It’s of utmost importance these days to have a stellar online reputation, and the best way to increase your reviews is to ask. Brightlocal found that 72% of people who are asked to leave a review will do so. So just ask!

 

Use Proven Systems to Implement Word of Mouth Marketing

Now that you understand the importance of word of mouth marketing and have a system in place to encourage it, you’re ready to start seeing results. Each of these systems are essential for businesses looking to create a positive image and build relationships with customers. Start with one or two of these systems and get them working for you, before implementing all six of these. Don’t forget to track your results so you can adjust your strategy as needed.

For help in implementing any of these word of mouth systems, contact Local Marketplace for assistance. We have experts in each of these areas who can help you get started.