Word of mouth marketing is the new black

We are continuing on our strategic communication journey and are now into week two of this course! This week we are still discussing the Diffusion of Innovations theory, but we are also learning about the importance of interpersonal influence and opinion leadership. Specifically we are talking about word of mouth marketing and social media. These two concepts truly go hand in hand when it comes to strategic communication.

Interpersonal influence is one of the strongest communication tools we have. This is because people are always talking. They are talking in person, over the phone, by text message, and especially on social media. People are very quick to share their opinions, beliefs, likes and dislikes. If someone has a great experience they are going to share it. If someone has a horrible experience they are going to share it. This is what we call word of mouth. 

I-Scoop says word of mouth occurs everywhere people get together, and this is so true. Think of the last time you and some friends got together. Maybe you discussed restaurants, movies, or even books. Some friends enjoyed their experiences while others didn't. A friend may have recommended a new show for you to watch on Netflix. While you may see it as simply having a conversation, you are actively engaging in word of mouth marketing. Now think of how much this is amplified when we add in social media.

If you want to see word of mouth marketing in its truest form ask for recommendations on something child related: bottles, baby monitors, even pediatricians. You will have everyone and their mother, literally, commenting on your post with things or people that they recommend and things or people that they do not recommend. Mom related Facebook groups are word of mouth central! But this concept does not just apply to products, or recommendations. It can truly benefit leaders, businesses, and even those of you trying to grow your personal brand. Impact Plus gives us seven strategies to word of mouth marketing. Let's put some of those strategies into a real life scenario. 

Let's just say that I am trying to grow my personal brand. I want to take this blog to the next level and become nationally recognized. The best way to do that is through word of mouth marketing and social media. So the first strategy they suggest is to encourage user generated content. This is content that followers or social media users create that fit with the brand or a campaign from the brand. To have all of this content in one place I can encourage my followers to use a hashtag. Let's say I am wanting people to share pictures or messages about them using a communication skill I have discussed on the blog. I could encourage them to share a post on social media using #StrategizewithSav. This way I can see all of the posts that people are sharing, and so can everyone else and they can discuss different concepts with one another. This also creates a sense of community.

Okay so now I have all of these posts from my followers, now I will want to use the second strategy which is sharing customer/followers reviews and testimonials. Say there are some posts that really stand out and people are mentioning how concepts from my blog have helped them communicate better or have helped them progress in their career. These are the posts I am going to want to share. Highlighting how my blog is benefitting people and using the free word of mouth marketing. Maybe I even feature some of these people in a post on the blog. This creates loyalty as well as word of mouth marketing because people are going to share the posts about themselves and this creates organic views on my site.

Going with that same thought, I could use another strategy of connecting with industry influencers and leaders by interviewing them and asking about their communication styles and really highlighting what works. This is also a way to use interpersonal influence. Because who will sing your praises better than you? Networking is an essential part of word of mouth marketing. There is an old saying that goes "sometimes it is not about what you know it is about who you know" and this is so true. I am more likely to recommend a product or service of someone I know over someone I don't. Networking and connecting with industry professionals and leaders establishes an interpersonal connection with them to when your name or business comes up in conversation they will have something positive to say since they know you.

One of the last strategies is to offer a unique and share worthy experience. I think this is something that is not considered enough. I will be completely honest with you and say that before this class I did not read blogs. I always saw them as women telling their whole life story before getting to grandma's poppyseed chicken casserole recipe, or lobbyists and political reporters rambling on about what happened down at the State capitol this week because that was always my experience with them. I had no interest in writing my life story or sharing updates on what was happening in my local city council meeting. This blog has pushed me to write about concepts that we discuss in class, but to do it in an entertaining way that people will actually want to read. 

In saying this, I had someone last term say that they enjoyed reading my blog because it felt like they were reading daily diary entries. This is because I made my blog unique and entertaining. I covered the course concept, but with a more inviting and informal tone. As I said in my introduction post, by being myself and sharing these course concepts in a way that is relatable, I was able to pique the interest of my audience. My blog received free word of mouth marketing that day, even if it was just to the other 24 people taking that course. 

Now, let's summarize all of these points and put a pretty bow on top of our word of mouth marketing strategy. 

1) Engage with your followers and encourage them to share their content by either using a hashtag or commenting on your posts. 

2) Share those testimonials and great reviews that you are receiving from people. 

3) Network, network, network! You can never know too much or too many people. Reach out to industry professionals and always be willing to learn more. 

4) Be true to yourself and produce content that is unique and share worthy, especially when it comes to things associated with your personal brand!

Word of mouth marketing is happening all around us, and the quicker we participate in it the more strategic we can be.