How to Promote Word-of-Mouth Referrals Through Paid Ads
By Neil Patel
Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most valuable forms of advertising. After all, why wouldn’t you want customers to rave about your business to friends and family?
Word-of-mouth referrals are great advertising for your brand and an enormous confidence booster for would-be buyers. From a potential buyer’s perspective, if your existing customers are happy enough with your company to recommend it, that speaks volumes about your business.
It’s not just about getting customers, though. When you secure buyers through word-of-mouth referrals, they are likely to spend more, it helps consumers make the buying decision, and above all, shoppers trust their friends when it comes to recommendations.
Ninety-two percent of customers say they’d buy based on the recommendations of their friends and family. Not only that, but more people are reading online reviews than ever before, according to BrightLocal.
That’s why you want to encourage your satisfied customers to promote your business by sharing their positive experiences.
However, getting those word-of-mouth referrals isn’t so easy. Here’s how to encourage customers to spread the word.
How to Convince Your Customers to Give You Word-of-Mouth Referrals
Ideally, word-of-mouth marketing achieves two goals: encourage your customers to make word-of-mouth referrals to friends and (ideally) pass on their friends and family member’s details so you can market to them directly.
The following tips help you with both these goals.
Provide the Best Experience Possible
You won’t gain word-of-mouth referrals if you provide a poor experience. Today, the customer experience is one of the most crucial parts of the sales process, especially when it comes to word-of-mouth recommendations and social sharing.
When you’re seeking continual growth, brand advocacy, and retention, the simplest strategy is to provide a stellar customer experience.
Deliver Quality Every Time
If you’ve spent even a few minutes online, you’ve likely seen negative reviews. There’s a good chance they’ve stopped you buying from a business, too.
When you’ve got dissatisfied customers, they don’t stop at telling their friends and family: they often go online and write a bad review. Even worse, they go on social media and detail their poor experience for an even wider audience to see.
Deliver quality every time and if your products and services are falling short, own the problem and fix it.
Just keep in mind that a few bad reviews won’t tank your business, just respond politely, and you’ll still reap the benefits of word-of-mouth marketing.
Start a Referral Program
Want a tried and tested way to get your regular shoppers to recommend others? Then start a referral program. Start by creating an appealing offer for your customers. Maybe a discount for each new person they refer, prizes for referring a certain amount of people, or a small commission.
A great …read more
Source:: Kiss Metrics Blog
