How to build word-of-mouse marketing
Ask any expert to choose the single most powerful form of marketing and you're bound to hear: Word-of-mouth referrals.
"It's the holy grail of marketers, CEOs and entrepreneurs, as it can make or break a product," says Dave Balter, founder of BzzAgent, a Boston-based research firm that specializes in word-of-mouth marketing.
When a friend or associate tells you about a great service or product, it's an unsolicited, honest endorsement. The approval carries rock-solid credibility that can't be bought. (Read more about word-of-mouth marketing.)
Naturally enough, as online advertising comes roaring back, marketers are scrambling to create Web-based versions of the word-of-mouth experience. Because if one real-world happy customer can influence a dozen or so friends or family, imagine the reach of a network-enhanced personal referral campaign, that is, "word of mouse."
To help you build online buzz for your company, here are guidelines to follow when planning and implementing electronic word-of-mouth campaigns.
Make sure your message is authentic
A dull widget won't turn into a hot item just because you send an e-mail blast to 50 best buds saying it's so.
"Successful word-of-mouth efforts tap into an existing zeitgeist, then seed, channel and expand it," says Eric Anderson, director of agency services at White Horse, a Portland, Ore. marketing agency. You must have a standout product that delivers a memorable customer experience in the first place. Otherwise, why should anyone pass on your message?
"The best way to launch a viral marketing campaign is to find an opening in some behavior that's already taking place," says Anderson. You can then coax that behavior along with what he calls "programmatic tools," such as "send to a friend" e-mail forms, special "insider" selections, such as downloading a tune or uploading an image or other interactive activities. Make sure any applet or activity you choose works fast and is immediately intuitive, of course.
White Horse, for instance, created an online campaign for a client that combined already-popular viral videos with spoof ads, and then offered a site to view the videos as well as a way to pass the spoofs along to friends and associates.
Know your target well before choosing format or content
If you market, let's say, flannel pajamas, your "cozy and great value" message doesn't exactly sync up with an edgy Flash animation that takes cues from a "Blackhawk Down" video game. While that may seem like common sense, you'd be surprised by how many marketers fall for cool effects that have little to do with their products' benefits. Such disconnects waste time and money.
Instead, take time to wander in the shoes of your online customer evangelist. That means visiting Web sites your targets do and investigating the online messages of your competition and of related products and services. Only then, when you've defined a relevant look and feel, can you develop content and interactive formats that will push buttons for your particular customer.
Plus, don't forget incentives. "Whenever I do a viral campaign I give away bribes, uh, I mean free gifts," says Robert Smith, a Rockford, Ill., publicist. "I mention it as a free gift for their inconvenience and as a way of thanking them. So far, I've had great success building my in-house mailing list and my customer base."
When you know your target well, it's a lot easier to figure out which incentive will entice customers to pass on your messaging.
Stay up to speed about online options
As you know all too well, it's a world of fast moves and clutter out there, with dozens of messages and media campaigns fighting for attention. Despite spam filters and junk-mail firewalls, consumers are frequently close to overload — except, of course, for those messages they want to receive. "Most people are sick of being bombarded with ads yet they also care passionately about certain products or services," says Balter. "And when people love a product, they want to tell friends about it."
So, as always, you must find the buyers who will love your product. In addition, nowadays you need to find new ways to connect with online consumers who have grown sophisticated. Don't underestimate them.
For instance, before the 2004 presidential election, blogs scarcely hit anyone's screen. By 2005, according to a comScore Networks survey, 30% of all United States Internet users, or one in every six Americans, had visited a blog site. Word-of-mouse, for sure. (Read more about blogs.)
Maybe a personal blog from the owner that offers an opportunity to post opinions and comments on a (monitored) chat room is just the thing to get your gang's juices going.
Integrate your efforts with other marketing
As online options gain traction, it's tempting to rely on electronic channels altogether. Why? They're often more affordable, efficient and faster to quantify than marketing in other channels. A Web analytics program, like Microsoft FastCounter Pro for example, lets you quickly evaluate efforts to pull in traffic, along with information about which sites and sources work best.
Nevertheless, real return on marketing comes from a concerted, coordinated message. Depending on your product (see "Know your target" above) that might mean a mobile blogging campaign mixed with radio spots on the local pop music station. Or it might be developing a new mini-site on the corporate site combined with a direct-mail brochure to launch a new service. You get the idea.
Don't forget the follow-up
Finally, no marketing works without the requisite follow-up. Don't put out your message, find out that, in fact, you've scored a great hit and then figure you've done enough. Keep going. And then go some more.