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A recent study by the Wharton School of Business found a formula for
cultivating word of mouth advertising, exploring why people might talk about
your product or business and the actions you can take to generate more buzz.
This brought to mind the role word-of-mouth influencers play in impacting
sales. Ask almost any business owner or salesperson and they will say referrals
are their most effective and powerful marketing tool. A referral source’s
credibility can significantly shorten the marketing timeline, helping prompt a
prospect into action sooner.
Referral sources are one of the most overlooked audiences in our
messaging, yet with a little intentional marketing, they can be better
optimized. While they might not be part of your primary messaging, they should
be an important secondary audience. You can help the process by thinking
through some key considerations:
> Who are your referral sources? What are their profiles?
> What level of “language” do they speak?
> What excites them in talking to others about you?
> What barriers might prevent them from talking about you?
Like operating in the social media realm, know ahead of time that you
can’t control the end result. But you can
stack the deck in your favor by developing initiatives to shape how your
referral sources talk about you. And include calls to
action, like “Tell others about us”
to help prompt them. By doing more to cultivate these brand advocates and
providing them with language they can use in their conversations, you can
better utilize this valuable market segment.
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