Why every brand should take Word-of-Mouth Marketing seriously

There is food — and there is heavenly food, the kind that tickles your taste buds with its flavors, and makes you savor every bite. Nothing can really beat a good Amala/local restaurant and this one I found in Abuja on this fateful sunny afternoon, was a match made in food heaven. It was when they started playing Fuji by Adewale Ayuba that I knew I was in the right place. A wave of nostalgia just hit me, reminding me of Amala joints in the South-West. Then the attendants, especially one of them caught my eye because they seemed larger than life in their mannerisms. I watched as they greeted every customer with a smile and how they politely took our orders to asking if we were satisfied. It was great customer service coupled with the mouthwatering dish — I felt immensely rewarded for my time and money.

Do you think I would visit the restaurant again? Absolutely yes and even recommend it to others.

For me, a pleasant experience with a product or service keeps me going back time and time again. Truth be told, every customer likes to feel valued and is more likely to feel loyal to your business and become ambassadors of it when treated well.

As a business owner, you need to ask yourself how many of your customers are new or repeat customers. If you had a regular repeat customer that suddenly stops coming back, then you need to find out why. One marketing trick that would help with customer retention and growth is Word-of-Mouth. Never underestimate the power of a third-party testimonial about your brand.

Word of mouth is more impactful than other types of marketing because the modern consumer wants feedback from close circle and shoppers in similar-life situations to make a purchase decision.

Word of mouth is perceived as trustworthy. It doesn’t even matter if you know the person as long as that recommendation is made by a person.

According to PEW Research Center, 72% of people get news from friends and family, making word of mouth the most popular sharing for sharing. A report from Oglivy Cannes also reveals that 74% of consumers identify word of mouth as a key influencer in their purchasing decision.

With word of mouth, you are thinking about how you can turn someone who is interested into a customer and then into an ambassador that cares enough to preach the gospel of your product or service to others.

However, the ability to make consumers spend time and care enough about your brand, product, and service to the point where they talk about it to other people is a strategic and creative process.

First, you need to prioritize the customer experience. There is a saying that people will forget what you say to them but will never forget how you make them feel. As a brand, you can have the nicest packaging, logo, and marketing strategy but if you don’t offer a quality service or product, you won’t have people vouching for you. Learn to go above and beyond for the customer.

Second, be consistent. You can’t go above and beyond for customer A and you went subpar for customer B. The stories about your brand won’t match. Your USP must be offered to all customers, not just a few. Give every customer an equal chance to experience you. The best way to be genuine is to be consistent.

Third, it’s best to map out your customer journey and actually interview current and former customers and ask them what they expected to happen at each of the touch points. The gap between what they expect and what they don’t expect is where the talk trigger lies.

Also, align your brand with a good cause. Customers are highly emotional beings. When you find ways to support a good cause and you share it with your customers, they are likely to share the cause itself and your brand will be shared with it. An additional point is to invest in incentives. No one says no to free gifts and programs that would make their life easier.

Lastly, remember if your employees are excited, your customers will be too.

As a personal, corporate, product, or service brand, understand that in today’s digital world, building brand reputation, trust, and recognition is the best way to create an impactful brand, and word of mouth hands you that effortlessly, if only you know how to maximize it.

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