How Word of Mouth Can Work For You

Word of mouth happens organically, but these three tips will help your business get the most out of this kind of recommendation.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been relying on friends and family for recommendations on everything from cars to coffee makers. The oldest — and perhaps the most effective — form of marketing is word of mouth (WOM). Today it’s easier than ever to research opinions on products and services through social media and review sites.

Buyers are no different. They value the opinions of peers and colleagues. In fact, B2B buyers rank it among their top three resources for information. And, in general, 82% of Americans seek recommendations when making a purchase of any kind.

It makes sense: User reviews offer an unbiased, credible experience regarding a company’s products or services. So potential customers do not have to rely exclusively on information the organization provides. What’s more, reviewers often share more than just opinions; they frequently include related tips or good-to-knows, which offer extra value for the reader.

You know buyers are out there talking about your company, so make their chatter work for you. Here are three tips to turn word-of-mouth marketing into leads.

3 ways to make word of mouth work for you

1. Identify target influencers

More and more consumers are turning to third-party reviews over brand messaging. In fact, data from MuseFind shows that 92% of consumers trust an influencer more than an advertisement or traditional celebrity endorsement.

Influencers have established credibility with their followers and the ability to sway opinions. By identifying key influencers in your sector or industry, you can begin to foster a partnership and help drive the messaging about your brand and products. Influencer marketing drives brand awareness and builds relationships with your target audience.

2. Talk about the exceptional

Social media has allowed word-of-mouth referrals to go one step further. With digital reviews, companies have a new responsibility to respond to customer comments, both good and bad. This creates an opportunity to demonstrate exceptional customer service.

Be available, be responsive, and be attentive to customers who leave comments on social media and third-party review sites. This will create a loyalty that translates into customers that care deeply about your product and are much more likely to share with their peers and coworkers. It also allows users checking your social media or third-party review sites to witness your exceptional customer service firsthand.

3. Make reviews easy

The easiest way to get people talking about your company is to give them the opportunity to do so. Seek out customer reviews on specific products or processes and share them far and wide.

One unique way of capturing this information is using a platform like Yotpo. By directly sending customers an email with a built-in review form, this company is able to collect quality feedback in the form of customer reviews or user-uploaded images. These credible experiences can be shared as a marketing tool on your website, social media platforms, and elsewhere.

B2B marketers need to be thinking about the power of word-of-mouth recommendations. There is no shortage of thoughts and opinions being shared online, so use these opportunities to your advantage.

Have some good ideas on how to utilize word-of-mouth recommendations and customer reviews? We’d love to hear them!