Want a great idea for cultivating excitement in your business and planting the seed of an unprecedented sales BLOOM? Sure you do… The very old idea with an ultra-modern twist, I suggest is, ‘word of mouth’ product promotion. Focusing your marketing efforts and dollars on sharing your unique and exciting business stories. Sharing them with the ‘influencers’; those 1 in 10 customers who can make your sales blossom all year round. Interested?
Continue reading to get your business buzzing and your customers excitedly telling others about you. And grow your profits.
I’m all excited about the book ‘Fizz, Harness the Power of Word of Mouth Marketing to Drive Brand Growth.’ The author, Ted Wright, explains how the value of ‘word of mouth’ advertising is more important now than ever. It is difficult for any of us to stand out from the crowd in the tsunami of advertising messages and media channels out there.
The best/new/old-as-the-hills way, is to have ‘influencers’ rave about your products to their friends (and followers online). They will tailor and target your message, so it’s totally relevant to their audience.
Their audience is a key market segment for your business. ‘Influencers’ are 1 in 10 of your customers. You know who they are! They are the teen who swears by that great new app, or the grandmother who tells all her friends about that amazing remedy. All you have to do is get your story into the right ear, at the right time, and in the right place, and stand by for the sales bloom.
Here’s how:
- Help your boss – or if you are The boss – learn the nature and power of influencers.
They have 3 characteristics that make them natural leaders in the mind of your customers and consumers:
- They are natural storytellers, broadcasters of news, and they are in complete harmony with your customers. They are always deeply involved in their/your local community (and now their online community).
- They are consumer pioneers, enthralled to all things new and exciting. And of course, they get great satisfaction in being first to tell others about their latest find.
- They are self-motivated, constantly on alert to be ‘wowed’ by the latest product, service or idea. They like nothing better than sharing common interests.
- Develop your brand story. Talk to your team and ide
ntify all the benefits of your product that give satisfaction or relieve the pain of your customers. Practice it in role plays until it’s authentic and perfect. Make it new, interesting, exciting, and cool. Once the influencers take this bait, you just sit back and watch the sales graph climb and climb over time.
- Get your story into the hands of the influencers. Go to the places they
go – both real and virtual. Include them in your promotion efforts and provide lots of samples and demonstrations. They will retell your story THEIR way, relating directly to your target customers. They are a trusted source of recommendations to the other 90% of your customers, who are often immune to traditional broadcast media messages and looking for someone to trust.
Ted Wright tells the incredible brand story of the Bissell manual carpet sweeper. This product was all but dead, until word of mouth marketing breathed new life into it. Wright retold the story of the child-friendly, silent cleaning machine, that works wonders on all those tiny toy components and pine needles at Christmas. They went to their influencers, Moms, and found them in the queues for Santa visits at the mall. They demonstrated the sweeper and let the kids play too. Bissell became the viral anecdote of the year. Maybe you heard it? Maybe you’ve bought one? Their sales are still climbing, as they now complement the vacuum cleaner rather than being replaced by it.
I also recently met an entrepreneur whose business relies 100% on word of mouth advertising; they don’t have a storefront and don’t spend money on traditional advertising which keeps their costs low. Their business has been very successful for years. They sell and service hearing aids in Kentucky; my dad is one of their customers. They only make house calls and their customers so appreciate their exceptional customer service, high quality products, and very low prices that they gladly brag about their experiences to their friends that need hearing aids.
It strikes me that I am an influencer for word of mouth marketing. It appeals to my value of a systematic approach to all things business.
Come along to our upcoming events and tell us your stories, or call PBC for a free consultation on how to make your sales bloom.
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