May 1, 2020
It isn’t some great revelation to tell you that word of mouth marketing is the strongest form there is. It always has been, and it always will be. Think about it. Are you going to take advice from a Facebook ad over your mother? Nope.
However, the face of it is changing. Specifically, because it has been intertwined with influencer marketing for the past decade. And the more prevalent this space has become, the less consumers trust it.
Influencer marketing is probably the most popular type there is right now. Especially with the rise of Instagram, which seems to attract hundreds of influencers a day.
Influencers still offer great benefits. $5.20 is the Average Earned Media Value for every $1 spent on influencer marketing.
However, media has begun showing many influencers in a negative light. They seem to get bad press left and right. This has forever altered how brands are approaching the entire strategy. Many consumers are hip to it. They know these people are paid to recommend things.
Since the environment around highly-followed influencers is souring, brands must look to other sources to replace the influencers in their campaigns. The best place to start is to look in your own community.
Every business should be continuously engaging with their audience on a daily basis. These are your customers and people who are vetting your brand. They are individuals who already have a vested interest. In other words, you don’t have to buy their positive reviews. At least, not in the traditional sense.
Otherwise referred to as UGC, it’s the stuff that your happy customers are already creating. Surprisingly, many businesses fail to harness the power of UGC. It’s a good alternative to influencer campaigns. You can also run them concurrently.
Rather than a professional photo of your product with studio lighting and the like, let your customers post photos of their own. Not only will you save money, but people find them more believable anyway.
Think about it, the last time you saw a review with a pic, how powerful was it? A picture always speaks more because it can’t be argued. A professional one, however, always leaves room for doubt.
Other types of user generated content includes:
If a user generates content in your brand space, it’s free game. Although common etiquette would tell you, it’s best to ask any customer or prospect whether you can use their content prior to posting it.
Even though it’s about your business, it’s considered impolite to just “steal” someone’s content. Also, don’t forget to tag anyone’s social media that made the post. They need recognition for their efforts.
Although happy customers may share their joy on social media, there is a lot to be said for taking the extra step towards customer retention. This is the time to seize the opportunity. When people are on a high. Retaining customers is always cheaper than acquiring them. Even more importantly, encouraging people to come back repeatedly helps to transform them into brand advocates.
Once people are at this level, they tend to create a lot of user generated content. Especially if they are active on social media and an ongoing customer. NOW is the time to offer them something not only for their efforts, but to keep the good press coming. Consider some things like:
It’s a means of giving customers reasons to come back and also continue to talk about the brand.
Word of mouth marketing will always be successful, but you must pay attention to the trends. Like any other form of marketing, things change and if you miss it, your business could be left in the dust.
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