Word of Mouth Marketing is Still Important

In a world where marketing is constantly changing and advancing, it can be hard to keep up with the latest trends and tactics. One day you may read your google ranking is extremely important and the next people are saying it doesn’t even matter. Is Twitter still a powerful marketing tool, or is Instagram the new place to use beautiful images to market your business? Unfortunately marketing trends are constantly and rapidly evolving, and keeping up can be tough. One marketing tactic, however, has stood the test of time and has proven to be a crucial tool for businesses to take advantage of. Take a look at why we think word of mouth marketing is still important.

People Always Talk

Let’s say you just tried a new restaurant in town and had an amazing steak cooked to perfection. Next time you hear someone looking for a good steak, you’re going to tell that about the great experience you had at the new steak joint down the street. Statistics from Nielsen show that 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know. People trust their friends and talk to them about experiences they have had with businesses, good or bad. I know that if I’m looking for a recommendation on something, I go to friends or family members first. People are constantly talking, whether or not they are talking about your business or brand is based on the awesome experience or product you provide.

It Won’t Break the Bank

As a marketing professional or a business owner, one thing you know for certain is that marketing is NOT free. Even social media, which was once considered a free form of marketing, has now turned into a huge advertising business with companies setting aside immense budgets and hiring full teams just for social media alone. While marketing does not have to be expensive to be effective, there typically needs to be monetary value behind most strategies. While some of the strategies that will get people talking require a budget (social media, video production, customer service, etc.), small efforts can create the buzz you need to get people talking about your brand with their pals. People that are impressed with your business will be out there advertising for you, and you don’t even have to give them a Christmas bonus!

It Compliments Other Strategies

There are some businesses who have relied on word of mouth marketing alone to keep their business running for years, but unfortunately, this is not the norm. While it is obviously effective, word of mouth marketing works best when it is working with other strategies and tactics. Have you seen those billboards with fake people standing on them? Those definitely got people talking, and probably caused a lot of calls to 911. Another example, is social media. Social media can be a phenomenal tool to use as part of your word of mouth strategy. Statistics showed that in 2017, 81% of Americans had at least one social media profile. If your followers like the content you are posting and think their followers will find value in it as well, they are going to share your posts or page with their friends. It is not just enough to post on social media here and there, you need to make sure your posts provide value, entertainment, or something else that will get people talking.

Word of mouth marketing has been around as long as language, and it is not going anywhere anytime soon. It was here before formal advertising was around, it just didn’t have a name back then. While marketing has changed and adapted throughout the years, from newspaper ads to radio spots, from billboards to social media ads, word of mouth marketing has followed right along. These are just a few of the reasons why word of mouth marketing is important to any business in any industry. If leveraged correctly, it can be a powerful way to get the word out about your brand and encourage satisfied customers to tell their friends about the positive experience they had. Marketing trends may always be changing, but word of mouth marketing is here to stay.

 

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