Word-Of-Mouth (WOM) Marketing: A Digital-First Content Strategy For Your Brand

In the past, many business owners have not banked on word-of-mouth (WOM) content to increase customer acquisition and sales, settling more on paid advertising and print ads. But with today’s social media, an era of impressions and influencers, this form of marketing is a valuable strategy in building your brand online.

Word-of-mouth marketing is an online strategy based on personal recommendations presented on social media through video or text content. In a simple context, a social media user recommends your product or service to their followers.

Since social media following ascertained trust on the person or page they’re getting the recommendation from, this automatically transfers trust and credibility to the focus brand.

But how do you use Word-of-Mouth marketing on social media to grow brand awareness and increase your sales?

In this blog post, I’ll show you tips that will guide you on starting word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing

Connect with Customers on Online Communities

For a brand to succeed, it should gather followers ranging from colleagues and relatives to first-try customers. According to recent research, 59% of Gen Z women prefer businesses recommended by friends and family.

Next is keeping them connected with each other and your brand. Build groups or communities online where they can get updates and answers to their questions about the product or service you offer.

You can also introduce your brand by joining other business-customer communities on social media buyer-seller groups, e-commerce groups, and more. 

Bank on customers’ testimonials and their reviews, and share highlights of their lives wherein your products or services were able to help them.

Tip: Before joining groups or communities, read their guidelines first. Also, assess the group you’re joining to ensure you maximize your efforts in staying in those communities.

Invest on Reels and Video Contents

“We bought this because we kept seeing it on Tiktok,” does that sound familiar?

In the age of Tiktok and short-form videos, turning your ordinary graphic and text content into videos creates an active and more effective marketing perspective for your brand. 

Videos connect people as it provides a human touch on seeing movements and hearing voices narrated by actual people concerning your brand and your products.

Moreover, video content such as reels or those posted on Tiktok gets shared much more than straightforward, one-dimensional content. Plan your campaign with these important notes: 

• Recommend to your loyal customers who create reviews and testimonials about your product to provide videos of them using the material.
• Encourage them to include your business details or how to purchase your products. 
• Gift them with complementary offerings from your brand; it can be another set of products or discount vouchers.

Tip: Reels and TikTok have different approaches to creating content. Both of them need different strategies to be implemented. Want to know more about Reels and TikTok? Listen to our latest MarkeThinkers Podcast’s episode here.

Create a Buzz with Other Media Channel

Let’s say you’ll be offering new services or launching a new product in a few months. Strategically, make it a point of a topic in any online conversation. Utilize the inner “Marites” out of your followers, so your launch date doesn’t turn out to be a flop and make a buzz out of it. 

Offer special access to your customers and followers; an example is requesting them to reshare the post. The user with the most number of engagements can be part of an exclusive group that will get first access or discounts to your service.

Another is tapping online news and media agencies by sending them press releases about your upcoming product and service for publishing on their websites and social media.

Lastly, creatively build a social media campaign that at first may look like about a different thing rather than your actual product. 

One example is the sudden disappearance of the SM Mall of Asia Globe. It generated a lot of buzz on social media. IKEA, a lifestyle brand, rode on the trend and even stated that their mascot, Tito Ball, has nothing to do with the missing globe. 

Tip: Reactive PR is a trend right now. Any brand can jump on it by sharing different angles on the topic. Find an angle that is relevant to your business. Being the first to react to these kinds of buzz is important.

Engage with Influencers

Influencers are ideal affiliate groups in harnessing WOM marketing initiatives. They have the following and means to create buzz for your brand. 

Partner with one, two, or dozens of influencers as affiliate marketers. These can be people inclined to your industry; for example: if you’re selling baby products, partner with influencers who are mothers or experts in parenting. 

Promote your products in their blog posts, videos and reels, and on social media channels. In exchange, give them free products or a portion of each sale made through a unique product link.

You may create a referral program that rewards existing customers for telling their friends about you. For example, offer a 5% kickback for the new customers’ first order made available only through your affiliated influencer.

Tip: Create a solid affiliate marketing program to create a win-win situation between a brand and influencers before engaging with them.

Include a Strong Call-to-action (CTA)

Social media has new features to help your products or services be accessible and informative for your target audience. These include product tags and links to external platforms where they can click and purchase.

Still, it is advisable to always include quick links as part of your call-to-action (CTA) in every caption on social media post. Frequently, affiliated groups like those in your brand communities or partnered influencers would include in their video that “link is on the bio” or “link is on the caption.” 

Your potential customers would want to check the price first before proceeding on buying your items after seeing the WOM content.

Tip: Tailor your call-to-action (CTA) to your social media goal. Every post can have different CTAs. Get creative and make the message simple and easy to follow.

Conclusion

Word-of-mouth (WOM) uses referral marketing to encourage customers to share your brand with a target audience they know offline and online.

Connect, grow, and build communities where you can share your products and services and tap social media users, influencers, and other media to create a buzz through reviews and testimonials. Bank on videos through Tiktok and other social media platforms like Facebook stories or Instagram reels. 

Lastly, do not forget to always include your purchasing details like store address, eCommerce or website link, and product information. 

If you have any inquiries or are looking for digital marketing solutions for your business, https://digital.emerge.com.ph/lp/get-proposal/ to get started.