Why Word of Mouth Marketing Can be Delivered at your Desk
You may have read our previous blog outlining the results of our recent research with construction sector companies, which revealed that 41% of new business leads are generated by word of mouth.
Even if you didn’t see the blog or review the research, it’ll probably come as no great surprise. After all, from restaurants, to cars, to holiday destinations, we’re much more likely to take a recommendation from a friend than believe what it says on the website or in the brochure.
The truth is, however, we don’t just trust friends, family and colleagues for recommendations these days, we also trust Amazon reviews, Trip Advisor accounts and a whole host of social media contacts.
Today, when we say ‘word of mouth’ our meaning is much different than it was a decade ago. Our personal and professional networks are both real and virtual, extending the number of people we trust and our sphere of influence way beyond our physical environment.
The problem for many companies, however, is that they are not culturally comfortable with exploiting online connections or equipped to do so effectively. For many, creating a basic profile on LinkedIn, connecting with a few colleagues and uploading a picture of themselves relaxing in a bar last summer is as far as they’ve progressed.
If that’s you, you’re missing a trick.
Online professional networks like LinkedIn have a completely different function than social networks like Facebook. This is not a forum for idle gossip but a networking environment with limitless potential.
Think of it as a giant room containing all the prospects you’ve ever wanted to approach. All you have to do is make contact with them and find ways to pique their interest and encourage them to engage with you.
While normal rules of social etiquette do apply, the possibilities for making new connections and developing word of mouth recommendations and endorsements are huge…and all without leaving the comfort of your own office or spending time and fuel darting across town for a lackluster buffet.
It does take some time investment, you’ll need to post and share content, comment and join suitable groups. However, it’s much more time efficient than connecting with that many people in the old fashioned way. What’s more, by working with a marketing agency that can plan, create and share content for you, the reward to time investment ratio can be significantly reduced.
In the digital age, the way a business communicates and connects with its customer base has changed and word of mouth can be dramatically amplified online. If you want to know more about how it could help your business, why not get in touch and see how we could help you engage online?