Word-of-mouth marketing

Earned marketing, where satisfied customers spread positive recommendations about your brand

Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM), also known as "earned marketing," refers to the positive conversations and recommendations made by satisfied customers about a brand, product, or service. Unlike viral marketing, it's not focused on creating highly shareable content but rather inspiring genuine enthusiasm that leads to organic recommendations.

Here are the key characteristics of word-of-mouth marketing:

• Authenticity: The recommendations come from real people, not paid influencers or advertisements. This credibility and trust makes them more persuasive.
• Organic: Conversations happen naturally, without forced promotion. This authentic engagement feels genuine and relatable.
• Positive experiences: WOMM stems from customers actually liking and being satisfied with their interaction with the brand.
• Peer influence: People are more likely to trust recommendations from friends, family, and people they respect.

Examples of word-of-mouth marketing:

• A customer recommending a restaurant they had a great meal at to their friends.
• Posting a positive review of a product on social media.
• Talking about a brand's excellent customer service with a colleague.

While you can't directly control what people say, there are ways to encourage positive word-of-mouth:

• Delivering exceptional customer experiences: Focus on customer satisfaction and exceeding expectations.
• Creating a community: Build relationships with your customers and encourage them to interact with each other.
• Encouraging feedback: Ask for reviews and testimonials, and respond to them authentically.
• Rewarding loyal customers: Offer incentives for referring others or sharing their experiences.