Word of mouth marketing is one of the most important ways to market your business, products or services.
If you’re strictly relying on social media marketing or “influencer marketing” then you’re missing out on opportunities to grow your business both online and offline.
According to a report by Marketing Agency Convince and Convert, word of mouth marketing is more powerful and important than previously documented.
In fact, according to the report, 50% of Americans would choose an offline or online word of mouth if they had to pick one source of information.
The effectiveness of word of mouth marketing is not surprising. In an ever digital world that is mixed with advertisements, posts disguised as advertisements, news articles, and posts from our family and friends, it’s no wonder we’re seeking a more authentic experience.
We trust our family and friends the most with product recommendations
Who we are getting our information from about prospective products and services matters.
Over the years, many brands and businesses have opted to have “influencers” to try and increase exposure for its products or services.
Convince and Convert found that only 25% of Americans do not trust celebrity or famous persons to make recommendations.
It all comes down how relatable the person is to your target audience. Many of us may be curious and look up to famous people, but do we truly relate to who they are as a person?
For many of us, the people we trust the most when seeking information is people we spend the most time with – our family and friends. When receiving a verbal recommendation from a friend or family member, Convince and Convert found that 83% said they would be interested in purchasing that product or service.
Most can remember a time a family member or friend told them a positive thing or negative thing about a business and their experiences. Your goal as a business is to ensure that your reputation is a positive one because once the perception is negative, it’s very hard to change people’s minds.
Are you more likely to purchase a product based on social media or traditional advertising (TV, radio, print) or word of mouth recommendations from your family and friends?
Joe Gullo