How many times have you been e-mailed an article, website link, joke or cartoon and forwarded it to friends or co-workers? And how many times have you done it today?
According to a report just released by Sharpe Partners, a marketing agency, 89% of US adult Internet users share content with friends, family and associates by e-mail, and they do so often.
The study on word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing online reported that 63% of the respondents share content at least once a week, and 25% share daily or almost daily. Often times, the content they’re sharing is commercial in nature and comes from service businesses just like yours!
Why Would People Want to Talk About My Business?
Sure, you might think, that's great for funny websites and breaking news, but how does that apply to me?
Well, did you know that when most people find good content online, even branded content, like content from your website, that they're highly likely to pass it on to a friend? This content ‘forwarding’ is a referral from one of your customers to a potential new customer! In fact, according to Sharpe Partners, the vast majority of those who receive e-mails with brand sponsorships, 89%, said they had no adverse feelings.
The key to all of this online word-of-mouth marketing magic is to give people something to talk about and give them the tools to get them talking.
Getting Online Word-of-Mouth for Your Business
Generating online referrals and positive online word-of-mouth is not terribly difficult, however, approaching it from a "build it and they will come" standpoint will not lead you to success. Here are some tips on making online WOM happen and making the most of it when it does.
1. Provide content worth telling someone about
Value is at the core of the content your website should be providing. Low-quality content destroys value, and there is a lot of low-quality content out there. How do you measure value? Task completion. How many of your readers completed a task as a result of your content? How many customers did something, for their benefit, because of the great information you provided?
2. Provide the tools for someone to tell someone else
When people find a great idea or great information, they want to share it with others. Give your customers the tools like refer-a-friend forms, referral pages, and send-this-to-a-friend links on all of your website pages and make sure to include areas to allow them to put a note to their friend on why they love your content so much.
3. Track email forwards; include a "most forwarded" section on your website.
No, we're not going to be using customers' emails to each other for anything other than giving them feedback on what they like. Share the "most emailed articles" or content areas on your site, like some of the major newspapers do. Keep track of what content really gets attention and create more like it.
4. Thank your referrers
When your referrers send an article to someone, send an auto-response to them thanking your customer for referring your site and your information to a friend. One time email only, please. We're out to build community and trust here. We're not trying to see who can build the biggest database from collected emails. Offer referrers and referees the chance to opt in to your newsletter, but that's it - no heavy handed tactics here.
Bonus Tip: Want to supercharge an online word-of-mouth marketing program? Try an online sweepstakes or contest with an incentive that entices players to play again and to invite friends to play. In addition to driving sales, a sweepstakes or contest can grow your e-mail list.
Leveraging word-of-mouth marketing online is the best mix of old-world, tried-and-true marketing and new age, high-impact marketing. By giving your customers something to talk about and updating your online toolset to provide them the means, you'll be maximizing your website investment and forging stronger relationships with both your current and new customers.
