Shop Talk: Creating Good Word-Of-Mouth

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So word-of-mouth is the most effective way to promote your business. How do you create good word of mouth?

1. Competitions

Lets say last month you spent $500 on 4 weekly adverts in the newspaper. You're not sure who read it, if anyone at all! And you're not that confident you got the wording right and if you're happy with the position of the advert in the paper. It's totally hit and miss.

Wouldn't it be far more effective and engaging with your audience to run a campaign over the month where you giveaway a product that COST you around $500, but is worth to the receiver: $1000?

The competition entries are a way for you to physically measure how many people have taken notice of your campaign and who they are. So you are conducting important market research at the same time. Measurable marketing is the best kind of marketing so that you know if you are wasting your money or not. And if its worth doing again.

Be creative with your competition idea so that its newsworthy enough to notify the media. Read about how to write a press release here.

When you have a winner make sure you get some photo's of them with their exciting new prize. This photo and your competition story could make the news and get you:
a) A prime spot in the newspaper
b) A much bigger space in the newspaper than the adverts you had paid for
c) An interesting story that people might enjoy reading compared with a boring, generic advert.
d) An angle which makes you sound very generous with your giveaway offering

Once I had an interview in a magazine which was a full page - it cost me nothing! An advert of that size would have cost me upward of $30,000! And who loves reading ads anyway!?

2. Events

You can also notify the media if you are sponsoring an event, or holding one yourself. If you hold regular, exciting events, send regular press releases and after a while the media will get to know you as an exciting, forward thinking business.

When sponsoring an event its a good idea to also be involved with a Charity - this is also more newsworthy and the charity may provide you with free press also.

3. Create Brand Ambassadors

Give outstanding service. This is a very simple one. There are countless businesses out there providing poor or just mediocre service to their customers. Don't be one of them. Make sure your service is efficient and second-to-none. Impress your customers and ensure your staff are trained to do exactly the same. Keep in mind we live in the age of convenience so anything you can do to make your customers life more convenient, do it and reap the rewards.

Spoil your staff. This is also very simple. Think of ways you can reward your staff and create incentives for them. Make sure the workplace is always high energy and fun. Give your team lots of attention and training and they will have no choice but to spread good word of mouth about your and your business. And sometimes staff are your best customers!