The most effective marketing tool that every business has is . . . their customers! How your customers talk about you to their friends, family, neighbors, frenemies, or whoever, can help bring in even more customers to your business.
Word-of-mouth marketing is the most important strategy for a small business. People use the products that their friends love and rave about. And they’re probably not going to use the ones that their friends hate.
But how can you increase the positive recommendations? Just follow these 4 tips:
- Your products should be effective at what you claim they do. Don’t make false claims about your products. People want products that will solve a problem they are having, not ones that will create more.
- The perceived value should far outweigh its price. Perceived value is the key phrase here. I’m not talking about making your price the same as the actual cost to you to make it. I’m talking about how people feel. People want to feel like they are getting more value from a product than the money they spend buying it.
- Have exceptional customer service. It costs you zero dollars to be nice to someone. While you can’t bend over backwards for every cranky customer, you should make it your mission to do to what you can when you can. Really getting to know your customers and taking an actual interest in their lives and well-being will set you apart from your competitors in a way that people will talk about.
- Be genuine and human in your online presence. People are tired of robots and AI. They want to know that a human being is the face behind your business, not ChatGPT. Take the time to ensure that your online content reflects this.
There will always be people that complain no matter what you do, but you can minimize negative conversations and generate positive ones by really taking pride in your business and always doing your best. When you do, your customers will be more than happy to do the marketing for you by telling everyone they know.
All the best,
Ryanne Zender
Disclaimer: While marketing is based in part on statistics and psychology, it is not an exact science. Every business and market are unique. What may work for one business, will not necessarily work for another. There are no guarantees in marketing, and this post is for informational and educational purposes only and does not replace professional advice. You can check out the full list of disclaimers and disclosures here.
