Word-of-mouth is an organic way for people to discover your product or service and spread the word. The key to achieving this is effective communication.

The goal of word-of-mouth marketing is to create interesting and valuable content that attracts, retains and converts customers.

The best part about word-of-mouth marketing is that there are multiple channels you can use in order to promote your product or service. The more channels you use, the more likely it is that your business will be successful.

In this article, we’ll discuss why word-of-mouth works and ways to create offline word-of-mouth conversations.

Let’s get started.

Why do people listen to word-of-mouth?

Word-of-mouth is a powerful form of marketing because it is authentic and personal. Unlike other forms of marketing, word-of-mouth relies on people talking about their experiences with the product or service rather than being told by advertisements.

People listen to word-of-mouth because it’s genuine and personal. 

Another angle to think about word-of-mouth is that it taps into our deeper need for social recognition and belonging.

Why word-of-mouth is more than just a referral programme

There is a strong correlation between word-of-mouth and customer acquisition. The more people know about your brand, the more likely they are to recommend it to their friends.

A referral programme can make it easy for you to engage with your customers, but it’s not just a marketing strategy in itself. It’s a way of helping you build relationships with customers, to encourage them to take action and promote your business through word-of-mouth advertising.

Take note though, that many of those customers may not be prompted to buy through a referral code. Instead, they might have been nudged by a word-of-mouth recommendation and then actively searched for a discount code – meaning that as a marketer you’re actually giving away margin to customers who were already intending to buy.

Instead, consider word-of-mouth targeting to help nudge customers into the buying phase.

4 ways to create offline word-of mouth 

While you may know how to execute online word-of-mouth marketing, here are some tips that can help you get started with offline.

1 | Think local

There are high chances that your target audience belongs to various organisations or clubs like sports clubs. You can partner with these groups to promote your products. Consider attending local events too to get offline brand exposure.

2 | Brand visibility

Custom packaging. When customers order from you, don’t just use plain bags. Take advantage of ‘free marketing’ by including your logos and colours to the packaging. Additionally, this can show to other potential customers that you offer a luxurious shopping experience which ultimately may attract them long term.

Trade shows. These can give you a chance to interact with your customers face-to-face and present you as a brand that can be trusted. You can come with small flyers and brochures to share with customers and ensure your booth is attention grabbing.

Merch. Your favourite customers will be more than pleased to wear your branded merchandise such as T-shirts or it could be even just a mug. Their friends or relatives might get curious and want to try out your brand. Another subtle way is to give your merchandise to delivery guys.

3 | Get people talking

PR stunts. Hold up on this one because it’s not a stunt that could hurt your image. Just something simple as giving back to your local community. It could be visiting an orphanage or helping an animal centre. Such small acts humanise your brand and help people to feel more connected to you.

Intrigue. Think about how you can create interest to get people talking both online and offline.

4 | Ask them

Perhaps, this is the cheapest of all strategies. Just ask your customers to tell their friends or people they know. Instead of just assuming, let them know how much you’d appreciate it if they spread the word to people they know. In return, you can perhaps offer a discount on their next purchase.

Generate your brand’s word-of-mouth

Now that you know how to create offline buzz, test out these ideas. As advertising costs continue to increase and ad platform success baffles us all, word-of-mouth definitely stands as king.

At Herdify, we help you target word-of-mouth to increase ROI and decrease wasted ad spend. Sign-up today for a free first-party data audit.