Today it seems like there are a million and one different ways to market your business, so it’s no wonder why many business owners have no idea where to even begin!

In this article, we’re going to focus specifically on ‘word of mouth marketing’. What is it and just how important is it in 2023?

What is a ‘word of mouth marketing strategy’?

First, let’s define ‘word of mouth’: “Worth of mouth refers to the process of influencing and encouraging organic discussions about a brand, organisation, resource, or event.”

So, how does that factor into ‘word of mouth marketing’?

In essence, word of mouth marketing is all about creating something truly worth talking about – and then encouraging people to do exactly that.

Does word of mouth marketing work?

The short answer is yes it does. Put it this way: more than 74% of consumers report that word of mouth is a key influencer in the purchasing decision.

In other words, while some people will happily buy without social proof, the majority of consumers will need to see some proof in the pudding before they go ahead and take the plunge.

Why is word of mouth marketing so important in 2023?

To put it bluntly, the modern consumer is no longer interested in working with brands who talk a big game with zero evidence to support their claims.

“We’re the best in the business” is a tired and worn-out brag that 99% of businesses do not live up to.

By definition there can only be one “best in the business” and it is more than likely not you.

However, that’s not to say that your product isn’t awesome or that your services aren’t worth investing in. It’s just about changing your approach from saying “we’re the best in the business”, to proving your worth by letting your audience do all the talking for you.

While the modern consumer isn’t very trusting of businesses, they are very trusting of other people who have engaged with a brand. So, if you can get as many tongues wagging about your brand and business, you’ll have a much easier time attracting and converting more customers!

Focus on user-generated content

Obviously you need to continue along your content marketing strategy, producing and sharing high-value content. However, you should also focus on user-generated content as well.

One example of user-generated content are customer reviews. When your customers actively go out of their way to leave positive feedback on your socials or GMB profile, they’re facilitating the spread of your word of mouth marketing.

This digital marketing agency does a fine job of this because they have over 500+ five-star reviews already!

Again, the more reviews you have (positive) the more likely your website visitors will be to convert (among many other critical factors of course, but five-star reviews definitely help!).

Another approach is to encourage your customers to take to social media and post photos and videos of them interacting with your products. A fine example of this is a company that writes murder mystery games who asks their satisfied customers to take photos of themselves in fancy dress acting out their characters. Each new post builds trust and lets everyone else know how much fun you can have with a Sisters Grimm Murder Mystery Game.

Let your audience do the hard work for you!

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you want to get started with word of mouth marketing you need to start by creating something truly buzz-worthy. How can you get people excited and talk about your brand? Is there a new product launch on the way? How will it change the game?

Also, make a point of improving every aspect of your customer service from start to finish; this will encourage more reviews.

All in all, if you are the best that you can be, make it easy for customers to leave feedback, and create buzz-worthy content and your audience will take care of the rest!