By Alistair Norman

Best Ways To Build Online Word Of Mouth

Online word of mouth is integral to any business’ success in the marketplace – it’s time to discover how to maximise yours…

Go Mobile

1,000,000,000

The number of people with smartphones

2,000,000,000

The number this is predicted to swell to by 2015

63%

The number of people who carry out local net-based searches on a business who then go on to buy from that company within an hour

Tip: Ensure that your digital content is viewable and scaleable on mobile devices – or you risk alienating customers…

[SOURCE: http://www.themarketingbit.com/customer-satisfaction/9-ways-to-get-positive-reviews-infographic/]

Online Reviews

Online reviews are becoming more vital to a business’ success:

49% of shoppers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from a friend…

… with 97% also reading a businesses response to a review

But…

80% of customers will go elsewhere if they read a bad review

The stakes are high but the upside huge – for instance, companies who garner a one-star increase on Yelp will see a 5-9% increase in revenue…

[SOURCES: https://www.oberlo.com/blog/online-review-statistics, http://www.madisonmain.com/blog/marketing-advertising/study-says-80-percent-of-consumers-change-their-mind-after-reading-negative-reviews.html, http://venturebeat.com/2013/01/09/how-to-get-more-positive-reviews-for-your-businesses-the-honest-way/,

Tip: First of all, make sure your product is high quality but reasonably priced and that you have a great customer service department in place. Then:

… create a profile on the most popular review sites such as Google, Urbanspoon, etc. and include links to them on your website so it’s easy for consumers to leave feedback.

… ask customers if they are happy with the service they received; if so, suggest that they post a review.

… thank your customer for their business via email and suggest places they can leave a review.

… spread goodwill by giving discounts to the customers who leave positive reviews.

[SOURCE: http://www.themarketingbit.com/customer-satisfaction/9-ways-to-get-positive-reviews-infographic/]

Special Offers

A simple but effective method of acquiring online word of mouth is to flag up discounts and special offers only available on your website or social media channels.

83%

of consumers tell friends if they land a great deal…

[SOURCE: http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/ffactor/]

Social Media

Engage with customers through social media. Remember:

74% of customers communicate with businesses over social media

62% of Fortune 500 companies have a Twitter Feed.

Tips: Ensure that you:

Keep your social media updates, well, up-to-date! Or else your attempts will look half-hearted.
Drive traffic to your social media through exclusive special offers and discounts; they’re the kind of updates that customers will ‘Share’.
Post timely, if possible funny and engaging content; again the kind of content that will be ‘Shared’ by customers and could form the basis of a successful viral marketing campaign.
React promptly to any negative feedback on your social media channels; it will show you care and are on the ball – and if handled right, can lead to increased positive online word of mouth.

[SOURCE: http://apparel.edgl.com/case-studies/Five-Easy-Steps-to-Retail-Social-Media-Engagement85513, http://img.en25.com/EloquaImages/clients/CouchAssociates/%7B647c9b37-fa77-4da7-8586-4e8c24dca2e8%7D_20130625_Brand_Loyalty_Infographic.jpg, http://www.v3im.com/2012/05/how-fortune-500-companies-use-social-media/#axzz1wI1u4hCr, http://conversionmarketingforum.com/en/blog/five-digital-channels-word-mouth-marketing]

Remember:

Make sure your online presence is mobile-friendly
Embrace the power of online reviews; don’t shy away from them
Offer online-only discounts to draw customers to your website and social media channels
Exploit social media to engage with consumers.

The Author

Alistair Norman | Marketing Director

Alistair is responsible for the strategy, design and implementation of our Inbound and Content Marketing, with a focus on developing B2B and B2C markets.