There is no better way to promote your business than through word of mouth. It is not only the least expensive advertising you can get but also the most effective. According to a recent Empathica Consumer Insights report, nearly 3 in 4 consumers use Facebook to make retail or restaurant decisions and half of consumers have tried a new brand due to a social media recommendation.
Now you know how powerful customer advocacy can be, but how do you get your satisfied customers to vouch for you? Positive word of mouth doesn’t always happen by chance. Generating positive buzz starts with a commitment to delivering an experience so great that customers are convinced that everything that you do has the customer in mind.
This article outlines four principles that you can focus on to deliver an exceptional experience and grow your company through word of mouth:
- Differentiate Your Touch-points: Providing an exceptional experience requires delivering the unexpected across all the various touch points with each and every customer. List out all the different things you can do to ‘surprise and delight’ customers at each of those interactions.
- Personalize the Experience: Research how customers interact with your company and by taking the time to actually listen and engage with your customers, you’ll naturally start to identify how you can personalize the experience.
- Customer Service as a Strategic Asset: In order for customer service to truly add value and differentiate the entire experience, a company must adopt a “customer-first” approach as part of its core DNA. A passion for serving customers, not just transacting with them, has to be a priority and has to be instilled in every employee.
- Hire the Right People: If you are truly committed to delivering a phenomenal customer experience and driving word of mouth, you must hire the right people who can thrive in your customer focused culture.
If you want to start growing your base of advocates today, an Advocacy Management program can help you find fans and give them the tools they need to recommend you to their circle of friends on social media. You will quickly build up an empire of brand advocates — one person shares his or her wonderful experience with 100 of their friends, the next thing you know these recommendations are shared with thousands of people and a good percentage of them will want to try out your brand which drives sales and eventually lead to business growth.
Are you ready to let your customers build your brand for you? The decision is yours.