Our ace Southern California sales representative Dawn McKay reported recently that a customer promoted a store-wide sale through the social networking website called Facebook and saw a 30% sales lift. This got me thinking about how independent retailers can market their stores through cheap or free avenues in these very challenging times. I keep tabs on trends in small business by subscribing to various free news services available on the web. One recent article that I read was “Why Word-of-Mouth Should Be Core to Your Business”. In brief, the author lays out the case for why word of mouth or viral marketing is so much easier for small business to employ than the chains. After all, owners of independent stores generally have regular contact with customers and are the best messengers for communicating the virtues of the business.
While this article did not exactly lay out a plan for mounting a word of mouth campaign, it did direct me to a web site that specializes in this clever art. They are called the Word of Mouth Marketing Association and you can find their web address below.
Word of mouth is…
• The voice of the customer
• A natural, genuine, honest process
• People seeking advice from each other
• Consumers talking about products, services or brands they have experienced
Word of mouth marketing is…recognizing that a happy customer is the greatest endorsement!
The bottom line is it’s all about creating customer enthusiasm instead of pushing marketing messages:
• Focusing on customer satisfaction
• Improving product quality and usability
• Responding to concerns and criticism
• Opening a dialog and listening to people
• Earning customer loyalty
Want more information on this form of marketing that seems ideally suited to independent retailers? Check out these web resources: