Word of Mouth Referrals and Their Importance in Digital Marketing

What is Word of Mouth Referral?

Word of mouth referrals or advertising is an action by a business that motivates others to talk about a product or service immediately. It is also an action by which people share their experiences and recommendations about a brand to others. 

Word of mouth means your customers essentially do most of the marketing for you. Your customers promote your brand directly to their network, usually on their social media. 

Word of mouth is a precious and cost-effective method of promoting a brand that relies heavily on customer experience. 

Importance of Word of Mouth in Digital Marketing

The simple explanation for the importance of word of mouth is that customers trust the word of the ones they know. Consumers believe the suggestions given by their friends and closed ones over advertisements and promotions. This act alone is enough to solidify the importance of word of mouth.

The beneficial aspect of WOM is that it does not stop after one interaction but continues as a chain reaction. One person tells the other, and the word spreads further, which makes a great driver for exposure and distribution. 

In this digital age, thanks to social media and online sources, we have share anything with millions of users within seconds. With every share or post, the potential growth of word of mouth happens. 

Do Reviews Effect Word of Mouth Referrals?

The whole structure of WOM relies on a high level of trust, and people consider a suggestion given by their friends or family. It means that if a person constantly hears about a brand from someone known, they will likely make a purchase eventually. 

Reviews play a significant role in digital marketing strategies that endorses the trustworthiness and reliability of past clients. You have many ways to structure WOM referrals for your brand, and positive customer reviews are one of them. 

Customer reviews not only give a boost to online availability. It also establishes a trust factor for others to buy from you. Reviews allow you to expand to other channels by sharing the testimonials on multiple platforms. Potential customers see those reviews and immediately establish trust with the brand.

Ways to Gain Word of Mouth

• Set Triggers for WOM

Triggers are small cues that keep reminding a customer about your brand without even advertising. You can set WOM triggers by identifying something that your audience likes and associate the brand with those preferences. You increase the likelihood for people to remember your brand with such triggers. 

• Offer Time-Bound Rewards

Rewarding your customers for any word-of-mouth referral is the best way to encourage them and grant you, new customers. These rewards can be a simple discount voucher or a free service for bringing new people into the fold. Set the rewards with time limitations, so people keep referring more people for rewards. 

• Offer Value

If you do not want to offer any reward, then offer value-addition to a customer and motivate them to bring new people. Going beyond only a little bit for a customer increases your chances for other potential customers to follow. 

Final Word

Word of mouth referrals is an essential part of digital marketing that saves time, effort, and business costs. It relies heavily on the trust-building factor to attract customers and motivate them to refer the brand to others. People trust a brand recommended by others and engage in the purchase process accordingly.