What is Word of Mouth Marketing?

Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) — It is the dissemination and reaching of a product, service, or event to large audiences through people talking to each other, which is also referred to as Word of Mouth Marketing. WOMM, which is frequently used on digital platforms and social media, is actually a very traditional marketing method. However, due to its strong impact and ability to reach a wide audience in a short time, it continues to operate today in its most modern form. 

For example, advertising and marketing activities carried out on social media are considered part of word of mouth activities. Content shared on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram about product quality and user satisfaction causes that brand and product to be purchased and tested by other people as well. People often do not find classic marketing methods convincing; on the contrary, they make purchasing decisions based on the recommendations of people they know personally or whose experiences they have witnessed. Not only products but also services and service sectors are recommended to each other by people in the same way. Marketing experts emphasize the power of verbal communication and draw attention to the rapid spread of words. Both bad experiences and satisfaction can spread at the same speed. Therefore, in word of mouth activities, proper presentation of the product, service, and even the brand is very important.

Why is Word of Mouth Marketing important?

Word of mouth is a very important marketing technique for every business engaged in commercial activity. Because in this marketing method, the people who promote the products and services of the brands are exactly your customers. Usually, in this strategy, your customers voluntarily convey their knowledge and experiences to the consumers in front of them. The Word of Mouth Marketing strategy both increases the trust in your brand and enables you to make more sales. In addition, the Word of Mouth Marketing strategy also helps you to conduct your marketing activities transparently. Therefore, Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) holds a place among essential marketing strategies for every brand.

What are the advantages of Word of Mouth Marketing?

Word of Mouth Marketing is a very important and effective strategy for brands. Companies that use this method can gain many benefits. Below are listed the main advantages of Word of Mouth Marketing:

Recommendation by customers: The advertisement of the brand and the promotion of the product are done directly by existing customers. When people recommend products and services they are satisfied with to others, trust in the brand increases.

High trust: When customers receive recommendations from people they know and trust, their confidence in the brand becomes higher. Therefore, marketing activities become more successful.

Strong relationships: Strong and sincere communication is established between customers and potential customers. This communication strengthens trust in the brand.

Brand recognition and reputation: Word of Mouth Marketing has a positive impact on brand recognition, more people get to know the brand and trust it.

Consumer reviews: Consumers give more value to the opinions and experiences of people they trust. Therefore, the likelihood of choosing brands that receive positive reviews increases.

Low budget: Word of Mouth Marketing requires less cost. Compared to other advertising and promotion methods, it saves budget.

Naturally (organically) gaining customers: As customers voluntarily recommend to others, the brand gains new customers by itself. This ensures naturalness and continuous growth.

Loyal customers: Customers satisfied with products and services remain continuously connected to the brand, thus creating a loyal customer base.

Employee productivity: Word of Mouth Marketing also leads to a reduction in the workload of employees working in the marketing department, allowing them to be more productive.

More income: This strategy increases the brand's profit because more customers are gained with less cost, and long-term profit is achieved.

Thanks to Word of Mouth Marketing, companies grow, customer satisfaction and loyalty increase, and at the same time, more profit is obtained by saving costs.

What are the disadvantages of Word of Mouth Marketing?

Although Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) is a powerful and effective strategy, it also has some disadvantages and risks. The main disadvantages of this strategy are as follows:

Spreading of false information: If customers do not have enough accurate information about your brand or product, incorrect and misleading information may be spread by them very quickly. This can damage the brand's reputation and cause problems that are difficult to fix.

Lack of information: If you do not provide customers with clear and precise information about products and services, they cannot establish reliable communication with potential customers. This also reduces the effectiveness of Word of Mouth Marketing.

Low number of loyal customers: For this strategy to work, there must be loyal customers who love and are satisfied with the brand. If you do not have enough such customers, it is difficult to expect good results from this method.

Requires time and effort: Word of Mouth Marketing is not a method that gives quick results. It requires time, attention, and continuous work on customer satisfaction. Sometimes, it demands more effort and resources than other marketing methods.

Strong competition: If your competitors' Word of Mouth Marketing activities are better than yours, your strategy may be insufficient. Especially in fields where competition is high, WOMM alone may not be enough.

Necessity of creating additional resources: Sometimes, to make customers promote your product, it is necessary to organize gifts, discounts, and campaigns. This brings additional financial and workload burdens to the brand.

Difficult to track potential customers: It can be difficult to understand where new customers coming through Word of Mouth Marketing are coming from and how they made their decision. In classic marketing methods, it is easier to track customer data.

Taking these disadvantages into account, it is important to evaluate both the advantages and risks of Word of Mouth Marketing properly. This evaluation will help you make the right decision about implementing this strategy and how to use it more effectively.

How is Word of Mouth Marketing done?

Word of Mouth Marketing allows achieving natural and sustainable growth by using customer recommendation, which is the most valuable asset of a brand. This method increases the recognition and trust of the brand by customers sharing their real experiences and satisfaction. With the right strategies and purposeful approaches, Word of Mouth Marketing is effective both in attracting new customers and in strengthening the loyalty of existing customers. For this, it is important to know the target audience well, offer valuable and unique products and services, and always prioritize customer satisfaction. Thus, Word of Mouth Marketing strengthens the reputation of the brand and creates an opportunity to reach a wider audience.

Know your target audience

A successful Word of Mouth Marketing strategy starts with knowing your target audience well. Knowing your customers' expectations, areas of interest, and needs allows you to deliver the right messages that will move them to action. When you know who you are addressing by conducting target audience analysis, you can establish personalized and effective communication with them. To understand your target audience, you can use Word of Mouth Marketing tools such as surveys, customer reviews, and market research. This information will help determine which features of the product or service offered by your brand should be highlighted and through which channels communication should be established.

Offer a valuable and unique product

Offering a product or service that customers would want to recommend to others forms the basis of Word of Mouth Marketing. Ensuring that your product or service is valuable, unique, and useful for users makes people eager to share it. Customers are more likely to recommend products that make them feel special and create a difference rather than ordinary products. Therefore, taking customer feedback into account and applying innovative approaches in the process of developing the product or service is of great importance. At the same time, clearly stating what problems your products and services solve or what needs they meet attracts customers' attention and increases the likelihood of them sharing their experiences.

Prioritize customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction constitutes the main pillar of Word of Mouth Marketing. Satisfied customers share positive feedback about your brand and recommend you to their surroundings. On the contrary, dissatisfied customers may share their negative experiences and damage your brand reputation. Perfecting your customer services and providing fast and effective solutions to complaints are of great importance in this process.

Tell your story

The story behind your brand enables consumers to establish an emotional connection with you. A meaningful story helps your customers talk more about you and recommend your brand to others. Your story should be original, inspiring, and worth sharing. While preparing your story, you can establish a sincere connection with your customers by highlighting your brand’s mission, values, and the experience it offers. Ensuring that your story is strengthened by customer experiences will make them a part of your story. For example, sharing success stories or stories about overcoming challenges shows that your brand inspires people and increases customer loyalty.

Encourage customers to write reviews and give feedback

Encouraging your customers to write reviews about your products or services is one of the most important elements of the Word of Mouth Marketing strategy. Asking for feedback from customers ensures that they talk about your brand. At the same time, analyzing these reviews and responding to all comments, whether positive or negative, shows that your brand is customer-oriented. In this process, offering various incentives to customers for leaving reviews is effective in increasing their participation. For example, offering special discounts to customers who write reviews or sharing their comments on your social media accounts will increase the desire of other customers to write reviews as well. Also, carefully examining negative reviews and making improvements in these areas will strengthen your brand’s reputation.

Delight your customers with surprises

Unexpected gestures and surprises increase the likelihood that your customers will recommend you to others. Small gifts, special discounts, or personalized thank-you notes — such sincere touches — cause customers to form positive feelings about your brand and share them with their surroundings. Such surprises increase customer satisfaction and can turn them into loyal brand advocates.

Use social media effectively

Social media marketing has become one of the most powerful tools of Word of Mouth Marketing. By encouraging customers to share about your brand, you can reach a wider audience on social media platforms. At the same time, actively answering customer questions and interacting with them through social media ensures that your brand is seen as sincere and approachable.

Collaborate with influencers

Since influencers have a large following, they play an effective role in Word of Mouth Marketing. Working with the right influencer helps increase the credibility of your brand and allows you to reach more people. However, these collaborations should be authentic and sincere. Otherwise, customers quickly realize fake or artificial recommendations. When choosing an influencer, it is important to collaborate with individuals who align with your target audience and share the values of your brand.

Focus on positive experiences

Ensuring that your customers have positive experiences with your brand makes it easier for them to recommend you to others. Product quality, customer service, and after-sales support are at the forefront of these experiences. Satisfying your customers at every point of contact increases the power of Word of Mouth Marketing in the long term. Also, trying different ways to create positive experiences will show that your brand has a customer-oriented approach. Approaching your customers individually will positively influence their opinions about your brand and increase loyalty. Sharing these experiences will further strengthen the impact of WOMM.

Monitor and analyze feedback

Carefully monitoring and analyzing customer feedback is an essential step to improving your strategy. By taking into account both positive and negative reviews, you should understand what your customers think about your brand and focus on areas that need improvement. These analyses will not only increase customer satisfaction but also help shape your future Word of Mouth Marketing strategies. You can use various methods to collect feedback, such as surveys, social media monitoring, and customer support interactions. In this way, by taking necessary steps to improve your customers’ experiences, you can strengthen your brand’s reputation.

Measure your success

Measuring the success of your Word of Mouth Marketing strategy is important to see if you are taking the right steps. Indicators such as social media interactions, customer recommendations, referral programs, and sales increases help you understand how effective your strategy is. Through this data, you can see in which areas you are successful and where improvement is needed. Also, conducting regular performance evaluations is essential to continuously improve your strategy. In this process, setting your goals and planning the steps to achieve those goals will increase the effectiveness of your Word of Mouth Marketing efforts.