How to successfully use word of mouth marketing in a B2B set up

In my last post I had shared with you the importance of Word of mouth marketing and why it should be an integral part of every Company’s PR and marketing plan.

In this post I share with you some statistics to prove this. In a recent report by Nielsen Global Online Consumer survey of over 25,000 Internet consumers from 50 countries, it emerged that “Recommendations from personal acquaintances or opinions posted by consumers online are the most trusted forms of advertising. Ninety percent of consumers surveyed noted that they trust recommendations from people they know, while 70 percent trusted consumer opinions posted online.”

These results are quite significant as it reaffirms the power of Internet/online media and in particular the growing influence of social media. Today as marketers we are dealing with a more aware, informed and inquisitive consumer, who has several channels and mediums to seek information about a company, its products and the quality delivered, before making a purchase.

While WOMM is critical to any business, it is hard to generate, especially for B2B clients where the target audience is niche. In a B2C scenario, some success can be expected, by ensuring a quality product which caters to a significant need of the end consumers; by creating awareness and excitement for the product among the target group using various media channels; by listening to their suggestions and feedbacks and improvising on the products if required and foremost by keeping the channels of communication always open between the company and its end consumers.

In B2B since the stakes are higher, referrals are not easy to come by, also clients refer your services or products to other businesses if they themselves have tried, tested and are completely satisfied with your services over a period of time. In such cases the gestation period for generating leads through referrals can be a lengthy and uncertain process. Following some of the B2C procedures mentioned above might speed up the process and might ensure a more satisfied customer but may not result in a referral.

So how do you ensure that your customers in both B2C and B2B type of businesses give you referrals?

It is simple – incentivise their referrals! Combine a referral with a reward program, it could be discounts, it could be entering a sweepstake program, giveaways, any reward program that you can link to your product or service and your customers can benefit from.

Giving incentives for referrals – HELPS

By initiating such a marketing activity, you give your customers an added incentive to refer you, in the process ensuring both parties involved are happy.

When planning such a program ensure you are present in every medium which your end customer uses – these might vary for B2C and B2B companies.

The marketing and PR should be well planned and coordinated, so that you reach out to all your customers. For the time period the program is running, all your messaging should work towards promoting the program, on your website, on your ads, billboards, on your press releases, on social media forums, wherever you expect your customers to be.

It is only a matter of time before the technique starts finding you success!

Such programs are not new, have been tried and tested by several companies over the years, and have found success even offline.

I am sure most of you will remember the simple referral campaign run by the magazine Reader’s Digest. Fill in 14 addresses of people you know and win an interesting book in return. They would then reach out to your contacts with a personalized letter stating you thought your friend would like subscribing to Reader’s Digest. Simple but effective way of referral marketing and it did help the magazine to a great extent in becoming one of the most read magazines in the world, even though it was circulated only through subscriptions(not sold on stands), until some years ago. I have filled many such forms as a teenager in lure of the books and have seen many of my family and friends subscribing to the book….see I told you it always works

In a world where there are so many voices and opinions some times it helps to raise the stakes……..

Every voice on the Internet will matter – S/he will matter!

The concept of micro marketing is fast changing the way we market our products and services on the Internet. Like, the advent of Web 2.0 technology led to the growth of social media in a big way; similarly, micro marketing has the potential to make every person using the internet an important link in a company’s marketing and Public Relation strategy.

Image courtsey:www.differenttrends.net

Well known marketing blogger Greg Verdino discusses this concept in detail in his upcoming book named microMarketing:A breakthrough approach to building brands by thinking and acting small. In the book he speaks of how “A media revolution is underway, fueled by a micro-content phenomenon that is shifting the balance of power from mass communications to masses of communicators. This shift plays out daily on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Ustream and other social sites.  It’s in the notion that an otherwise normal individual can use social media and low-end technology to become a micro-celebrity with a significant following.”

In the changing world of Internet, opinions and views which were never considered that significant in the past will soon become the most important aspect of generating buzz. Every sound, every noise online about your product would matter. Imagine the immense power the consumer would enjoy; in his own right he could make or break a company’s reputation. News travels fast on the Internet and bad news faster, hopefully companies will take customer relations a little more seriously, more than selling their wares, they would be forced to focus on how happy a customer is with their product or service, because one negative comment on the Internet and they will feel the heat. Companies will feel like living in glass houses where even one stone could damage their image.

Micro marketing is a wise tactic to counter the negative aspects of the growing influence of the masses and every PR and marketing professional should consider making it an important part of their overall publicity strategy for any client.

The concept in itself talks about taking the masses into account when promoting a product or service online. Mobilize the masses and you will ensure the bigger and more influential voices in the social sphere sit up and listen. Keep the masses happy and they will ensure your success, by believing in your product/service, showing solidarity and heartily promoting to other like minded people. Recognize their efforts and they will stand by you for life.

Micro marketing is about reaching out to that one insignificant individual and answering his queries, meeting his needs and in turn winning his trust and the trust of his social network. Micro marketing is the technique of using the word of mouth and word of trust to promote anything.

Every tweet, every status update and every blog post is a reminder of this growing force of micro marketers.  Maybe its all for a larger good, in the time to come hopefully we can all look forward to better services, better products and more concerned and responsible businesses and overall a better world, where every voice matters and has the power to make a difference.