Let’s Talk Marketing: How to Grow Your Visibility by Word of Mouth

When considering using a cleaning service, who would you trust more for information: the company website or your friend who recently used their service? People are naturally inclined to trust direct referrals and reviews from other customers and the people that are close to them, making word-of-mouth marketing very powerful. However, if you really want to take advantage of word-of-mouth marketing, you need to take action. Here are our tips to get people talking about your business with big smiles and positive reviews. 

Offer High-Quality Customer Service 

The relationships you build with your customers are a determining factor in how they talk about your business to others. If you want to get people talking about you and telling others about their positive experiences with your company, you need to give them positive experiences to talk about.  

Start by focusing on your customer relationships. Are you making it easy for them to offer constructive feedback? Do you make them feel heard when they have questions or concerns? Are you quick to respond when they reach out? If you want to build a positive customer service relationship with your customers, here are a few key methods to use: 

• Be swift to respond: Website chat features allow immediate responses to questions and concerns. If you don’t have the staff to cover an online chat, make sure you are responding to emails and calls within 24 hours. 
• Be transparent: Are your opening hours and FAQs easy to find online? How hard is it for customers to find out your prices? Customers prefer companies that make essential information easy to find. 
• Be friendly: Greet customers with a smile, be present and available in-store, never make a customer feel like they are an inconvenience to you or your staff. 
• Be helpful: Help customers find deals, tell them when their favourite products will be in stock and anticipate their questions instead of waiting for them to ask. 

Build Community Connections 

If you really want your company to be visible locally, you need to step outside of your business and connect with your community. Three essential places to reach out include: 

Your Industry 

Are you attending local events and conventions where others in your industry are? Are you connecting with other industry leaders online? You may see these people as competition, but many businesses in the same industry can work together for the benefit of everyone involved. For example, a restaurant owner that connects with other restaurant owners can gain access to better vendors, combine sales and improve their industry reputation. 

Charitable Events 

Giving back to the community is a great way to create connections with future customers. Whether that means hosting fundraisers for local causes or donating your goods or services to charity events, customers are more likely to openly support a company that helps build up the community. A few ways you can give back can include: 

• Fundraising with sale profits 
• Donating goods as prizes for charity raffles 
• Offering services to charity events 
• Donating employee time to community clean-up efforts 
• Hosting youth events at your business 
• Offering your shop space for adult night classes 

Social Media 

It’s very common now for cities to have a Facebook page for residents to learn about local events and find referrals. Have you posted there yet? Does your company have an active social media page? Social media is a great place for businesses to interact with current and future customers while also providing a place for customers to leave their reviews. Take the time to promote your business online through social media for a free and effective way to connect with your customers. For more tips follow our Facebook page! 

Incentivise Referrals 

Even if a customer loves your goods or services, they may not talk about it with friends or family. If you really want to improve your word-of-mouth marketing, consider offering incentives in return for reviews. This can include: 

Discounts for Reviews: Customers love a good deal, and if they get a discount for talking about their favourite products or services? Even better! Many companies will email an invitation to customers after a purchase, offering a discount code in exchange for leaving a review. You can also send invitations on social media offering a discount for first-time buyers in exchange for leaving a review of your product or service. Keep in mind, you should never dictate whether the review should be positive or negative.  

Referral Rewards: Many companies, especially those with subscription services, will offer money or promotional products in exchange for a certain number of referrals. While money is always a great motivator, promotional merchandise can do a great deal more for your business while costing less. For example, if you offer a stylish branded tote bag in exchange for referrals, then your brand will gain visibility every time that customer uses their new bag with your logo.  

Pro tip: Want to know what kinds of branded products will help customers remember your name? Learn about that and more in our blog post on 25 Top Statistics on Promotional Products. 

Word of mouth is a powerful marketing device, but it won’t be as effective without directed efforts from your company. Make sure your customer service is friendly, effective and responsive to customer feedback, then build community connections and incentivise referrals to get your name circulated among your customer base. With a little strategy and a lot of love for your customers, your business will get the visibility it deserves.