** 13.5 Minute Read Time **
Word-of-mouth/WOM marketing is only effective if:
- The organization invests in good customer service management and effective promotion.
- The receiver has a good opinion of the product or service.
Assuming that a colleague, close friend, or acquaintance recommends a good handyman to you. That friend or relative becomes a brand ambassador for the handyman. You are more likely to hire the recommended individual because of trust.
The question we seek to answer today is; how can businesses use word-of-mouth marketing to build trust?
Understanding the Power of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Traditional marketing is dying a slow death. Every day, businesses flood us with products and services we do not need. One quick Google or social media search is enough for algorithms to ruin your day. As a reaction, consumer reports show that there is increased demand for ad-blockers.
Before the internet, our forefathers and mothers had to go door to door to advertise. The most powerful tool back then was word-of-mouth marketing.
What is special about human communication is our ability to “exaggerate.” In other words, having a good experience with a service or product. Causes you to sing nothing but praises to the next person, on occasion, exaggerating the benefits.
That is where the power of word-of-mouth marketing lies. The power word-of -mouth marketing is not exaggeration, I must caution. Instead, it harnesses trust to build a good name for a brand or product.
Trust is the foundation for any relationship. In word-of-mouth marketing, the trust that one has for a product or service is transferable.
The medium of transfer is a brand ambassador. A brand ambassador, as mentioned, can be a friend or relative. It can also be a professional who serves as the face of a brand or service.
We meet brand ambassadors daily. Think of it as;
- That person wearing a branded T-shirt
- The sales representative at your favorite store
- Telling your mom about a new dishwasher
Trust and influence are the power of word-of-mouth marketing- leading us to one question.
The Impact of Word of Mouth on Consumer Behavior
When I was eight my brother told stories about his experiences playing Grand Theft Auto. How he described the game helped me create mental pictures and gameplay scenarios in my head.
The curiosity he planted in my head quickly blossomed into a lifelong interest in gaming. From that experience, I learned that curiosity backed by trust is a powerful tool in marketing. When a trusted individual tells you about a product you consider it a solution to your needs and desires.
Additionally, word-of-mouth marketing is social proof that you are making the right decisions.
But the sword cuts both ways: meaning, if you do not do word-of-mouth right, the consequence can be a tarnished image.
A tarnished brand image equals distrust, extending to lower sales. This leads us to the next question, how do you guarantee trust in word-of-mouth marketing?
Why Word-of-Mouth Marketing is Crucial For Your Brand
Because of consumer attitudes toward ads and traditional marketing. Word-of-mouth marketing has become a necessity for all businesses because of the following reasons:
Authenticity
Unlike ads, trust is the key ingredient of word-of-mouth marketing, not aesthetics and keywords. Consequently, you are not trying to crowbar your way into the consumer's heart and mind. Instead, you capture their hearts and minds through the connections you build.
Cost-effective
Pay-per-click does not always guarantee a return on investment. Coupled with all the labor and other aspects of modern marketing, we can all agree that word-of-mouth marketing is cheaper.
What is different today is brand ambassadors do not necessarily have to go door to door. The internet and social media have created a platform for creatives to use attractive content for advertising.
Instead of paying for an ad campaign that builds an audience from scratch. You are tapping into a ready-made audience with interest in your product.
Exponential reach
Products can go viral both online and offline depending on the word-of-mouth marketing strategy. With each satisfied customer, the potential of reaching more significantly increases. A good example is gossip spreading through a high school. By the end of the day, almost everyone knows about it with little to no effort.
Do not ignore the human need for empathy, that is the ability to experience what others are experiencing. Marketers label that need as FOMO or the Fear of Missing Out.
What happens when you stir conversation about a product or service using the right people is you build curiosity. Curiosity amongst the target demographic will build organically. Soon individuals in the target group will either become brand ambassadors or advocates for your brand.
Unlike ads that consumers often ignore, word-of-mouth marketing has a long-lasting impact. Even if an individual does not purchase today they are likely to purchase in the future.
The opinions of others and in-built curiosity will increase the odds of purchase. A purchase can happen within the following days or even years after exposure. That is the power of word-of-mouth marketing.
How useful is a brand ambassador in this equation?
The Role of Brand Ambassadors in Marketing
The definition of a brand ambassador depends on who you ask. I define a brand ambassador as the human face of a brand or product.
To you, the term brand ambassador may mean the following.
Defining the Brand Ambassador
If you encourage another to purchase a product or service; you are a brand ambassador. Your job is to increase brand awareness and drive positive sentiments.
As a brand ambassador, you may fall into one of four categories;
- Influencer
- Loyal customer
- Employee
- Celebrity
What you do for an organization is embody its culture, vision, and values. For instance, companies including Coca-Cola, Cover Girl, and Target employ Taylor Swift as their brand ambassador. A careful observation of Taylor’s music videos, concerts, and audience engagement reveals strategic product placement.
Taylor’s audiences justify their purchase because of the notion that “if she is using it, then so should I.”
Identifying Potential Brand Ambassadors
What is the difference between a brand ambassador and an effective brand ambassador? A brand ambassador is anyone who markets a product or service. An effective brand ambassador is one who drives sales, shapes opinions, and is head of a trend.
To embody that persona, you must have the following traits.
Traits of Effective Brand Ambassadors
In your search for a brand ambassador, prioritize the traits below.
Brand loyalty
A person looking for a quick pay can easily mess up your marketing campaign. To such an individual, the paycheck is more important.
A person who genuinely loves a product or has had a positive perception is better at selling the product. They understand the product in and out, and their passion for it shapes audience opinion.
Audience engagement
Having love and passion for a brand is not enough, one must also have an audience to spread the love and passion to. A social media presence with a decent following drives engagement.
The more comments, likes, and shares an individual has, the greater the reach.
Passion
Passion generates excitement for a product. By demonstrating genuine interest, others develop the same interest.
An example is hiring a tech enthusiast as a brand representative for an electronic. The individual may demonstrate to their audience how the product or service makes their life easier. Justifying their passion for it.
Finding Brand Ambassadors Within Your Existing Customer Base
A brand ambassador may be closer than you think. If your social media pages have a large following, go through the shares, likes, and comments.
Look for individuals or pages with large following or engagement.
You may convert page social media audiences into brand ambassadors by doing the following;
- Creating a sense of community through exclusive groups and forums. To that end, add links to your posts to encourage subscriptions and offer perks to users who spread the good word.
- Reach out to audience members who demonstrate brand loyalty.
- Use negative comments or criticism to improve, not as an offense or avenue for conflict.
The trick is to utilize audience referrals to benefit the brand and brand ambassador. This arrangement allows you to reach new audiences through referrals.
An individual or page with a large following is a ready market. However, you must first build trust in the product. That requires the target page or individual to have charisma, creativity, and marketing skills.
We recommend brand ambassadors who incorporate products organically. Remember, audiences have the option of skipping through ad sections. Consequently, by centering a post, video, or other media on a product or service, you demonstrate value: how?
Cultivating Relationships with Brand Ambassadors
As a brand, it is beneficial to keep conversations about your product going. The more people discuss about your product, the bigger the footprint you will leave.
The basics are to set goals, be authentic, and show appreciation. Start by providing guidance on how to use the products and imprinting the brand's values and culture on the brand ambassador.
You may provide extra material, such as branded clothing or anything visible with your name on it. Follow that with efforts to build emotional connections. Build emotional connections with the stories the brand ambassador tells and experiences with the product.
You may collaborate on videos, sponsor events, or innovate ways to shape emotions.
The idea is to show brand ambassadors that you recognize and appreciate their efforts. Remember, brand ambassadors are individuals with needs, visions, and personal ambitions. Loyalty stems from creating a win-win situation for your brand and the representative.
Building Trust With Your Brand Ambassador
Trust can be an outcome or value. As mentioned, trust is the foundation of relationships.
Honesty, communication, patience, and honoring commitments are the building blocks of trust.
When building a professional relationship with a brand ambassador, be helpful. You may also trust them with information you prefer not to share with the public. That gives representatives an understanding of the dos and don'ts.
The added advantage is a lower need for damage control. That is because of a lower possibility of a representative messing up your message.
Other ways to build trust are;
- Value long-term relationships because trust takes time to build. The longer the audience sees a brand representative active on your behalf, the higher the trust.
- Show the audience and brand representative that the engagement is not just about the money.
- Use feedback to improve your methods. When you acknowledge flaws or issues and correct them, your audience feels listened to.
Providing value to your brand ambassadors
The assumption that someone is ignoring your feelings is one of the worst things in life. A brand ambassador who holds that feeling will likely feel less motivated. As motivation lowers, so does love and passion for the brand.
Acknowledging your brand ambassador publically shows appreciation for their work. It also improves their visibility and reach. You may feature them on your website or social media to build brand awareness.
Other options are to provide networking activities or support their self-improvement efforts. If you have multiple brand ambassadors, instead of letting them come up with content. You may make them part of a team that helps spread the word.
That makes it easier for them to innovate marketing efforts, network, and spread your brand’s message.
At the center of it is the need to create a cohesive narrative. As your representatives, brand representatives can communicate in their own ways. What must remain constant are the brand’s values, vision, and culture.
The only way to cultivate that is through inter-team communication.
We recommend:
- Create a dedicated community or forum for brand ambassadors and audiences. That allows them to engage, share best practices, share information, and for mutual support benefiting customer experiences.
- Host or send them to meetups, events, and other beneficial engagements.
Leveraging Brand Ambassadors for Effective Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Recent consumer behavior studies suggest that a strong team is fundamental for effective marketing. A team composed of passionate individuals working together toward a common goal creates;
- A cohesive message
- A wider audience
Additionally, each team member adds a unique angle to your brand. So, unlike ads that repeat the same lines to shape purchase decisions. You expose audiences to the same message in different ways. The benefit:
- is a less annoying or intrusive message told by individuals who understand the products
- not a corporation spewing keywords and marketing jargon.
Strategies for Amplifying Word of Mouth Through Brand Ambassadors
As technology progresses, marketers are finding new ways of spreading brand messages. Today, the majority of brand ambassadors create;
- User-generated content; you do not have to micromanage the brand ambassador's effort. Instead, provide guidelines and good practices and allow them to innovate communication.
- Testimonials highlight the experiences one has with a product. You can leverage testimonials into your marketing strategy to demonstrate value.
- Exclusive/behind-the-scenes content to humanize the brand. It shows audiences the cogs working to deliver a product or service. Utilize brand ambassadors to this end.
Social media is the jump-off point. Leverage it to increase event attendance, drive traffic to your pages or forums, or offer unique insight and experiences.
Position popular brand ambassadors at events to attract audiences and increase engagement.
Measuring the Success of Your Brand Ambassador Program
Measuring the success of an ad campaign is difficult and time-consuming. The broad reach of ads contributes to that difficulty because you cannot tell who bought the product because of the ad.
It could be that the ad had nothing to do with the purchase.
To solve this conundrum, you set indicators that align with your marketing objectives.
For brand ambassadors, measuring success is easier because you know the amount of traffic they generate. At events, in-person brand ambassadors keep records of conversion, engagement, and other metrics.
On social media and the internet, likes, shares, and engagement are the key performance indicators.
Your job is to review these metrics and identify areas of improvement.
Additionally, use brand ambassadors to gather feedback. For any business, feedback is essential for product improvement. The right feedback is not always positive. Consequently, a brand ambassador who has empathy and emotional intelligence is a valuable asset in feedback gathering.
Tip: gather feedback through surveys, interviews, or representative-customer communications. also, it is good practice to inform customers that you are recording conversations.
What's next
Word-of-mouth marketing is taking over as the go-to strategy in modern marketing. A recent Forbes article estimates that at least ninety-two percent of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family.
To reach audiences through friends and families, you must understand their needs and wants. The people best positioned to understand said needs are brand ambassadors: why?
Brand ambassadors communicate directly to audiences. Highlighting product value, culture, and benefits. Representatives also listen and collect feedback. That engagement builds trust. Audiences share that trust with their peers.
The downside is, that traditional word-of-mouth marketing is slow. Social media and the internet can hasten the spread of a brand’s message through word-of-mouth marketing.
By now, you have developed an un-controllable urge to skip ads on social media. However, you have notifications set on when your favorite creator will upload their next video: right?
That is the reason brands are shelving ads in favor of brand ambassador messaging.
How to harness the power of brand ambassadors in word-of-mouth marketing
You have two options; one is to build a team of brand ambassadors to help spread your message. An undertaking that is mostly trial and error with no guarantee of a decent return on investment.
The solution, based on the facts presented. Is to deploy a team of professionals who specialize in online and offline word-of-mouth marketing.
Premier Staff is the go-to solution because:
- We have expertly trained teams of brand ambassadors available for your next events. We are talking expert bartenders, model staff, and social media experts.
- We train our teams to embody a brand’s culture, vision, and value.
