The Four-Step Plan for Word-of-Mouth Lead Generation
![]() |
"Here's the big news," writes Andy Sernovitz in the book Social BOOM! "It's not social MEDIA. It's SOCIAL media. It's about real people and the conversations they have." In other words, a presence at online networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn isn't enough. To generate word-of-mouth leads, you'll also need excellent social skills—and here's how to go on the charm offensive:
Be interesting. Do you tell friends about dull companies, products or advertisements? Do you arrange introductions for people who bore you silly? Of course not. According to Sernovitz, there's a good way to gauge your word-of-mouth potential. Simply ask: Would anyone tell a friend about this?
Make it easy. Word-of-mouth relies on a simple message—a single, memorable line that people are likely to repeat when describing your product or service. "Anything longer than a sentence is too much," he says. "It'll get forgotten or mangled."

Make people happy. Customers who love your company will enthusiastically share their experiences with friends. "You will get more word of mouth from making people happy than anything else you could possibly do," he notes.
→ end article preview
Read the Full Article

![The Women of Social Media: Digital Influencer Study [Infographic]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/daily-chirp/WomenOfSocialMedia-peek.jpg)
![Dissecting Internet Memes: The Most Viral Memes of 2012 [Infographic]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/daily-chirp/Memes-peek.jpg)
![Social Media Week [Infographic]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/daily-chirp/social-media-week-peek.jpg)
![The Oscars, Social Media Buzz, and Advertising [Infographics]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/lg/130223-oscars-infographics-lg.jpg)




![Use Your Last Event as a Launching Pad for Your Next Event [Slide Show]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/lg/121108-Shuttle-launchpad-lg.jpg)

![Three Myths of Social Media ROI [Infographic]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/daily-chirp/WOMMA-3Myths-peek.jpg)
![Social Media Marketing Disclosure Rules: Five Ways to Steer Clear of Trouble [Slide Show]](http://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/lg/121025-radar-gun-lg.jpg)


Add a Comment
Comments
Great piece! My social media channels are hard working word of mouth machines and I feel I get a great return on the time that I spend.
One addition I thought of it is to actively ask for referrals and tell your network what kind of customers you are looking for (as it will help them find the right people for you)
I.e. If you know someone who is struggling to write really great marketing for their business, give them my name. I can help them by writing marketing copy that will connect, engage and excite their customers.
Hmm that might be two things.
Thanks for the great tips! I think now with an ocean of news, people are more interested in hot news so we need to make our social networks full of interesting things!
K.I.S.S. ~ love this article! Thanks!