Word of Mouth Marketing. Brand Evangelism. Buzz. These are not just words and phrases. These are tactics that might make the difference in your business growing or dying. Each depends on the same link for success: people. We sometimes call them influencers.


Like customers, we need to know what those influencers look like. What motivates and inspires them? How do we connect with them?
A May 3 article in eMarketer called "Is the Current Definition of 'Influencer' Too Narrow?" is a must-read for anyone in business. It begins to answer these questions. The article is based on a CNET study called "Understanding Influence, and Making It Work For You: A CNet Networks Study."
The study tells us that the highly-connected influencers use e-mail (84%) and in-person discussion (88%) for their most frequent interactions. Phone (46%), instant messaging (16%), and text messaging (15%) happen much less often.
For us to reach out to these influencers, we need to use basic marketing strategies, including understanding their emotional and informational needs, communicating with them in a way that is easy to forward and share, building trust, and sending the right messages, at the right time, to the right place.
It should come as no surprise but is worth remembering that the message, not the vehicle, is the most important element to get influencers to spread the word. If you don't have something provocative, incredibly interesting, or newsworthy to share, no one will listen. Your best influencers are happy customers who love your great products, services, and experiences.
Here are the results of a study by Osterman Research that ranks the most important things we need to spread word of mouth: satisfied customers (53%), great products or services (27.5%), an exciting brand (13.3%), have an advertising or PR firm (1.7%), and low prices (0%). These numbers tell us much about where we need to focus our business-growth strategies.
I wonder. Word of mouth is how I get most of my business. It is also a strategy that I recommend to my clients. What are your experiences? Do these numbers suggest ways we can get better at what we do?


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lewis Green, Founder and Managing Principal of L&G Business Solutions, LLC, (https://www.l-gsolutions.com) brings three decades of business management experience. L&G Business Solutions, LLC, represents his third company. Additionally, he held management positions with GTE Discovery Publications, Puget Sound Energy and Starbucks Coffee Company.

In addition to his business experiences, Lewis is a published author and a former journalist, sports writer and travel writer. His feature articles have appeared in books, magazines and newspapers throughout North America. He has taught in public schools; lobbied for organizations both in state capitols and in Washington, D.C.; delivered workshops, seminars, and training programs; and made presentations to audiences in colleges, businesses and professional organizations. Lewis also has served as a book editor with a large publisher, the Executive Editor overseeing four magazines, and a newspaper department editor. Lewis served eight years in the U.S. Air Force, where he received the Air Force Commendation Medal.