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1> Take it to 50,000 feet
2> Earn support from 50,000 people
3> Make it last 50 years
1> Take it to 50,000 feet
You know you’ve successfully taken your word of mouth to 50,000 feet when your executives and senior leaders believe in it. You do it by showing them how word of mouth is more than viral buzz and goofy videos. Earn their buy-in by demonstrating how real word of mouth increases profitability, loyalty, and brings in revenue.
2> Earn support from 50,000 people
You can’t win the hearts of customers if this “word of mouth stuff” is confined to the marketing department. It’s when everyone behind the brand is devoted to earning the respect and recommendation of fans through astonishing service that things really start to take off. Develop this culture by showing employees how their little efforts here and there can really add up, and celebrate big when someone goes above and beyond on behalf of a customer.
3> Make it last 50 years
Scalable, long-term and sustainable strategies are key to making your word of mouth last. The best marketers do it through vibrant fan communities, an avoidance of one-off stunts, and always building their permission assets — allowing them to regularly contact their followers. See your word of mouth grow through the decades by always asking, “What’s next?”
[Welcome back to the You Can Be a Word of Mouth Marketing Supergenius! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.]
The best word of mouth is something that grows over time, built on bigger and better tools and topics. Here are three ways to start making that happen:
1> Create a community
2> Create a series
3> Create a conversation
1> Create a community
Create a steady amount of buzz by creating a community for your most enthusiastic fans. Whether a simple Facebook fan page or a fancy group with its own forums and threads, the point is the same: To create a way to keep the word of mouth simmering about you and your stuff. When your talkers can interact with each other, they’ll surprise you at how well they are at keeping the conversation going and creating new topics.
2> Create a series
Stunts are great conversation starters — but without some consideration for how to keep the excitement rolling, you’re missing out on the real word of mouth opportunity. Instead of a single stunt, plan for a series of events and use them to earn the permission to contact fans again. The next time you’re planning a big event, keep asking the question: Once this is over, how do we keep the buzz going?
3> Create a conversation
One of the most important aspects of any word of mouth program is creating a way to consistently reach your talkers. Get their email, connect with them online, and find offline ways to keep them coming to your store. Without a way to regularly reach your talkers, you’re left starting over for every new topic, product, and event you create.
