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By Flora Morris Brown, Ph.D. | July 1, 2008
Companies who invest in the $1 trillion advertising and marketing industry are seeing half of their investment go down the drain reported an Economist article.That’s because consumers are increasingly relying on other ways to make their buying decisions. Word of mouth, an old way to spread news, is still the fastest and most affordable to advertise. But now word of mouth has gone viral by using technology to spread the word even faster.
Some of the most popular ways to put viral marketing to work for you are:
Facebook, a social network, has become popular with businesses. Set up a free page there and use the many features to let the world know what you’re doing. Unlike MySpace which is thought of as mainly a place for young people to meet and greet each other, Facebook has gained credibility and popularity as a place for businesses to network.
Here are some ways to put word of mouth to work for you:
1. Get current happy customers talking by asking for referrals. Put it on your business card, fliers and brochures. Offer incentives for new customers who result from these referrals.
2. Give customers and visitors to your website something to talk about: contests, giveaways, but most of all, provide great, unique products.
3. Provide customers with frequent information and updates about your business such as with a weekly newsletter. Ask for their opinions, questions and reactions. Encourage them to forward your e-newsletters to their friends.
4. Give your customers the tools to get them talking. Start a blog, message board, or chat to encourage customers to speak out.
Get word of mouth working for you and watch your profits grow.
What form of marketing has worked best for you?
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Topics: gift basket business, marketing, word of mouth |
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