The Secrets of a Successful Word of Mouth Marketing Campaign

Are you a small business with limited capitol to spend on marketing? One of your most effective means of marketing a business of any size is by word of mouth. It's a natural fit for the cash strapped marketer who needs to get the word out about what he has to offer.

To be successful, word of mouth marketing has to be approached properly. First of all, you need to have a good product at a reasonable price. If customers are impressed with the value your product offers, they'll enthusiastically spread the word to their friends and family. This is free advertising at its best. Here's how to put the power of word of marketing to work for your small business:

1. Design an effective brochure or flyer and take it with you wherever you go. Pin your brochure up on bulletin boards, put them in fish bowls at restaurants, and hand them to people you meet throughout the day. This is a quick and easy way to market your business. It's a great form of free advertising.
2. Lose your fear or talking to people.Tell everyone you know what you do for a living. It's said that every person you meet knows over 200 other people. By telling one person what you do, you're reaching a large universe of potential customers. Use word of mouth marketing to spread the word about your products and services.
3. When you sell a product, give your customers extra business cards or fliers to give to their friends and family. People love to share new discoveries with their acquaintances. Make it easy for them by giving them a stack of brochures.
4. If you get feedback from a particularly satisfied customer, ask if you can use their comments as a testimonial in your next brochure. Jot down their comments as well as their name and address. Before publishing their comments ask for their written permission by mail. After receiving their written permission, add their testimonial to your marketing brochure when you next update it.
5. Let your customers help you market your business. Offer your customers a future discount for each person they refer to you. When your customer's name is mentioned as a referral source, keep track of it in a notebook so you'll remember to give that customer a discount when they next purchase from you.
6. When a customer buys a product from you, give them a coupon for a 10% discount on their next purchase. At the same time, give them several extra coupons to give to friends and family. People love discounts and will express their gratitude by giving you free advertising.
7. Use the power of testimonials to market your business. If you get feedback from a particularly satisfied customer, ask if you can use their comments as a testimonial in your next brochure. Jot down their comments as well as their name and address. Before publishing their comments ask for their written permission by mail. After receiving their written permission, add their testimonial to your marketing brochure when you next update it.
8. Give your customers a fun and friendly shopping experience. Go the extra mile. Give your customers such amazing service that they can't wait to tell their friends. Truly good customer service is rare these days. Go the extra mile and watch your sales rise.

Why not start planning your own word of mouth marketing campaign? The quicker you start, the sooner you'll see the amazing results that word of mouth marketing can bring.