WOM Marketing: How to Get Customers to Sell for You

WOM Marketing: How to Get Customers to Sell for You

Right, let's tackle this head-on. If you're reading this, you're probably sick of throwing money at adverts that barely move the needle. I get it. Traditional marketing sometimes sounds like shouting into the void – especially when consumers trust each other more than they trust your carefully crafted messaging.

But what if your customers did the shouting for you?

That's the power of WOM or word-of-mouth marketing if we're being proper. It's not just the oldest form of promotion; it's the most trusted. When your mate tells you a restaurant is brilliant, you believe them. When the restaurant tells you they're clever, they would say that, wouldn't they?

What Exactly Is WOM Marketing?

WOM marketing happens when customers become your unofficial sales force. They recommend your products or services to friends, family, and colleagues – anyone who listens. These recommendations carry weight because they come from a trusted source rather than a paid advertisement.

Think about it. When did you last try a new coffee shop because of a billboard? Compare that to how often you've been attempting somewhere because a friend wouldn't shut up about their “life-changing” flat white.

Traditional advertising is losing its punch. According to research, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know more than any other type of advertising. That's not just significant – it's revolutionary for approaching marketing.

Types of Word of Mouth Advertising

Word of mouth isn't just one thing. It's evolved with how we communicate:

• Organic WOM: Happens naturally when customers love your product so much they can't help but talk about it
• Amplified WOM: When you deliberately encourage customers to spread the word through campaigns or incentives
• Online WOM: Reviews, social media mentions, shares, and user-generated content
• Offline WOM: The classic face-to-face recommendations and conversations

The beauty of WOM marketing is its versatility. It works for massive corporations and the café around the corner alike. The principles don't change, even if the scale does.

Why WOM Marketing Outperforms Traditional Advertising

Let's be honest – we're all bombarded with around 4,000-10,000 ads daily. Our brains have become experts at filtering out marketing noise. But a recommendation from someone we trust? That cuts through the clutter like nothing else.

WOM marketing isn't just different from traditional advertising; it's superior in several crucial ways:

Trust and Credibility

When your best mate raves about a new restaurant, you don't question their motives. There's no hidden agenda – just genuine enthusiasm. That authenticity is gold in today's cynical marketplace.

Consumers have developed a sixth sense for marketing speak. They can spot it a mile off and usually respond by mentally checking out. But personal recommendations? They land differently.

Cost-Effectiveness

Good news for your budget: WOM marketing can be significantly less expensive than traditional advertising. A Word of Mouth Marketing Association study found that WOM drives £6 of sales for every £1 invested, compared to conventional advertising's £2 return.

That doesn't mean it's free. Creating experiences worth talking about and systems that encourage sharing requires investment. But pound for pound, you'll struggle to find a better ROI.

Longevity and Compounding Effects

Adverts have a limited shelf life. Once your campaign ends, the impact typically fades. Word of mouth, however, can continue working for you indefinitely, with each positive experience potentially creating a new brand advocate.

This creates a flywheel effect where success breeds more success. Each satisfied customer becomes a potential advocate, who brings in more customers, who become more advocates… You get the picture.

The Psychology Behind Customer Recommendations

Understanding why people share recommendations is crucial to encouraging more of them. People don't just recommend products because they're nice. There are psychological drivers at work:

Social Currency

People share things that make them look good. If recommending your trendy new coffee shop makes someone appear in the know, they're more likely to do it. We all want to appear knowledgeable, helpful, and ahead of the curve in our social circles.

In his book “Contagious,” Jonah Berger calls this “social currency” – the idea that what we share affects how others see us. Innovative brands create experiences that give customers social currency to spend.

Emotional Connection

People talk about experiences that trigger emotions. A study in the Journal of Marketing Research found that content that evokes high-arousal emotions (like awe, anger, or anxiety) is more likely to be shared than content that evokes low-arousal emotions (like sadness).

This doesn't mean you should make your customers angry! But creating genuinely delightful, surprising, or impressive experiences gives people a reason to talk.

Reciprocity

When businesses exceed expectations, customers often feel an urge to reciprocate. This might manifest as leaving a positive review, telling friends, or posting on social media.

The key is genuine generosity without the expectation of return. Customers can sense transactional relationships a mile away.

Building a Foundation for Word of Mouth Success

Before expecting customers to become advocates, you need to lay the groundwork. WOM marketing isn't a tactic; it's the result of doing several things right:

Deliver a Remarkable Product or Service

This seems blindingly obvious, but it's where many businesses fall at the first hurdle. If your offering is merely adequate, why would anyone talk about it?

Being “good enough” isn't good enough for WOM marketing. You need to be remarkable – worth remarking upon. This doesn't necessarily mean expensive or fancy. A kebab shop can be excellent if the flavours are incredible or the service is unexpectedly friendly.

As the team at Inkbot Design knows, standing out visually through exceptional branding can instantly make your business more remarkable and shareable.

Focus on Customer Experience

The entire customer journey matters, not just the product itself. From the first interaction to post-purchase support, every touchpoint is an opportunity to exceed expectations and create talk-worthy moments.

Think about Zappos (now owned by Amazon). They sell shoes – hardly a revolutionary product. However, their customer service became legendary, with representatives staying on calls for hours to help customers and sometimes even sending flowers to bereaved customers. That's what people talked about.

Build Genuine Relationships

Relationships drive recommendations. When customers feel connected to your brand and the people behind it, they're more likely to become advocates.

This isn't about manipulation; it's about authentic connection. Remember their names. Ask about their kids. Follow up genuinely. Be human.

7 Practical WOM Marketing Strategies That Work

Right, enough theory. Let's get into the tactical stuff – how to encourage more word of mouth for your business actively:

1. Create a Referral Programme

Referral programmes provide structure and incentives for existing customers to recommend your business. They work because they reward both parties – the referrer feels appreciated, and the new customer benefits from trying something new.

For example, Dropbox's referral programme gave free storage to both the referrer and the referred friend. This simple approach helped them grow from 100,000 to 4 million users in just 15 months.

When designing your referral programme:

• Make it simple to understand and use
• Offer genuinely valuable rewards (not just discounts)
• Thank referrers personally, not just automatically
• Track where referrals come from to identify your best advocates

2. Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful form of social proof and word of mouth. Customers who create content featuring your product or service publicly associate with your brand.

Encourage customers to share photos, videos, or stories about their experiences with your products. Then, with permission, reshare this content on your channels.

GoPro built an entire marketing strategy around user-generated content. By showcasing amazing videos taken with their cameras, they demonstrate what their product can do and celebrate their customers.

3. Exceed Expectations with Strategic Surprises

Planned surprises create memorable moments that customers want to share. This could be as simple as including a handwritten thank-you note with orders or as elaborate as upgrading loyal customers unexpectedly.

Online retailer ASOS occasionally upgrades customers to next-day delivery for free without announcing it beforehand. The surprise delight often results in excited social media posts from recipients.

The key is that these surprises feel genuine, not formulaic. Random acts of kindness work because they're random – if every customer gets the same “surprise,” it loses its impact.

4. Harness the Power of Influence Marketing

While traditional influencer marketing involves paid partnerships, a more authentic approach focuses on building relationships with natural advocates in your community.

Identify people who already love your brand and have engaged audiences (even if they're not traditional “influencers”). Support, acknowledge, and give them insider access to new products or services.

Beauty brand Glossier grew primarily through this approach, turning regular customers into “Glossier girls” who authentically promoted the products to their networks.

5. Create Shareable Moments

Design your physical space, packaging, or customer experience to include elements people naturally want to share.

Museum of Ice Cream created an entire business model around Instagram-worthy experiences. On a smaller scale, distinctive packaging or presentation can achieve the same effect. Consider Innocent Smoothies' quirky bottle labels or BrewDog's intentionally provocative branding.

At Inkbot Design's brand identity services, they focus on creating visual elements that are distinctive enough to become conversation starters – an essential component of shareable branding.

6. Respond Brilliantly to Feedback (Especially Complaints)

How you handle complaints can turn detractors into your most passionate advocates. Research shows that customers who resolve problems quickly and effectively become more loyal than those who never had issues.

When someone complains:

• Acknowledge their frustration genuinely
• Solve the problem thoroughly, not just adequately
• Follow up afterwards to ensure they're satisfied
• Consider offering something extra as a goodwill gesture

7. Build a Community Around Your Brand

Communities create natural environments for word of mouth to flourish. When people feel part of something larger than themselves, they're more likely to invite others to join.

This could be a Facebook group, regular events, or a loyalty programme that feels more like a club than a discount scheme.

Cycling brand Rapha created Rapha Cycling Clubs worldwide, giving members places to meet, ride together, and share their passion. The community aspect draws new customers through existing members' enthusiasm.

Measuring the Impact of Your WOM Marketing

“What gets measured gets managed,” as the saying goes. However, measuring word of mouth can be tricky since much happens in private conversations. Still, there are several metrics worth tracking:

Direct Referral Tracking

If you have a formal referral programme, tracking is straightforward. Count how many new customers come through referral links or mention referral codes.

For more general tracking, ask new customers, “How did you hear about us?” during onboarding or checkout. You'd be surprised how much valuable data this simple question can yield.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS measures customers' likelihood to recommend your business to others on a scale of 0-10. Customers scoring 9-10 are “Promoters,” 7-8 are “Passives,” and 0-6 are “Detractors.”

The formula is simple: NPS = % of Promoters – % of Detractors

While NPS doesn't measure actual referrals, it does indicate your word-of-mouth potential.

Social Listening

Monitor mentions of your brand across social media platforms, forums, and review sites. Tools like Mention, Brand24, or even Google Alerts can help automate this process.

Pay attention to the quantity of mentions, sentiment, and context. Who's talking about you? What aspects of your business do they highlight? Which platforms see the most discussion?

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) Comparison

Compare the CLV of referred customers versus those acquired through other channels. Research consistently shows that referred customers have higher retention rates and spend more over time.

This data helps justify continued investment in word-of-mouth strategies.

Common WOM Marketing Pitfalls to Avoid

Even with the best intentions, WOM's marketing efforts can go awry. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

Forcing Virality

Viral marketing is a subset of word of mouth that's often misunderstood. True virality can't be forced – it happens when content resonates so strongly that sharing becomes almost involuntary.

Many businesses waste resources trying to “go viral” instead of building sustainable word-of-mouth systems. Focus on creating genuinely shareable experiences rather than chasing the viral dragon.

Incentivising Insincerity

Rewards can boost referral rates but attract the wrong behaviour if they're too generous. When people refer others just for the reward rather than because they genuinely believe in your product, those new customers are unlikely to stick around.

Keep incentives reasonable and focus more on making your product or service genuinely recommendation-worthy.

Neglecting Existing Customers

In the quest for new customers, don't forget your existing ones. The people who have bought from you are your most likely advocates – if you treat them right.

Invest at least as much in delighting current customers as you do in acquiring new ones. Remember, a 5% increase in customer retention can increase profits by 25-95%.

Overlooking Employee Advocacy

Your team members are your most powerful word-of-mouth channel. Do they genuinely believe in what you're selling? Would they recommend your business to their friends and family?

If not, that's a problem that goes beyond marketing. Build a culture where staff naturally become advocates because they're proud of their work.

How Different Industries Can Leverage Word of Mouth

WOM marketing principles apply across industries, but the specific tactics might vary:

Retail and E-commerce

• Create unboxing experiences worth sharing
• Implement post-purchase follow-ups that exceed expectations
• Design referral programs with attractive incentives for both parties

Restaurants and Hospitality

• Focus on creating Instagram-worthy presentations or spaces
• Train staff to create memorable interactions
• Offer unexpected complimentary items or experiences

B2B Services

• Develop detailed case studies featuring client success stories
• Create a client referral programme with meaningful rewards
• Host exclusive events that clients will want to bring colleagues to

Professional Services

• Focus on educational content that clients will share with peers
• Build a reputation as a thought leader worth talking about
• Create a community around your expertise, not just your services

Integrating WOM with Your Broader Marketing Strategy

Word of mouth shouldn't exist in isolation. It works best when integrated with your overall marketing approach:

Content Marketing Synergy

Create content that supports and amplifies word of mouth. This might include customer stories, user-generated content galleries, or educational resources that customers can share with friends considering your product.

Social Media Amplification

Social platforms are natural environments for word of mouth to flourish. Design your social strategy to highlight customer voices rather than just broadcasting your messages.

PR Opportunities

Remarkable customer experiences can become PR opportunities. When a brand goes above and beyond, those stories sometimes make news – generating even more word of mouth.

The Future of WOM Marketing

As marketing continues to evolve, what's next for word of mouth?

Technology Enablement

New platforms and tools make encouraging, tracking, and amplifying word of mouth easier. From sophisticated referral software to AI-powered sentiment analysis, technology is enhancing what's possible.

Authenticity Premium

As consumers become more marketing-savvy, the premium on authenticity increases. Future WOM success will depend more on genuine experiences than manufactured “talk-worthiness.”

Integration with Customer Experience Design

Forward-thinking companies design products and experiences with shareability in mind from the start rather than adding WOM strategies as an afterthought.

FAQS About WOM Marketing

Turning happy customers into vocal advocates isn't just clever marketing – it's the foundation of sustainable business growth. Creating genuinely remarkable experiences, building systems that facilitate sharing, and measuring what works can make a word-of-mouth engine that continuously drives new business.

Remember, the goal isn't to make people talk about you; it's to be worth talking about. Everything else follows from that fundamental truth.

Need help creating a brand identity that gets people talking? Request a quote from Inkbot Design to build a visual identity that naturally generates conversation.

After all, the best WOM marketing doesn't feel like marketing – it feels like sharing something your customers can't keep to themselves.