The Art of Word-of-Mouth Marketing With Influencers

Do you feel that brand endorsements and television advertisements are no longer effective? Try word-of-mouth marketing! This is a marketing method commonly used by marketers. So, what exactly is it? How can you use influencer marketing to build a brand reputation? 

In this article, KOL Radar will introduce you to word-of-mouth marketing and its advantages. We will teach you the 5T principles of word-of-mouth marketing step by step. Combined with influencer marketing to build your brand’s reputation, you can easily enhance your brand’s image!

What Is Word-Of-Mouth Marketing?

Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) refers to a marketing model where information about a brand or product is passed orally or through conversation. WOMM employs various methods to encourage consumers to discuss brands or products by sharing their thoughts and experiences with friends and family. Besides increasing brand awareness in the market, positive word-of-mouth also enhances consumers’ trust in the brand, making them more willing to purchase products from a particular brand. However, negative experiences and perceptions can spread quickly through word-of-mouth too. So, brands need to pay attention to product quality and service to build positive word-of-mouth.

Why Is Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Important? Three Major Advantages of WOMM

Key Point 1: Increases brand trust and loyalty

The level of trust in a product is a crucial factor in determining whether consumers will make a purchase. Since consumer trust in brands is limited, inviting influencers to share their recommendations and experiences from using products can increase followers’ trust in the product. When consumers see influencers showcasing the before-and-after effects and actual usage of a product, their awareness and trust in the brand will be deepened. Effective word-of-mouth marketing increases consumer loyalty to the brand, leading not only to recommendations to friends but also to continued repurchases of the product.

Key Point 2: Lower cost compared to advertising

In the past, brands used advertising methods to promote and expose their products, often by inviting celebrities as brand ambassadors, utilizing physical billboards, or by leveraging social media advertising. The exposure channels for WOMM are different from traditional marketing channels. 

WOMM involves posting product reviews on online forums or inviting influencers to try out products and publish posts and short videos. By posting on forums and collaborating with influencers, brands attract consumers with positive reviews to engage in discussions. Once a product gains positive word-of-mouth, the praise gradually spreads across social networks without requiring significant costs. This positive word-of-mouth exposure can lead to increased product exposure and higher conversion rates.

Key Point 3: Increases customer mindshare

Customer mindshare refers to the level of favorability and position a brand holds in the minds of customers. It also represents the extent to which customers are willing to purchase products from that brand in the future. The higher the customer mindshare, the more significant the brand’s position in the minds of consumers, which affects their willingness to choose that brand’s products in the future. When WOMM is carried out, potential customers may not have an immediate need for the product yet. 

However, if they have a positive impression of the product, its position and favorability in their minds gradually increase. In the future, when customers have a need for the product, they will prioritize purchasing products they have heard of and received positive reviews about. Therefore, the advantages of word-of-mouth marketing are not only short-term improvements in conversion rates but also long-term increases in customer mindshare, which enhances the brand’s competitiveness in the industry.

How to Conduct WOMM? Learn the 5T Principles

Talkers: Identify who is discussing you

Brands can consider which demographics would discuss their products and brands. So, who exactly is interested in the brand? These individuals could be influencers, friends and family, or consumers in the comments section, among others. Once the brand identifies who is discussing it, what can the brand do?

KOL Radar suggests that brands begin by analyzing their audience. In the era of segmented influencers, having the most followers doesn’t necessarily mean having the most influence. Each demographic has its own favorite and most influential influencers. Finding the right influencers allows brands to maximize the impact of word-of-mouth marketing.

For example, a baby product brand discovers that baby and parenting groups, as well as baby product influencers, frequently discuss baby products. When engaging in WOMM, choosing the corresponding influencers to promote the brand resonates better with their followers.

Topics: What kind of topics can you provide to these people?

Once a brand identifies its talkers, it’s crucial to create topics that keep them engaged. Continuity of topics is essential at this point. The range of topics is wide, including the brand’s attentiveness in providing service, after-sales service, member benefits, limited-time offers, and new product launches or features. All of these can spark discussions.

These fresh topics can stimulate discussions among consumers and may even attract coverage from news media outlets. Through the transmission of social networks, the brand’s reputation can be rapidly established.

In 2023, Wang Steak Group’s Penghu Hi-Fresh Fireworks Festival launched an extraordinary promotion called “Wear Bikini and Enjoy 10% Off” that sparked a craze on social media. Many consumers and influencers alike donned bikinis to dine at the restaurant, snapped photos, and shared them online, creating a new buzz and sparking discussions in the market.

Tools: What platforms can be used for word-of-mouth marketing?

Social media platforms are the primary channels for implementing word-of-mouth marketing. With a plethora of options available, each social media platform has its own unique characteristics. How should brands choose?

KOL Radar’s suggestion is that brands should primarily consider the audience for their products. For instance, if the target audience is teenagers, platforms like TikTok and Instagram, which are popular among teenagers, would be suitable for promoting via word of mouth. If the target audience comprises college students or young professionals, platforms like Dcard and Instagram, which are favored by this demographic, would be more appropriate. By selecting the right platform, brands can precisely target their audience and effortlessly promote products using WOMM.

Taking Part: How to interact with customers to build word-of-mouth marketing?

In WOMM, brands aim to bridge the gap between themselves and their customers to enhance consumer trust. But how can brands achieve this?

One approach is to establish exclusive communities where customers can engage directly with the brand. Apart from promoting products within these communities, brands can address customer needs promptly through interactive Q&A sessions and discussions. Many brands are now adopting a light-hearted and engaging approach to interacting with consumers on social media. For example, Shopee targets young, online-savvy consumers by frequently creating memes and engaging with fans on social media platforms. Funny posts resonate with fans, leading to widespread sharing and the gradual building up of the brand’s reputation.

Furthermore, brands should value customer feedback. When customers provide positive or negative reviews, brands should not only accept them with humility but also handle negative feedback appropriately. Closing the gap between customers and the brand by actively addressing customer concerns is also a way to foster positive word-of-mouth and build a strong reputation.

Tracking: Track the effectiveness of word-of-mouth marketing intensively

After analyzing the above 4Ts, brands will understand who likes their brand, what kind of topics consumers enjoy discussing, which platform is most suitable for promoting via WOMM, and which interactive methods align with the brand’s image while attracting consumers. With this information collected, brands have nearly grasped the essence of word-of-mouth marketing!

However, there is another crucial element to WOMM: long-term and intensive tracking of its effectiveness. Only through continuous monitoring can brands ensure that positive word-of-mouth is sustained over time!

How to Utilize Influencers for Word-Of-Mouth Marketing?

Many brands opt to collaborate with influencers to build positive word-of-mouth when engaging in WOMM. But how can influencer marketing be effectively utilized for this? KOL Radar will teach you four secrets to leveraging influencers and social media marketing to cultivate positive word-of-mouth!

Influencers’ sincere recommendation after usage

WOMM is all about increasing consumer trust, and influencers have increasingly significant influence nowadays. Fans are inclined to purchase products recommended and shared by influencers. Therefore, when brands select influencers, they can choose suitable ones based on their brand’s audience, and customize recommendations tailored to the influencer’s followers. Genuine endorsements from influencers can also attract like-minded fans to leave comments, extending the reach of positive word-of-mouth beyond just the KOL, but through the fans as well.

Utilize UGC (User-Generated Content) led by influencers to create discussion topics

UGC (User-Generated Content) refers to content created by users of a brand or product that is shared online. Influencers can encourage their followers to create original content and spread it across social media platforms when implementing influencer marketing, thereby generating more engagement and visibility.

Brands can leverage the power of influencers to lead discussions and trends while encouraging fans to create content together. This not only increases interaction between fans and influencers but also allows the brand’s reputation to penetrate into the fan community. A prominent example of UGC is the sportswear brand Lululemon. Users shared photos and experiences of wearing Lululemon gear on social media platforms, accompanied by the hashtag #thesweatlife. There is an opportunity for these posts to be shared by the official account, thus successfully creating topics that resonate with consumers.

Brand management includes owning social media platforms and providing feedback mechanisms

Brands can utilize their own social media platforms to promote products and brand philosophy while engaging with consumers from an official standpoint. Once the brand’s audience is identified, the direction of operations can be determined based on audience preferences. B2B brands can focus on sharing professional knowledge within the community, working towards shaping the brand’s image along the way. B2C brands, on the other hand, can increase consumer interaction rates through humorous content, giveaways, and other engaging methods.

However, apart from striving towards brand development, brands must also provide feedback mechanisms within the community. When consumers have opinions about the brand, they may leave comments on brand posts or message the brand directly. It’s crucial for brands to respond promptly to customer needs so that they can leave a positive impression on consumers’ minds and simultaneously build a good reputation through service.

Utilize campus ambassadors to enhance trust

Brands can recruit college students as brand campus ambassadors to leverage the power of micro-influencers to enhance brand reputation. This approach can elevate brand trust as the followers of campus ambassadors are mostly students or peers of similar age. When recommending brand products, campus ambassadors often use a friendlier tone, making it sound more like recommendations from friends rather than traditional influencers. Compared to influencers, campus ambassadors convey a sense of familiarity and closeness. Consequently, followers of campus ambassadors tend to have deeper trust since the recommendations come from their classmates or friends, contributing to the cultivation of positive word-of-mouth.

IRM (Influencer Relationship Management) System Assists Brands in Establishing Effective Relationships With Influencers

To build a positive reputation through word-of-mouth marketing, brands must establish effective relationships with influencers. KOL Radar moves away from one-time collaborations and opts for deepening partnerships with influencers. We provide a project-based influencer collaboration collection function and offer functions such as influencer information management, messaging systems, and collaboration tracking all in one place. This effectively enhances the effectiveness of influencer projects and assists brands in maintaining long-term relationships with influencers.

On the KOL Radar platform, brands can share influencer information, establish relationship management lists, customize influencer tags, and manage multidimensional data effectively. When inviting influencers to collaborate, brands can easily send contact emails with just one click. Additionally, powerful AI data analysis allows brands to filter influencers based on various characteristics such as influencer level, engagement rate, social media platforms, follower growth rate, and more.

Conclusion

Word-of-mouth marketing does not yield results overnight. It requires long-term, intensive tracking by the brand to maintain it. Through KOL Radar’s IRM (Influencer Relationship Management) system, brands can cultivate long-term relationships with influencers. By leveraging influencers to convey brand values, brands can effectively enhance their brand image. Furthermore, brands can amplify the volume of word-of-mouth through influencers’ followers too. By utilizing influencers to build excellent word-of-mouth, brands can further create business opportunities.

If you would like to know more about influencer marketing, feel free to consult KOL Radar for free at https://www.kolradar.com/en/solution.

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