Posts tagged ‘word-of-mouth marketing’
Word of Mouth From the Inside Out
Navel Marketing helps create organizations worth talking about and then arm customers to spread the word. On the surface, this may seem like a simple enough task, but too many companies today focus the majority of their efforts on how to get the word out with little thought as to why someone would care. Whether you choose to use more traditional tactics, such as advertising, or new methods, such as social media, your target market needs to know why you matter before they invest any time or emotion in your brand.
Marketing today is about meaning. Customers buy products but evangelists buy causes. You have to mean something in the marketplace before someone will take notice of your communications and, most importantly, tell others about them. Navel Marketing helps you develop the inner tools that create meaning for your customer, such as a cause, a unique and compelling position, a culture that reflects your cause, a simple repeatable message, a viral customer experience, and more. We then implement word-of-mouth marketing tools to help arm your customers spread the word.
Word of Mouth Marketing – Dilbert Style
A recent Dilbert cartoon nailed most companies’ approach to word of mouth marketing:
After you have yourself a quick chuckle, you’ll realize how much truth there is in this simple comic strip. How many companies today have heard of word of mouth marketing as a tactic and decide they need to add it to their “marketing mix”? I know have had too many companies approach me asking if I can do some of that “word of mouth stuff” for them. The problem is that marketing doesn’t happen in campaigns.
Let me share a secret I shared with the attendees at a recent workshop I conducted. The secret to word of mouth marketing is this:
- Create an organization worth talking about
- Engage with your customers
- Arm them to spread the word for you
Notice step 1 is to have something worth talking about. How many companies do you know who miss that first, critical step?
How do you become a company worth talking about, you ask? Check out the “innie” model for a few ideas.
Any examples of companies you have seen who seem to epitomize the comic strip above?
All Media is Social Media
I have been involved in social media for about the last 5 years, although it has gone by many names: grassroots, word of mouth, new media, Web 2.0, viral, social networking, etc. It seems like we have finally arrived at a term that everyone is comfortable with: social media. It appears that the reason why most are satisfied with social media to describe the blog/podcast/MySpace/Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn phenomenon is that what all these technologies have in common is that they are all about conversations. They encourage people to engage with each other.
I think that is a great way to describe the explosion of conversation technologies. However, I would argue that based on this definition, all media is social. All media encourages conversation, good or bad. However, social media simply captures that conversation in a nicely oraganized format online.
There are many who think of social media as a tactic only and fail to realize that it is, in fact, a cultural phenomenon. Much the same way that you feel frustration when you can’t fast forward through a commercial on a DVR because we have become accustomed to controlling our content, we feel frustrated when a brand does not have the proper tools for discussion online when we need to react to what they are doing. The conversation will take place, online or off. Wouldn’t you rather have take place in a way that you can faciliatate and participate in that conversation? This is what made shows like American Idol so popular is the ability for the audience to engage with the brand.
So while I praise the industry for arriving at a standard term for all of the online mumbo jumbo, let us remember that all media, when used correctly, should be social. So why not use social media to capture the conversation?
What should I blog about?
This seems to be one of the most oft asked questions I receive. It typically comes right after, “I want to start a blog.” Most often this comes from the fact that this person has heard the term “blog” so many times, they feel like they are missing the bandwagon and need to get on board. “Bobby has a blog so that means I need one too.” Well Bobby may just be more interesting than you!
Having a blog is one of the easiest things to do, but one of the hardest things to do well. The first shocker I give people is to tell them it is not a marketing tactic. Blogging is a way to create transparency and, most importantly, start a dialog. It would be like asking someone ” would you like to chat” and then after they say yes proceeding to give a long lecture about how so dang cool you are. Simply maddening.
So why have a blog and how do you do it right? The first step is to first have a cause – a compelling reason to write. As I have often said to clients, customers buy products but evangelists buy causes. They buy into something. And no, selling more stuff is not a cause. Come up with a higher, holier calling about what you do.
Step 2 is to explore the cause. Make it conversational. Explore the different opinions on the topic. Ask for input and feedback. Make it stream of consciousness.
Also, remember the key rule of blogging – make it compelling. That means you need to piss them off, make them laugh, tug on their heart strings, or spark their interest in some way.
Don’t blog just because some marketing guy told you to. Blog because you are passionate about something. Blog because you have some expertise in a particular area. Blog because you want to change the world in some small way.
There are a lot of bloggers out there with some great success. What do you find makes a good blog?
Riding a Cause – the Power of Movement Marketing
I need to preface this post with the disclaimer that this may come across as a bit twisted.
That being said, I was at a funeral last week for a cousin of mine. It was an extremely sad situation. He left a wife and 4 young sons ages 6 to 1. He was only 34 years old.
However, I saw a bit of marketing wisdom at work. A friend of his just opened a new Gelato shop in town. When he heard of my cousin’s death, like all of us, he was devastated and wanted to do something for this family.
So he hosted a night in honor of my cousin. All the proceeds he made for the entire day went to a fund that my cousin’s wife had set up in his honor. News of the event spread like wildfire via word-of-mouth (supercharged by things like blogs and Facebook). There were pictures posted all around the Gelato shop. His wife and kids were there to greet people.
All in all, it was a wonderful event and very theraputic. Lines were out the door the entire day. People came out in droves to honor my cousin and the great life he lead.
However, this Gelato shop owner may have made a brilliant move without even knowing. Now an enormous group of people not only knew where his shop was, but had a chance to try out his ice cream. Also, he was now associated with a wonderful cause and I would imagine that a significant percentage of that crowd that showed up to honor my cousin will be back to patronize the Gelato shop again.
He may have raised $15K for my cousin’s family, but he probably only spent about $1000 in product costs. His return will likely be tens of thousands based on the lifetime value of his customers. You simply can’t buy that kind of marketing any other way.
I saw the same thing happen when at previous firm that I co-founded, we decided to take up the cause of a popular football coach for Boise State University who was being courted by a major college program. We posted an online petition, we hosted a rally in front of the stadium, and we printed posters highlighting the accomplishments of the program trying to convince him to stay. In a matter of 1 short week, we had been featured in almost every media outlet in town. Although he eventually took the job at the other university, we had garnered ourselves hundreds of thousands of dollars in free press.
One of the most powerful marketing tactics available to a small business is hitching yourself to a cause or a movement. Giving can sometimes be very profitable.
The Blogging for Business (B4B) Conference
Recently, I was asked to speak at a conference in Salt Lake City on June 6th called the Blogging For Business Conference. Now I must be honest, I had never heard of it before, but as I found out more about the conference, I became impressed. You can find out more about the speakers and details here and you can visit the main website at www.bforbconference.com.
I have long admired GM for their leadership in blogging and social media. I have used them as a case study on multiple occasions. The B4B conference is lucky enough to have Christopher Barger, GM’s Director of Social Media keynote the conference. There are also sessions on SEO, Building Customer Evangelists, and my session on how the consumer revolution is driving transparency in marketing.
While blogging has taken off as a consumer journaling tool, it appears to still be in the early adopter phase when it comes to businesses adopting blogging as a marketing tool. I think there is some great content in this conference to showcase the value of blogging in a business environment.
If you are in the area, stop by and attend the conference. If you are not in the area, there is always that whole telepathy thing. Also, I will post a blog afterwards with some of my thoughts and observations. Feel free to keep checking the conference website as well.
Get Out!…and Other Bad Examples of Customer Service
How many of us have seen the sign on the door of a local eatery or coffeehouse that announces “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone”? Has anyone had the unfortunate experience of having that right exercised on them for reasons other than indecent exposure or a drunken brawl?
I had the wonderful experience the other day of being asked to leave Thomas Hammer, an area coffee house, because I had not purchased a drink within an allotted time frame. I was told that it was their “policy” (don’t you love that word) that those who did not buy a drink could not sit there and use their WiFi. What, am I living in the late 80s?
Let’s go back and review the principles of customer evangelism, class. Let’s see … nope, nothing in there about kicking potential customers out of your place of business because they have not bought anything before the last grain of sand falls from the hour glass. What a bad idea in so many ways.
Now, I have to go back and be honest here. I was sitting there naked. No, I am just kidding about that. However, I sat in the store for about 10 minutes before the counter gal (let’s call her “Grumpy” for brevity sake – and the fact that she, in actuality, bears a stark resemblance to the cartoon dwarf) announced to me the store policy with her characteristic snarl. Being the obstinate (let’s say “donkey”) that I am, I thought I would test ol’ Grumpy out.
After about 45 minutes, good ol’ grumpy was back with a “what can I get you to drink” ploy. Ahhh, the game of cat and mouse continues. I retorted with a “give me a couple of minutes and I will be up there” response.
Finally, after 90 minutes, Grumpy stormed on over and said, “it’s time for you to leave. I told you our policy and you have had an hour and a half to buy a drink”. I was floored.
I have to be honest. I didn’t think she would actually enforce the “policy”, but she had the guts/lack of tact/missing brain cells to do it. So I literally went right across the street and bout two drinks from their biggest competitor. Not only will I never go back in there again, I am doing my part to let everyone else know about my experience there.
Let’s take a couple of lesson from this tale. First, don’t hide behind a policy, nor create a policy in the first place that is directed at the lowest common denominator. The competitor, Dawson Taylor, across the street was floored as well when they heard about my experience. They told me that they ask rowdy teenagers to leave when they become too loud, but never peaceful WiFi stealers like myself. Personally, I can understand the rowdy teenager, but never a customer like myself who has been in their establishment many times and bought many drinks from them in the past.
Second of all, why create policies at all? They are typically for the minuscule minority anyway. One of the best examples of employee empowerment comes from Nordstrom, who is world renowned for their customer service. Almost any seminar on customer service I have ever attended consists of several examples from Nordstrom. Their personnel manual consists of one sheet of paper that says:
“Welcome to Nordstrom, here are the Nordstrom Rules:
Rule #1: In all situations, use your good judgment.
There will be no additional rules.”
Now, you can speak with any employment lawyer and they will drone on about the liability of not covering everything in your employee handbook, however, what a statement about Nordstrom – that they trust their employees implicitly to deliver a superb customer experience for their customers. And they do.
Finally, in a commodity marketplace like we have today, as Don Peppers would say, customers are our scarcest resource, not money. If I have customers, I can get money. Therefore, treat your customers like gold, for that is exactly what they are. When there is a competitor directly across the street, can you afford to offend a customer simply because they did not spend $6 on a cup of dirty brown water? I would think not.
Instead, try the opposite approach. Make your customers feel at home. Make them feel like they are welcome any time, any where. Make them feel like they are rock stars. I guarantee you, you won’t be able to keep the dirty brown water on the self.
Take a Lesson From the King
Bruger King, that is. As many of you know, I posted a blog about Burger King’s Whopper Freakout campaign. I thought it was a great example of a successful and well thought out campaign.
I happened to be reading in the Wall Street Journal this morning and came across an interview with Burger King Holdings, Inc. CEO, John Chidsey. It verified my initial thoughts by confirming that Burger King has indeed experienced a turn-around under Chidsey’s leadership. They got back to their roots (“Have it Your Way”), focused on their strengths (fire grilled food), and launched new menu items.
However, the thing that most impressed me what the number one thing he attributed to the turn around. According to the article, the first thing he said was “figuring out who our target customer was, figuring out who was the ‘superfan’ and not wasting our time trying to be all things to all people”. Sound familiar?
Why I liked the Whopper Freakout so much was that it showcases the ‘superfan’ (a.k.a. customer evangelist). However, Chidsey also made another very important point. Focus on the evangelists and don’t try to be all things to all people. In other words, the more you narrow your focus, the more you broaden your appeal.
Finally, I will leave you with the ’5 Tips From John Chidsey to Revive a Striggling Firm’ that were quoted in the article:
- Focus on two or three major drivers that will make the biggest impact on the business.
- Create and maintain a sense of urgency and risk-taking.
- Know your customers.
- Put the right employees in the right places. (Sounds like Jim Collins’ ‘Right People on th Bus’ concept)
- Know your operators and regain their trust. Great relationships are key in this business.
Sounds like Chidsey has helped Burger King finally figure out the formula. I think we can all take a lesson from the King.
When Advertising Can Make You a Mockery
Those of you who live outside of Idaho may not quite understand the college football environment in the state, so let me give you a quick recap.
Boise State hates the University of Idaho (long story). The University of Idaho hates Boise State with the passion of hell fire. Boise State has had one of the winningest football programs in the country since about the year 2000. Idaho has had one of the worst football programs in the country since the same time.
Let me also preface this opinion with the fact that I am a Boise State alum, although I would really like to see 2 great football teams in the State of Idaho. However, we have here a great case study on how not to use advertising.
The Idaho Vandals recently put out a poster of their football team that is… interesting, to say the least. It features the entire football team with their shirts off, oiled up muscles, and the word “Toughness” above them.
However, the case study lies in what the intention was behind the poster. As you know, most teams try to come up with some slogan every year. Boise State has run through a few like “Leave no Doubt”, “Amp it Up”, and one that I created that they stole – “Keep it Rollin’”. It gets the team and the fan base motivated.
However, creating a poster that says “Toughness” above a team that has gone 10-37 in the last 4 seasons is simply an oxymoron. At the very least, the goal of motivating the team and the fan base has had the opposite effect. They are getting plenty of buzz, but for all of the wrong reasons. They have been scoffed at on talk radio, in blogs (and here and here), and even some coverage on GayWired.com.
A lot of companies take this same approach. They think by simply creating a catchy new tagline, consumers will forget all of the horrible experiences they have had in the past (i.e. Qwest’s Spirit of Service). This is what you call putting lipstick on the pig. Sorry my oily friends, but the burger has to look like the picture.
The reality is that the University of Idaho Vandals need to earn the word “Toughness” by giving their fans a great experience (a single winning season would be a start). In the meantime, maybe a tagline like “We’re not Going to Take it Anymore” or “One Step at a Time” would be more appropriate.
And for heaven’s sake, put your shirts on!
Are you LinkedIn?
I have been a user of the online business community, LinkedIn, for a couple of years now. Yet it is only recently that I have started to discover the power of a networking site for business users that is truly global.
For one of my clients, I generate business from international clients looking to launch technology products into the US. Now where do you find a group of those guys hanging around? As I mentioned previously, the web has become a collection of “coffee shop” communities. So I thought I would try my own theory out and utilize a powerful tool that I am already using to find this particular coffee shop.
With the recent re-design of LinkedIn, groups became a much more prominent part of the community. In the past, it was almost as if the powers that be at LinkedIn wanted to obscure the groups from view so that nobody would find them. However, with the power of groups, you now have a group of people who self select as those interested in a certain topic (i.e. Mac Users, Friends of Italy, French Consulting Group, you-name-it). Granted, you have the (what I fondly refer to as) “link whores” who are in this prize-less contest to see who dies with the most contacts in LinkedIn. They tend to join every group imaginable and link to anyone and their hamster. However, linking with them can give you good exposure as well.
However, these groups are an excellent way to meet and greet. It gives you an excuse to drop someone a line (i.e. “I saw you were on the Friends of Italy group and was wondering what type of business you have in Italy”).
One of the biggest advantages to using LinkedIn to contact people, however, is the amount of information available to the person you are contacting about you. Before responding to your message, they can look at your work history, your education, your list of recommendations from other users what groups you are involved in, and what your list of hobbies are. They can even see what you look like. I have found it to be a much more effective way of contacting someone than just a standard e-mail.
Heck, I will even browse the local network in Boise and find people in targeted organizations who have backgrounds that interest me and invite them to meet for lunch or coffee (OJ for me). I have never once been turned down.
There is a constant debate raging over who will win out in the end. Will it be Facebook, LinkedIn, OpenSocial, or even some upstart business community. Even Plaxo has made a resurgence. However, I have discovered it is all in how you use these tools to meet your networking needs. LinkeIn is a powerful tool for networking with business people all over the world. I now have business contacts in distant places with which I have begun to build relationships. I also have business contacts right here in my own backyard that I had never met before. If you are not LinkedIn, I would highly recommend it. If nothing else, it is great for your search engine optimization.
H ow have you used LinkedIn to further your business?
