5 Tips to Amplify Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Strategies to stand apart from the competition

By Donna Shryer

Traditionally, word-of-mouth (WOM) involves one person recommending a product or service to another person for no other reason than the desire to share a satisfying experience.

According to Ramona Sukhraj, head of editorial content with IMPACT, an inbound marketing agency located in Wallingford, Connecticut, traditional WOM is still effective. Although, she adds, social media reviews, sometimes called the new word-of-mouth, are gaining ground. In a 2017 study, BrightLocal, an SEO reporting platform, found that:

• 91 percent of people regularly or occasionally read online reviews.
• 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• 68 percent of people form an opinion after reading between one and six online reviews.

“These studies, in addition to our everyday buying behaviors, tell us that word-of-mouth marketing has less to do with spoken conversation and more to do with social media in 2018,” Sukhraj says. “Today, the most powerful word-of-mouth often begins digitally.”

As consumers sift through online and offline word-of-mouth reviews, referrals, recommendations and testimonials, the trick is to find the perfect blend and, most importantly, amplify your WOM strategies with a unique edge.

Here are five well-known word-of-mouth campaign strategies—each with a twist that can potentially turn a single referral into an engaged fan base.

1. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Select projects that genuinely excite you—and don’t just provide an opportunity to collect contacts.

“If you’re joining a community activity just to hand out business cards, forget about it,” says Thomas J. Nelson, CRS, REALTOR®, Big Block Realty in San Diego. “People see right through a sales ploy. But when community outreach comes from your heart, word-of-mouth builds. And the word is: You’re the REALTOR® people can trust.”

Trust is the twist that sets you apart, stresses Eva-Jean Dalton, CRS, broker associate with RE/MAX Elite, serving Port Isabel and South Padre Island, Texas. “I meet a lot of people through my volunteer work, and many call me to be their real estate agent. But they call because I’m passionate about making a difference. That prompts people to say, ‘You can trust Eva-Jean to do what she promises to do.’ No amount of money can buy that kind of word-of-mouth,” she says.

Showing how much you care about your community has no limits—so follow your passion. It can mean snow removal in the local food pantry parking lot, donating food to an animal shelter or offering your expertise free of charge to those in need.

2. Making Connections

Focus on client concerns with a unique slant.

Whether attending a listing presentation or a Chamber of Commerce meeting, every REALTOR® has ample opportunities to promote their accomplishments. However, Margaret Rome, CRS, introduces her skills with a spin. This broker/owner of HomeRome Realty in Baltimore hosts a live Sunday afternoon call-in radio show aptly named “All About Real Estate.” Rome’s one goal is to address questions that concern buyers and sellers. Without even once diving into self-promotion, her knowledge jump-starts serious word-of-mouth communication. For example, a caller recently asked, “Should I use my best friend for a real estate agent?”

It’s a frequent question, Rome says. If you want the long answer, check out her blog. The short answer? “If your best friend is the best REALTOR® in the world, then yes,” she says. “Otherwise, simply say you don’t work with dear friends.”

To build the buzz for her show, she weaves it into casual conversations. “People always ask me questions about buying or selling a home. I say, ‘Call in on Sunday! I’ll have your answer.’ Right there, I made a connection. And that person will probably tell another 10 people to tune into my show. That’s word-of-mouth!”

If live radio isn’t an option, consider a podcast or Facebook Live. You can also invite people to email questions that you’ll answer in a blog.

3. Easy Does It

Make online reviews as simple as possible.

If it takes too much effort to leave a digital referral, clients may skip your review! That’s not good, since BrightLocal reports that online reviews are gaining strength.

Positive reviews make 73 percent of consumers trust a local business more.
Consumers read an average of seven reviews before trusting a business in 2017, up from six reviews in 2016.

46 percent of consumers pay attention to the quantity of reviews when making a buying decision.

To make reviews as simple as possible, Nelson emails clients within 24 hours of closing, makes a testimonial request and offers instructions to make his request a fast task. The email includes links to top review forums, including his website, Yelp, Google+, Realtor.com®, Zillow, Facebook and Trulia.

“I’ve never had a client who didn’t want to write a review, but I’ve had plenty who were very busy people with little time to spare,” Nelson says. “So I remove every possible barrier that might block a good review and better word-of-mouth.”

4. Express to Impress

Think unique when planning ways to express client appreciation.

Creating a non-selling environment that says, “Thank you for your business,” is a proven way to stay in touch with clients and build word-of-mouth. With a little extra effort, though, you can turn a casual backyard barbecue into a memorable experience.

Kate Maryon, CRS, associate broker with Coldwell Banker Schmidt, which serves the west Michigan market, hosts an annual customer appreciation party in her 4.5-acre garden, which she landscaped to entice a remarkable monarch butterfly population. “There’s live music and food, but what makes my event unique is that every family gets to release a monarch butterfly into the garden,” Maryon says.

Besides making memories, event photos are posted on social media, emailed to family and framed as keepsakes. Just like that, the “Butterfly REALTOR®” sees her online and offline word-of-mouth fly to new heights.

Maryon also takes a unique approach to business cards. While attending the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Course in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, she handed out impressive swag that included all her contact information. For instance, agents headed off to tour the local wineries and received a wooden cheese board—with her name and phone number in plain view.

5. Follow the Leaders

Invite influencers to spread the word—but be sure they are trusted community members.

Recently, “influencer marketing” as a search term on Google Trends jumped by 400 percent. It appears that companies of all sizes are leaning on influencers to grow word-of-mouth.

An influencer’s online referral and spoken recommendation about you as a REALTOR® can be invaluable. These individuals, who already have an audience in your market, influence the behavior or opinions of many.

The twist, according to the 2017 Consumer Content Report: Influence in the Digital Age, is that 70 percent of the time consumers can tell if a review was created by a professional or paid influencer versus a genuinely satisfied consumer. So make sure your influencers are trustworthy.

But when done right, an influencer’s word has pull. A joint study by Twitter and the analytics firm Annalect reports that 49 percent of people say they rely on recommendations from influencers when making purchase decisions.

One way to bring an influencer into your professional world is to invite this person to be a guest blogger for your website. Then follow up by quoting your influencer’s content in your own blogs. However, think twice about paying an influencer. If word gets out that this individual profited for praising you, your word-of-mouth could tumble.

With all the positive proof supporting word-of-mouth, Maryon emphasizes that it’s not something you can grow today and track tomorrow. “Word-of-mouth is something that builds with time,” she says. “But if you look at what percent of your business is from referrals, then you have a good idea as to whether or not your word-of-mouth strategy is working.” 

Donna Shryer is a freelance writer based in Chicago.

What other word-of-mouth marketing strategies have proven to be successful for you? Share your stories in the We Are CRS Facebook group.