Cater to Tech-Savvy Talkers to Leverage their Social Networks
By Dana Kohlbeck, PR Specialist, Coalesce, Inc.
Originally printed in the October 20, 2008, MarketSmart Column of the Appleton Post-Crescent
With blogs, text messages and social networking and video sites, word travels fast. And as marketers, we hope it’s our company, products or services being talked about – in a positive manner. Positive word-of-mouth is one of the most economical and impactful forms of marketing because, as a recent Nielsen study reveals, consumer recommendations are among the most credible forms of advertising. The challenge: get people talking about you.
Don’t know where to start? Find the “talkers” – people of influence within online blogs, like e-blogger, and social networks such as MySpace. These are the people who have the reputation to be heard, and others look to them for recommendations.
Next, give talkers something to talk about. Most talkers talk because they want to feel helpful, smart or important. Connect with them by offering free information, special product trials, or join their discussion groups and send them your e-newsletter. Communicating with these natural talkers will increase the opportunities for your product to be discussed within their large social networks.
Old Navy's BFF sale is good example of an effective word-of-mouth campaign advertised on social network sites including Facebook. Customers who brought a friend to the store and used the secret “BFF” code at the checkout received a 20% discount. The creativity of the sale made people feel special, had them telling friends – and more importantly, they brought an additional shopper!
So how do you keep talkers talking? Plan exclusive sales, events, focus groups or share high-level information that gives them an inside track – and a reason to continually tell others. You’ll find your talkers will go above and beyond to spread positive word-of-mouth, and grow your community of customers for you.
Be sure to listen to what your talkers are saying, and react properly. For example, thank those talkers who forward emails or blog positively about your company. And the same holds true for negative talkers. Acknowledge their concerns and use their experience to improve your products or services – you may just turn a naysayer into an advocate!
While marketers cannot always control what’s being said in the marketplace, taking time to cultivate relationships with today’s technology talkers will likely pay-off dividends in the future.