In today’s highly competitive business market in Pakistan, small businesses are always looking for cost-effective ways to grow their business. Here is when the word-of-mouth for small businesses steps in and offers multiple benefits to the businesses. Let’s explore how word-of-mouth can be a secret weapon for the promotion and growth of small businesses.
Understanding Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is a type of marketing technique for a promotional strategy. In this marketing technique, the consumer’s choices or likeness towards the brand or business is reflected in the daily conversation. In short, the brand’s consumers play an important role in spreading the brand’s idea, product, or services. Furthermore, know that this marketing strategy is solely based on the customer’s personal experiences with the product; therefore, providing quality products and services is a must. In short, give your customers a reason to talk about you.
The following are some of the sources of word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing:
- Influencer marketing
- Social media
- Emotional values attached to the product
- Personal stories
- User-generated content
Benefits of Word-of-Mouth Marketing in Small Businesses
The following are some of the benefits of word-of-mouth marketing for small businesses in Pakistan:
Low-Cost Marketing Technique
Just like sparing some budget for small business branding plays a crucial role in Pakistan, word-of-mouth is important as well. You might have to spend a lot on marketing and branding, but how about considering a budget-friendly marketing technique? The word-of-mouth technique is a low-cost method for increasing sales of your business. It requires nothing more than good service to the customers and customers spreading it to their close ones.
Portrays a Trustworthy Image of the Brand
Imagine your friend telling you about a clothing brand that she had a good experience with. There are chances you might prefer visiting it, right? But ever wondered why? This is because of the trust factor that has been built due to the positive experience. This is one of the important factors of the word-of-mouth strategy that makes your brand appear trustworthy. Furthermore, research claims that around 88% of people rely on people’s recommendations instead of digital ads on different platforms.
Spreads Brand Awareness
The word-of-mouth marketing technique spreads brand awareness that helps your business flourish. It is one of the crucial factors for the success of small businesses. Know that this type of marketing technique does not just stop at the starting stage; instead, it keeps growing depending on your efforts and strategies.
Helps Achieve Sales Target
When a customer visits your brand or business on the basis of recommendations, there are higher chances that they might end up purchasing something. For this purpose, excellent services and products are demanded. Hence, it will eventually lead you to achieve the sales target.
Important Tips For Positive Word-of-Mouth For Small Businesses
If you are somebody running a small business in Pakistan, be it under 1 lakh or Rs. 50,000, you need to consider the following important tips:
Good Customer Service: A customer will never be attracted to your brand or business if there is a lack of good customer service. Always give your customers priority and leave a lasting impression on them. This will give them a reason to return to your brand.
Besides this, even if you get negative feedback or a bad word-of-mouth, try not to ignore it. Always respond to it to convey to your customers that you care about their experiences.
Engage on Social Media: In this advanced technological world, it is crucial to have a good social media presence to let people know about your existence. It is one of the easiest ways to spread your brand and business. Keep your brand’s social accounts maintained and up to date so that people are aware of your services. You never know what might attract them, and they share it with their close ones.
Give Back to Your Customers: Your customers are the sole reason for your brand’s growth; therefore, do not take them for granted. Always have something to offer them, either in the form of a discount, a coupon code, or a gift.
Create Something That People Talk About: Staying prominent among people might help your brand flourish. For this purpose, try to give your audience something to talk about. You can either follow a trend or create something that people find funny or interesting to be in the highlights.
Strategies of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
As word-of-mouth is all about letting people talk about your brand, the best way is to offer amazing services. For instance, if you have a small business, you can ask your followers or customers to be a part of your membership. Ask them to fill in a form that asks for their birthday or any special occasion, and in return, give them exclusive discounts on that day. If customers get it, chances are they will communicate it to their friends or family, spreading your brand’s awareness. This technique is run by the prominent jewelry brands in Pakistan, named Anzay Jewellers.
Just like this, an international brand, named Casper, offers mattresses. One of its initial strategies to attract customers was a storytelling technique. They marketed their brand by communicating to people how they find it difficult to opt for the best option for restful sleep by advertising real stories. This emotional storytelling technique attracted the customers. However, the research showed that there was a 3x increase in sales.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, the word-of-mouth in small businesses plays a powerful role in communicating your business to others. But make sure your brand ensures quality products, excellent customer service, and always gives people something to talk about itself.
Leave a Reply