Find the Influencers in Your Community to Spread Word of Mouth. Marketing Secret 38/101

Target the movers and shakers, then become one - make them feel like insiders

Thanks to http://snoo.ws/2013/04/15/engaging-with-social-media-influencers/

In every "community" there are those who are influencers.  Wikipedia says that:

There are substantial differences in the definition of what an influencer is. Peck defines influencers as "a range of third parties who exercise influence over the organization and its potential customers".^[4] Similarly, Brown and Hayes define an influencer as "a third party who significantly shapes the customer's purchasing decision, but may never be accountable for it.".^[1] The Word of Mouth Marketing Association defines an influencer as "A person who has a greater than average reach or impact through word of mouth in a relevant marketplace.^[5] Keller and Berry note that influencers are activists, are well-connected, have impact, have active minds, and are trendsetters,^[6] though this set of attributes is aligned specifically to consumer markets.

Influencers may or may not every buy a product or service from you.  However, they are a conduit of information to others who find their advice to be useful.   So your goal is to make yourself know to influencers, so they can do what they do so well.

First, you need to identify these individuals within your community.  And even the community needs to be determined.  It could be geographic, industry specific, political, religious, or any number of interest groups.  Other communities might be identified by age, gender, ethnicity, or income.

Once you've identified a dozen, a hundred, or even more of these folks, you can set out to find a way to bring them into your fold.  Here are some likely methods:

1. Join the clubs, groups, or associations that they belong to
2. Become active in service that is attractive to those influencers
3. Ask your best customers who they believe to be an influencer you should connect with
4. Pay special attention to those in your current circle who might be influencers
5. Connect with these leaders in social media where they are active
6. Be bold.  Set up an appointment to discuss how you can help one another

Once you have a core of influencers to work with, consider ways to help them spread the word about you.  Refer back to chapter 37, dealing with ways to equip those that you hope will "sell" for you.

Create A VIP Club and Invite Influencers to Join

One way you might turn them into a mighty sales force would be to establish an inner circle, a VIP club, or an unofficial board of directors.  These folks love to influence, provide counsel, and use their powers for good.  Give them what they want.  Once they have "bought into" your entire business plan as members of the elite wise council, they will clearly become cheerleaders at every possible chance.

If you do this, be certain to choose carefully.  You will need to actually implement some of their ideas to keep them interested and motivated.  Pay them with favors they can give to friends, samples to test, and "inner circle dinners."

Influencers in the Social Media World

In addition to the real world, we now have the virtual world.  I used to have a radio talk show program.  On that program I had a couple of fairly articulate listeners who called in all the time.  They were influencers in that medium.  I later met one of them, and he was socially awkward and unattractive.  He would likely not have had much influence in "real world" setting.  However, he was talking to thousands on my show.

So, too, on Facebook, Google+, Blogs, and more.  One of the most influential media in the US today is Mommy blogs.  These women may or many not be on the phone or giving advice at church, but their blogs often have very long reach.

You can more easily determine who the online influencers are, as they will be searchable in Google and within the various other media.  They may also be difficult to reach, but the effort might truly be worth it.  By creating lots of online media yourself, you may actually get the phone call or email from those very folks you hope to reach.  My clients have received calls from radio shows, ehow, major industry blogs, Yahoo, and others, asking for contributions in print or live. 

Linkedin is a fantastic way to "meet" influencers who might have huge walls around them in the real world. Most will be willing to connect with you. Then it is up to you to create an authentic conversation with them through Linkedin mail.

What other ways are you finding, reaching out to, and generating better WOM from influencers in your community?  Help us all out with your influential comments. 

Equipping Your Clients to Recommend You Can Increase Word of Mouth. Marketing Secret 37/101

Create the Pitch and the Collateral for Your Referral Sales Force

You wouldn't send out your sales people to call on clients without training them in the business.  You want them fully equipped to answer questions, understand needs, and make the pitch.   You also wouldn't send them out empty handed.  You provide them with samples, business cards, brochures, demonstration helps, and links to online resources.  You give them a commission, bonuses, or other incentives to go 110%. 

Why not do the same for your happy customers who want to do their friends a favor by referring your fantastic business, but have lots of other things on their mind?  Moreover, when the time comes, they may not remember your unique selling proposition, or really much at all other than you were a good guy.

Help them out.  Some wag once said that if you are going to ask a favor, make it explicit.  Sending a customer out the door with "tell your friends about us," isn't specific and is not much better than "come again."

"Jim, it has been a pleasure doing business with you.  I hope you really take full advantage of everything our widget has to offer.  I'd be really appreciative if you'd tell your friends about how our widget is going to save you at least $50 a week.  The competition will save your friends money, too, but this widget save much more.  And Jim, $50 is a week is real money, don't you agree?"

So we've established our USP.  We've repeated it, and gotten Jim to agree.  Now hand him a card that says:  Save $50 a week.  "Jim, take a couple of these.  Pass them along to your friends.  Tell them to mention your name when they come in, and I'm going to send you and your wife out to dinner on me."

Now Jim has the pitch, the printed collateral material (which includes a website address), and a nice incentive to immediately go to work on his friends.

Maybe this idea immediately strikes you as smart and useful. But in case you need convincing...
10 years ago I added a sun room to the back of my house. We really liked the contractor and the job they did. He mentioned to my wife that he'd give some really nice gifts if we were to recommend him to others. She sold two $20,000 units to our neighbors, and we got $150 in gift cards. I tried to stifle a laugh at the horrible commission rate, but my wife was thrilled.

Remember, most folks love to help others, love to share information, and definitely enjoy a free meal at a nice restaurant.  Give them the tools, and put them to work for you.

Stay in Touch to Create Maximum Word of Mouth - Chapter 36/101 Marketing Secrets

14 Free or Cheap Ways to Stay In Touch with Customers, Clients, and Prospects

 

Bug Eyez Bicycle Safety Lights - Ad Specialty Item

The last thing any merchant or professional wants to be is "out of sight; out of mind."  This is certainly generally true for prospects and current clients or customers, but we are specifically dealing with the marketing potential of word of mouth.  You may have given great customer service, amazing products or services, or even impressed someone who has not yet done business with you.  This could result in them telling others about you. . . at least for a day . . . or a week.  But a month after the transaction, you are not likely to come to mind as a recommendation to their neighbor or relative.

On the other hand, even if they haven't been back to see you, you can be top of mind.  If you continue to "touch" them, you are more likely to get referrals months or even years after the transaction.  Think refrigerator magnet.  That will be our first of 15 free or cheap methods for staying in touch.  If you give your client a nice enough or funny enough or useful enough refrigerator magnet, that $1.00 item will be in their face several times per day.  It increases the chance of your name or company coming to mind when someone brings up your industry or service.

There are many opinions as to how many touches you should be creating for prospects and/or clients.  I've seen a low of 12 times per year to a high of as many as 60 times per year.  I happen to be an Apple Computer fan.  The local Apple retailer, MacMall, sends me as many as 30 touches a month during the Christmas season.  It would take hundreds of pages to break down the industries and approaches that might help you decide the number of touches that would be appropriate.  For today, we will merely provide you with a ton of ideas so that you can vary the touches you use.

1.  Advertising specialty aka promotional products - Giving your customer one of the 700,000 printable items that you can purchase through your advertising specialty distributor is a great way to touch someone.  The more useful, the larger the advertising space, and the more valuable the better.  Pens are great, but make sure they don't break in 3 days.  Calendars, day planners, desk accessories, key fobs, and the list is almost endless.  Of course, refrigerator magnets.

2.  Periodic email blasts - we will cover the details of emails later, but most industries should be mailing at least once per month.  Make the email delightful, not boring, or some template you bought.  Personal.  Fun.  Engaging.  With a great offer.

3.  Mail - Yep, it can still work.  Mail letters, postcards, bulky envelopes with a pen inside.  Remember to provide some kind of reason to contact you with clear calls to action and even clearer way to make the call.

4.  Phone - Call folks.  Sure, no one wants to hear from a salesperson.  So make the call about anything but selling something.  Call to invite to an open house, a clinic, a webinar, a free offer, to see how they like their purchase, or to conduct a survey.

5.  Text - I would only text my customers if that's how they expect to be contacted or if I have something over the top amazing to offer.  Something for free, or something for 40% off that is never discounted.  A big star coming to autograph posters.   Something big.  Others won't agree and feel texting is okay for more mundane updates.

6.  Social media - Why have a following unless you engage with them.  Get 1000 connections on Linkedin, 2000 or more likes on Facebook, 5000 followers on Twitter, and 500 more on Pinterest.  Of these you can have the most control over Linkedin.  Use their powerful tools to connect with serious actual and potential clients.  Then, generate content on these media.  Have the content point to longer form content on your website, blog, or YouTube.

7.  Invite them to an event - Hold a seminar, webinar, clinic, huge sale, gala, celebrity appearance, stunt, new model intro, or any kind of event.  This provides your customer with a great opportunity to recommend you and even bring their neighbor to your event.

8.  Trade shows - Where appropriate, show up for trade shows and press the flesh.  Make sure you have a compelling reason for your clients and prospects to come see you.  Contests, promotions, new products, loud or flashy demonstrations, free stuff.

9.  In person - Too obvious?  Not today.  There is a sense that we no longer need to get in our car or a plane and go see the client face-to-face.  This provides those who still do so with a competitive advantage.

10.  Remembrances - Not all industries, you might think.   Just for insurance guys.  If you send out a nice card for a birthday, anniversary, Christmas, etc., you will create one more moment of good will.

11.  Invoice stuffers - Maybe you don't mail out invoices anymore or statements.  If you do, this is a very, very inexpensive place to stay in touch.   If you use electronic invoicing, there may still be a way to send some love.  Add a note, a link to go to, a suggestion to connect on social media, or any other kind of message.  Thanks for the order or for your business is nice, too.

12.  UPS, Fed Ex, Special Delivery, Courier - It is hard not to give immediate attention to something that comes by overnight or other expensive delivery means.  The cost of the touch might be $7 or more just for the delivery, but if you really want them to pay attention to what you have to say, try this method.

13.  Gifts - Doesn't need much of an explanation.

14.  Skype and like that - Google hangouts, chat, Apple FaceTime, and many more.  With video or just voice.  Even just text.  I'm surprised by how many prefer to do Skye texting. 

Did I miss anything?  There are probably other ways that I should be thinking of.  Please help by adding to the list in the comments. 

Coming next:  Equipping Your Clients to Recommend You (Available May 8th)

Amazing Products and Services Create WOM? Grade Yours! Marketing Secret 34/101

Come up with a product or service that folks will talk about

I know that the questions in the past few posts have been a little hard on the heart.  We all want to think that our business has customer service that others will recognize and talk about, and we hope our clients will find the experience of dealing with us to be memorable.  But, if most of us are honest, we probably only get a C or at best a B grade on both of those. 

Well then, surely our core products and services are going to create a crescendo of mouths wagging out there, enthusiastic about something we sell.  Maybe not.  Maybe we have fine products, but they are available three other places within three miles or even closer.  Maybe we have no differentiation in price or delivery.  Maybe our services are just like everyone else's.  Then we wonder why we don't experience much WOM, don't get glowing or any reviews on Yelp and Google Places, and rarely get an unsolicited letter of appreciation. 

To make matters more complicated, should I ask you where most of your new business comes from, you will almost certainly tell me "word of mouth."  The reality is that even average customer service, experience, products, and prices will produce some WOM.  Some folks will just like you or one of your employees or your product line or feel very good about your service.  The issue isn't that you aren't doing a fine job.  The issue is whether you could be doing an amazing job with more thought and planning to create buzz, promote the buzz you create, and give people reasons to spread your buzz. 

How big does the product or service difference need to be?  Not that big.  I had a barber friend who was going out of business due to the recession.  I suggested he open at 7:00 a.m.  He picked up a huge number of new clients for whom that was a much better time to come. I knew another retailer who was open until midnight. How about same day service if no one else even has same week service.  Guarantees can create a completely new product.  How about a bicycle that is guaranteed not to go flat?  Free inner tube replacements for life if there is a puncture flat. 

This will take more work. Go direct to an overseas supplier and buy a huge supply of some standard item.  Add your own personal package.  Add value through color, size, shape, quantity.  Then sell it at a price that will knock peoples eyeballs out.  If successful, do the same with a second item.

You don't have to buy a huge amount of canned soda to get the best price. Bring in a container once a month and park it in your parking lot. Undersell the Costco or WalMart by half. Break even on the entire effort. Make it a regular thing. There are many products like this that you can sell out in one day. Find one that will attract your customer base.

Can you give away something like a service? Free kittens or vaccinations at a vet come to mind. What could you do like that?

Wear a funny hat? Have all the employees wear a "uniform" that speaks to your special services. If you have a great product and a decent radius of territory, make sure you promote that product in signage, both indoors and outside. Give it a top and center treatment on your website. Wear uniforms that promote that brand.

No great brands or unique services. Get one. Make that a priority!

I could go on. Pull together a brainstorming group and come up with something.