How To Get Word Of Mouth Exposure is a 5 part series that details
how you can create a buzz-worthy business.
As a small business, you are looking for all the exposure you can get to help bring in new customers and get them to return.
We’re not talking about print ads or airtime but something that has been around much longer and has an impressive track record when it comes to bringing in customers. Word of mouth advertising!
So before you shell out for a commercial or lament because you don’t have the budget for even a simple 30 second spot, take stock of your word of mouth approach. It may be the oldest form of advertising but it is guaranteed to get you new customers.
Who Uses Word of Mouth Marketing Strategies?
When I was living in Los Angeles, I briefly worked at an incredible theater called Arclight. At that time, there was only one Arclight theater and it was widely considered the best in a city of 3.8 million people. There were many reasons for this.
They own and screen films in the original Cinerama Dome which was the predecessor to IMAX. All of their 14 screens are state of the art and all seating is assigned so customers can actually pick the best seat in the house. This is the farthest thing away from the typical generic multiplex that Americans pack into each weekend. And guess what? Their ticket prices were also the highest.
You would think that advertising for this company would be key, right? They would need huge billboards and print ads that touted their comfortable seats, their impressive choice to show NO commercials before the films and their gourmet concession stands that offered fresh-made caramel corn.
They would need to shout about their company from the roof tops all these reasons they were simply the best place to see the newest blockbuster that just happens to be screening everywhere else in the county with a cheaper ticket price.
So imagine my surprise when I found out that it was company policy to not advertise at all. No radio spots, no fliers, no web ads, no glossy magazine pages. No TV commercials during prime time or anytime! Their one and only marketing strategy was word of mouth.
What Word of Mouth Marketing Can Do
Years have passed and Arclight has done very well in a very competitive city. Still considered the best place to experience a film in Los Angeles, Arclight now has 5 unique and beautifully maintained locations, they host film festivals, special Hollywood events and still (as far as I can tell now that I’m an outsider) do not advertise.
That is the power of people telling their friends why a business is great
and why word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing.
Next week we’ll detail ways to increase your business’s word of mouth exposure based on principles that have been proven successful!
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