How to generate Word of Mouth

Word of mouth (WOM) can help you generate real supporters and loyal clients.  We say this so often but word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing. It's more effective than any social media. If your clients tell one person each about your service, imagine what that can do for your business.

Good word of mouth creates a buzz around your business. Consumers trust their friends. This is why word of mouth marketing is the most valuable source of marketing. You may have a good number of social media followers, but you have to establish a connection with those followers to generate any tangible benefit. If your audience is not interested in you/your business, they’re not likely to help you grow.  

Not sure how to build word of mouth? Don't worry - we got you. Here are some of our top tips on how to generate WOM: 

To help spread the word of your lash business, you may want to consider the following:

• Give your clients something tangible, such as a refer a friend card whereby they may get a small discount when they refer a friend to you.
• Have a talking point. For example, take before and after photos in front of a flower wall, which you post on Instagram that your clients then re-share.
• Create a hashtag for your clients to use so that others can browse more photos from your clients.
• Ask for reviews and ask them to share on their social media pages. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
• Surprise and over deliver. Give a premium service, you could even hand out gifts at each appointment, this doesn’t need to be expensive.

Customer Reviews 

You can build word-of-mouth advertising in many ways. But one of the best ways is by getting positive customer reviews. A majority 90% of people read reviews before deciding whether or not to visit a business, and 72% will only push through with a purchase after reading positive reviews. Plus, good reviews help build your brand’s social proof and boost your online reputation – both terrific ways to gain exposure and get even more people talking about you. 

Customer Service 

Providing great customer service is also another way to generate WOM. Remember the aim for the lash appointment is to make that client go and tell someone else about their experience. You have to put yourself in the client's shoes and think, what would make that client go and tell someone else about their experience. 

Remember - If you have a client telling everyone about their terrible experience, that will affect future referrals. So, remember to always be professional and happy when around your clients.

The more passionate your clients are about you and your business, the more likely they’ll tell their friends/family about it. Passing information through word of mouth is powerful at influencing others. You want to make sure you have real supporters.

Social Media 

Use social media to your advantage! Customer reviews also allow you to expand into other channels and platforms. Say, someone writes a review about you on Facebook/Google. That review can then be searched and shared across other channels, as well. You can share some of the best reviews on your own social media accounts, or even post them as testimonials on your own website. 

Top Tip - You need to use social media effectively to drive WOM marketing. You need to be active and engaging. This means providing valuable information, responding to comments and questions and even sharing some of your clients user generated content. 

The more connected you are to your followers, the more likely they will become true fans and supporters. And what do true fans usually do? Share your brand with others and increase word of mouth in new markets you may not have been able to reach otherwise.

Another top tip to remember with driving word of mouth is that emotional attachments are one of the biggest drivers. If people feel strongly about a business or service, they are not likely to drop it, even if a more logical option comes along.

People respond more to emotions, as well. Whether it’s something happy, sad, funny, or otherwise, they instinctively want to share it with others. So, if you can create experiences that result in positive emotions, your word-of-mouth efforts can go a long way. Social media is a great tool to drive word of mouth. If your clients have a positive experience, they are most likely to recommend a friend or family member and most of the time this will be through social media.

Exceptional experience + building relationships = happy clients who will keep coming back for more and will tell all their friends and family about you and the service you provide. 

We hope you found this blog post helpful, as always if you have any questions feel free to drop us a message on Instagram @LashBase_UK and our team will be happy to help!