Engagement in your brand is one of the best ways to drive sales. If people are talking about you, reading posts about you, and hearing about you, they are more likely to remember you and choose your products in the future. Historically you could have a successful business in your local area simply because of glowing recommendations passed from person to person to drive sales.
The days when you could rely solely on traditional word of mouth are largely over, but just what do we mean by word of mouth and what does it have to do with social media marketing? Read on to find out…
What is word of mouth marketing?
Word of mouth quite literally means the communication that happens orally between two or more people. You can pass on information, opinions and recommendations by simply saying to another person, “you should try this” …
Word of mouth, or WOM marketing, relies on this tradition of passing on recommendations between its customers. People trust their families and friends far above a stranger on a website or an advert on TV. When your mother or friend tells you to try something you are dramatically more likely to do so, making this a highly effective form of marketing.
With the move away from face to face communication and towards online relationships over the past two decades, word of mouth has arguably evolved to include a broader definition of the term. Though not in person, social media can be one way that word of mouth can spread.
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing utilises social media platforms to connect with current and potential customers. There are many new platforms for social engagement as well as the more established global giants like Facebook and TikTok. Millions of people spend time on these platforms each day and they are a huge resource for businesses looking to engage with people everywhere.
Social media marketing has many facets, including creating and uploading high-quality content to help drive traffic and get people talking. If done right, such as by the best SEO company in Sydney, your social media marketing strategy can directly link you to your ideal customer and help bring them into your sales funnel.
Your specific goals will impact your social media strategy, whether you are trying to increase brand awareness, attract new customers or make a definitive sale, for example. Some aspects of this type of marketing involve paid ads, while others are far more inbound driven and meant to start a conversation.
What is the difference?
So, what is the difference between the two? Well, as you can already see, there are many ways in which social media marketing differs from WOM marketing. Word of mouth does not involve paid ad campaigns and interesting videos and images – or at least not directly.
While traditional WOM marketing did occur between two people in the same place at the same time, social media can now be used as a tool to encourage this in a different way. Social media is a way for people to have a conversation about products, much like a phone call or detailed recommendation.
Simply having a social media account would not be using word of mouth. WOM marketing comes through passing on reviews and deeply engaging in the question of why people should choose your brand. This can happen on social media, but it is not required and is certainly not the only way or even the main way that WOM marketing can take place.
Final thoughts
Whether you are talking with a friend at the cash register or see a friend’s user experience pop up on your Facebook newsfeed, word of mouth is a hugely powerful tool for encouraging people to try out a product or service. Social media works as a medium for word of mouth marketing to work through for the modern age.