Word of Mouth Advertising for Your Urban Botanic Business

Do you know that for all of the new kinds of media out there (social networking, ezines, message boards, print magazines, email newsletters, online banner ads), that good old-fashioned word of mouth is still by far the most effective way to promote your business?

Think about it...word of mouth advertising automatically has a higher level of credibility because usually the source is a friend, family member, neighbor, or other acquaintance. This is where it can get tricky - a negative referral from a trusted source can do a lot of damage. But a positive recommendation can do wonders for your business!

Word of mouth is so low tech and so easily understood. But the difficulty that marketers face is how can you go about getting it? It's not as though you can just pay someone to go around raving about your business.

While you can't easily buy word of mouth, what you can do is treat every contact and social interaction with word of mouth in mind. Act as though you are a walking billboard for your Urban Botanic business. I don't mean you should literally slap the UB logo on all of your clothes, but carry yourself as an ambassador for your business. At all times (not just when you have your UB apron on in front of a party!). People like to do business with nice, friendly people. They want to do business with someone they actually like.

Another tactic you can use is to ask your happy customers to recommend you to their friends. Yes, it's just that simple. At the end of a party, ask them to let their other friends know how much they enjoyed Urban Botanic.

One very smart thing to do is determine who in your sphere of influence are the "connectors". You know, those people who seem to know everyone, have holiday card lists a mile long, and tend to be influencers when it comes to personal style. Offer to do a one-on-one consult with your connectors, since they tend to have very busy calendars and might not be able to make a party or open house. A connector is exactly the person you want evangelizing your UB business!

And, it goes without saying that outstanding customer service with a personal touch is absolutely key!

Here are some interesting statistics about word of mouth, or buzz, marketing.

When an interesting new product is discovered:

43% will try it with no recommendation

37% wait for a friend to endorse it

16% wait until it is on the market for a while

When a product or services impresses them:

55% percent will tell close friends and family

38% will tell anyone who will listen

2% keep it to them selves

According to research done by Osterman Research, some of the most important things about a brand or product that encourage word of mouth are:
satisfied customers (53%)
great products or services (27%)
an exciting brand (13%)

Interestingly, low prices ranked at 0%.

Your word of mouth buzz will work in conjunction with your other marketing efforts. Consider it one point of contact. Bolstering your small army of word-of-mouthers should be other marketing tactics - direct mail, email newsletters, social networking, print ads, and other efforts. All of these activities will build awareness about your business and bring in party bookings and new team members.