Buzz marketing is nothing new. In
fact, it’s probably one of the oldest forms of marketing in existence.
Every single day people are ranting and raving about new or existing
organisations to their friends, family and associates. Whether this be
due to the brilliant service they received, the superb product that was
provided or the exceptional level of customer service displayed doesn’t
overly matter. The point is that people are constantly talking about
businesses and the key is to have them talking about yours. This is
where buzz marketing steps in!
To put it simply, buzz marketing
is the advertisement of your business through good old fashioned word
of mouth. How many of your new clients found out about your business
through another client or colleague? If you answered less than fifty
percent, then you’re doing something wrong. Your business, its
products, services and general customer service should be so appealing
that each and every one of your customers wants to talk about it. It
should be on the tip of their tongue whenever "web site" or "carpentry"
or "home wares" comes up. Although this sounds like a dream come true,
it can be a reality.
So, how can we go about implementing such a
unique and abstract marketing strategy? The answer lies in our own
procedures and business processes. If you’re providing an exceptional
product or service, ensure you follow through with outstanding customer
service. Implement customer loyalty programs, referral programs, client
care plans and other strategies to let the customer know they’re
important. Remind them of how thankful you are of their business and
give them something to talk about. It’s amazing how far a little TLC
can go.
Secondly, implement a decent CRM system to manage all of
your interactions with your clientele. It is important that you always
know who you’re talking to and what you last spoke about. Forming
strong long lasting business relationships is definitely one of the
primary keys to success in business. Tie the loyalty/care programs and
other strategies you developed into the CRM and follow through with
everything.
Finally, never forget about a customer and always
keep the customer in the loop. There is nothing worse than leaving a
customer in the dark. Always keep them informed. Even if nothing is
happening, simply give them a quick call or shoot them a short email to
let them know everything is progressing as planned.
At the end
of the day, if you’re providing a good quality product/service with
outstanding customer service, then people are going to want to talk
about you. If someone has a pleasurable experience when dealing with
you, they’ll want to tell their friends and associates about it.
Remember, do it right first time every time, build strong relationships
with each and every one of your clients and never leave them hanging.
If you can do that, then you’ll have a customer for life.