{"id":549,"date":"2019-10-09T17:13:54","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T14:13:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chatra.io\/blog\/?p=549"},"modified":"2019-10-09T17:14:08","modified_gmt":"2019-10-09T14:14:08","slug":"top-10-innovative-ways-to-increase-word-of-mouth-for-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chatra.com\/blog\/top-10-innovative-ways-to-increase-word-of-mouth-for-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Innovative Ways to Increase Word-Of-Mouth For Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a guest post from\u00a0Jessica Huhn.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why should your brand strive to generate word-of-mouth? The answer is simple—people trust what their friends, family and peers have to say about your brand more than they trust ads and other messages that come straight from your company. So, they\u2019re much more inclined to listen to word-of-mouth. Word-of-mouth recommendations easily convince these friends to become your new customers, because their peers trust their word<\/span><\/p>\n

Word-of-mouth happens organically, whenever your customers positively share your brand with friends and colleagues (online or offline). But the organic nature of word-of-mouth can make it hard to predict or control. Fortunately, there are plenty of methods your brand can use to motivate customers to talk about you. We\u2019ve rounded up the top 10 innovative ways to increase word-of-mouth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Creating an Innovative Product or Service<\/span><\/h2>\n

Usually, you\u2019re striving to stand out from the competition, and striving to get people talking about your product more than your competitors\u2019 offerings. But if you really want to get people talking, create a product or service that\u2019s so innovative, it <\/span>has no direct competition <\/span><\/i>(or very little competition). If your brand can identify a need and expertly solve it through a product or service, you\u2019ve got a head start in driving word-of-mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take a page out of <\/span>Under Armour\u2019s<\/span><\/a> book. The brand\u2019s founder, Kevin Plank, had played football in high school and college, so he knew that typical cotton shirts (the only available option at the time) would become heavy and sweat-drenched after an intense practice or game.\u00a0 He decided to create athletic shirts from a new microfiber blend, formulated to wick moisture, keep athletes dry, and feel light even after hours of sweating. Once he gave the first samples to some of his friends (who happened to be collegiate and pro football players), they couldn\u2019t help but share the new product. Thanks to these friends, Under Armour quickly landed outfitting deals with notable college and pro football teams, and thus caused the word to travel even faster!<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, athletes of all levels and sports, their families, and their friends are still talking about Under Armour—now one of the biggest powerhouses in the athletic apparel game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Delivering Above-And-Beyond Customer Service Surprises<\/span><\/h2>\n

Your customers will only talk positively about you if you have <\/span>stellar customer service<\/span><\/a>. They remember their experience with you, above all.\u00a0 But they\u2019ll talk about you even more if that customer service comes in the form of little surprises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Zappos<\/span><\/a> is a master at this. As their CEO, Tony Hsieh, puts it, they\u2019re \u201ca customer service company that just happens to sell shoes.\u201d Zappos surprises loyal customers with free shipping upgrades, and makes their return process as painless as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some other surprises you can use to delight your customers and get them talking:<\/span><\/p>\n