How to Make Word of Mouth Advertising Work

Word of mouth advertising can be one of the more effective forms of advertising. People trust their friends and relatives, which makes it more likely that they will follow their recommendations. Making this type of advertising work requires understanding what people want and are likely to share with others.

1. Study your target audience. Word of mouth advertising is effective because it meets a particular need. To bring value to your target audience, you must first understand their needs. Get to know their likes, dislikes and what they need to live happier and more productive lives.

2. Make sure that the product or service meets a need. People share things with others when they have felt moved, inspired and fulfilled. It's the same concept as when a person enjoys a movie or a book and cannot wait to tell his or her best friend about it. Word of mouth advertising is more likely to be effective if the product is truly valuable. People will generally not engage in positive advertising for a mediocre product.

3. Create an advertising campaign that captures the essence of the product or service. If a person truly likes a product, he or she will want to share it with others using an advertising tool that is clear and impactful. For example, if advertising a book, the advertising blurb should be concise yet full of the elements that inspired the word of mouth advertiser to become enamored with it.   

4. Make the advertising message easily accessible. To pass on the product recommendation to others, the ad should be quick and easy to send to others. A link to a short advertising video, an attractive business card or a colorful flyer are a few examples. People are more likely to share an ad with others if it can be added to an email, thrown into a purse or tucked into a back pocket.