Here’s a Look at the Advantages of Word of Mouth Advertising – And How Your Laundry Business Can Best Leverage Them
Way back, long before social media, the internet, television, radio, printing or even “business” itself (at least as we are familiar with it these days), there was just word of mouth to spread information. That was it – plain and simple.
Of course, word of mouth back then certainly had its geographic limitations. However, it was probably extremely effective because it was believable and had a quality of verisimilitude. In other words, it was very likely perceived as being truthful.
And the same rings true today. That’s why testimonials are used so often within the marketing sphere – from satisfied customers to attorneys’ clients to doctors’ patients, and on and on.
If I write an advertisement for my self-service laundry in which I spell out in exact detail just how great my store is, the reader of that ad is well aware that I, as the owner, composed or arranged for the ad and, in many cases, will take it with a grain of salt.
However, if on the other hand, one of my customers voluntarily tells a friend or relative how outstanding my laundry is, that statement is very likely accepted as being truthful due to its source.
The research metrics on word of mouth advertising are impressive indeed. It has been determined that word of mouth influences about 92 percent of all consumers to make a purchase. And, approximately 76 percent of consumers will overtly recommend a company or service they trust to their friends and relatives.
Using well-known public figures as endorsers, spokespeople, or influencers for a product or service also has some merit.
It also has its limitations due to the fact that the recipient of the message understands this individual is paid to say what he or she is saying and may or may not even use the product or service being touted.
You may be interested to know that there is actually an association devoted to word of mouth advertising. You can further investigate the Word of Mouth Marketing Association at www.womma.org.
The organization provides a host of information that can be useful to laundry owners on such subjects as awareness building, influencing Gen Z, using social media, and more. The association even offers webinars on today’s most pressing word of mouth advertising topics.
My favorite program for encouraging positive word of mouth about your business is to offer financial incentives to current customers for referring new customers to your laundry.
It can be as simple as this – give current customers two nicely printed cards, which read: “I like ABC Coin Laundry so much, and I am so excited to tell you about it! So, here’s an opportunity to get $7 off your first visit to do your laundry there. Enjoy!”
Then, when those two cards are redeemed, you reward the influencer with $12 off his or her next visit to your laundry, along with a free beverage and snack.
By the way – and this is a key – I chose the $7 and $12 amounts based on psychological research on the perception of value, which indicates that people are more influenced, intrigued and motivated by uncommon amounts rather than traditional rounded-off amounts like $5 or $10.
The metrics on this program can be quite impressive in terms of attracting and retaining new customers, and the cost of the program is very reasonable.
Of course, this entire program and concept is absolutely based upon the reality (theirs, not yours) that your vended laundry is worth bragging about by your current customers. So, whatever you do, do it so well that when customers see you do it they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.
For example, if you hand out two cards to 50 of your current customers, it is entirely possible they will influence 100 new individuals to visit your laundry, and many of them may become regular customers.
If you pause and take a look around, I’m sure you will notice restaurants, car washes and all sorts of shops and stores in your neighborhood about which people talk to others in glowing terms, because these businesses are truly worthy of praise.
You can create that same positive buzz about your laundry business simply by making it “word of mouth worthy.”
It’s as simple as that.
