How to Trigger the “Word of Mouth” Effect
When you see a new product advertised, whether it be for a new shampoo or a new vehicle, the opinions you will value the most when you are deciding whether to give that new product a try or not will be what your friends, family, acquaintances or even perfect strangers who have tried the product have to say about it. You will put a lot more weight on the opinions of others about the value of the product than you would ever dream of putting on what the producer of the product promises in his paid advertising campaigns.
When you see an advertisement on TV that features a well-known personality extolling the virtues of a new product, you think to yourself, “Yeah, riiiiiight! And just how much did you get paid for saying that?” On the other hand, when your best friend says that he or she tried the product and it delivers everything that is promised, you are going to go buy the product. That is the ‘word-of-mouth’ effect.
In the world of Internet marketing, the best and easiest way to achieve the word-of-mouth effect is to simply ask your customers what they think. In order to get responses you may need to offer a free gift in exchange for replies but it will be worth the effort. When you get positive personal use responses about your product, you post them on your website for all the world to see. Enthusiastic personal use testimonials are the best way to achieve the word-of-mouth effect in Internet marketing and if you have to give away a bonus or free gift to get them, so be it.
Enthusiastic personal use testimonials will give you instant credibility on the Internet marketing scene and that, my friend, is priceless.