Click here to download this episode. In a world where social media and online platforms are redefining how companies approach advertising, business author Paul Rand explores one of the oldest strategies in the book: Word of mouth – the 21st Century edition. Word of mouth is still one of the most effective ways to translate marketing into measurable sales. Over 90% of consumers purchase a product or service because of a recommendation by someone they know. And now, ‘someone they know’ could be anyone they’re following online or have simply chanced upon. Becoming ‘Highly Recommended’ in your small business’ field can reap incredible advantages for reputation and sales and it starts with tapping into the interaction between brand and customer. A key resource lies in social media, which can be used to encourage recommendations that can be inexpensively and happily provided and which drive search results. Being aware of the conversations that your customers are having about your products, be they positive or negative, is also a key factor when striving to achieve ‘perfect’ customer responses to your products or services. Social Media for Small Business podcast hosts Suzi Dafnis and Cat Matson interviewed Paul Rand, author of ‘Highly Recommended’, about how to become the frontrunner in your niche in this age of ‘social business’.
Listen to this Social Media for Small Business interview with Paul Rand to learn:
- The importance of becoming recommendable as a small business
- How word of mouth via social media is a powerful online marketing tool
- Which audiences you should be communicating with
- What experiences drive recommendations
- How you can make the most of a negative experience with your brand
- Tapping into recommendations that customers are happy to give
- Which key social media channels we should be focusing on
This post was co-authored by Christina Guo. She is a Media & Communications/Law student at the University of Sydney by day and blogs, draws and photographs by night. She is completing a social media internship at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network.
