Think back to the last time you had an amazing meal or visited a local business and you just had to tell your friends. Have you ever had a memorable experience (good or bad) and then immediately tweeted or posted about it? Did you leave a Google review? These examples are called word of mouth marketing (WOMM). WOMM is an organic and powerful way of spreading information about your golf car business. Although it can use components of viral marketing, WOMM is more organic.
Can WOMM Be Intentional?
When we think of word of mouth marketing, we think about something that happens naturally. Maybe we feel that the only way to control this marketing tool in our own golf car business is to provide an excellent experience every time someone walks in our door or finds us online. This, of course, should be our number one goal, but there are other ways to stimulate WOMM that are more intentional.
Since it’s a free form of marketing, we should be thinking about ways that we can trigger the natural sharing of our golf car business as part of our larger marketing strategies.
Did You Know?
- 74% of consumers say that word of mouth marketing is a top influencer in their purchasing decisions.
- 92% of consumers believe the recommendations of friends and family over advertising efforts.
- Only 33% of business actively seek reviews.
How Can You Encourage WOMM
For Your Golf Car Business?
WOMM is all about creating a buzz and instilling trust. Here are some ways that you can create a buzz for your golf car business and get prospective customers to trust you.
- Encourage or incentivize reviews.
Online reviews are the best and easiest way to light the spark for WOMM. Consider having a sign on the counter in your golf car shop reminding customers to leave a review.
- Share reviews on social media.
Once you have a handful of excellent reviews, begin sharing on social media. Create a post that says, “Thanks to Mrs. Meyer for trusting us with her golf car. Here is what she has to say about XYZ Golf Car Shop.”
- Highlight your business’ best features and differentiators.
Creating a buzz should be simple for golf car businesses. Everyone loves golf cars. Host a golf car show or contest. There are countless ways to create a buzz in this industry.
- Create a trigger to encourage sharing.
Sometimes the trigger can be as simple as asking your social media following to like and share.
- Lead with value.
Advertising your business isn’t just about making sales. Add value through content, being helpful in your community, etc. Being known as the business who adds value to a community is worth its weight in gold.
- Inspire emotion.
When we see commercials with a soldier coming home or an animal being rescued, we all tear up a bit. Inspire emotion helps your brand become memorable. Do memorable stuff that inspires emotional and people will talk about it.
If you want more ideas about all the dirt on WOMM check out https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/word-of-mouth-marketing/. They publish a ton of information and some pretty interesting word of mouth promotion techniques that can easily be applied to your golf car business.
About the Author: The Founder/Former Owner of WHEELZ Custom Carts & Accessories, Julie Starr, was one of the industry’s first online retailers of golf car products. The eCommerce store, www.WHEELZLLC.com, has served golf car owners since 2008 and remains a popular online shopping experience for golf car owners who want to take their golf cars to the next level.
