There's no better advertising than word-of-mouth.



After all, a customer who calls you following a

personal recommendation from a friend or

colleague is more likely to buy. And that makes

the pursuit of positive word-of-mouth every

entrepreneur's holy grail. The following are

three major word-of-mouth marketing that will

substantially increase your business.

Marketing to influencers: I believe your

community has them. Whether they're into

electronics or fashion, "influencers" are at the

head of every trend. Not only do they know which

restaurant has the "in" chef or where to shop for

the perfect athletic shoe, they're also happy to

tell all their friends and associates about them.

So how do you think can you find influencers and

get them talking about you? Here is what you can

do. Open up dialogue by listening to customers

and welcoming their comments--both positive and

negative--through your website. Then identify the

most active participants and invite them to

become part of an influential group that's first

to gain information on or access to new products

and services.

Winning PR coverage: Information found in

editorial coverage is generally considered more

credible than the messages consumers receive in

advertising. There are dedicated publications as

well as thousands of websites run by journalists

covering every imaginable subject, so it's simply

a matter of identifying the top editors or

journalists who write about what you market.

Tailor your message or stories specifically to

them, then send your press releases or pitch

letters. After which, follow up by phone or e-

mail where appropriate.

Seeding viral marketing: Viral marketing succeeds

when you have a topic that motivates customers to

talk and you give them the means to share that

conversation. Provide an infrastructure, such as

an interactive website dedicated to creating a

strong online community, and facilitate

connections by using a company blog, message

board or forums. You can also give customers

something interesting that they can pass along.

When you put a special offer in an e-mail, for

example, it becomes an easy-to-forward means of

building buzz.

You might also want to consider adding an element

of fun, mystery or excitement--with a built-in

product or brand message--and your word of moth

marketing will surely follow.