Great word-of-mouth programs are centered on talkers. These are the people doing the actual word of mouth. The bigger the talker’s network and the more influential he or she is, the more potential there is for spreading your great work.
And while you can have a ton of word-of-mouth success without top bloggers among your fan base, they can offer a lot of help in speeding things up and starting lots of conversations.
At our recent Word of Mouth Supergenius event, Ogilvy PR’s Virginia Miracle shared her tips on how to build your program and work with these talkers:
- Start with you, not your favorite blogger. Miracle says that targeting a specific influencer is not where you start. Instead, start by figuring out what you have and who your customers are — and, most importantly, who influences them.
- Audit your assets. Define what you have to potentially offer influential talkers. Possibilities include sneak peeks at new offerings, a chance to meet your internal heroes, the opportunity to be heard, consulting and recognition among their peers.
- Keep it consistent. Miracle warns that most poorly run programs spike around events based on a short-term marketing calendar. But great programs work off of yearly calendars designed to build strong, consistent relationships with influencers.
If you like this presentation, check out our upcoming Word of Mouth Supergenius event in New York on July 20.