Effective Word Of Mouth Tactics – Part VII

In my post of two weeks ago, I listed “40 Ways To Harness The Power Of Word Of Mouth.”

See how many you can spot in this real-life example…

A few weeks ago, I received an invitation from a marketing company saying “Our team has researched and identified you as a key voice in the Chicago community…and we would be honored to have you as our guest…for the 2014 Acura RLX Driven By Passion Tour which wraps up in Chicago with Mayfest and the special VIP Event at Mastro’s Steakhouse.”

My beautiful wife and I enjoy attending various summer festivals in Chicago, and I always enjoy meeting and mingling with other “key voices” in the Chicago community, so I accepted the invitation to attend the event.

We received first-class treatment from the moment we arrived, through our test drive and the gourmet hors d’oeuvres and wine in the reception afterwards. In return, the invitation explained, “All we ask is that you share your honest experience/information on the event with your followers and friends via social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blog, etc.).” Finally, they asked for “transparency and disclosure” by directing me to include “#sponsored” in all of my messages (as I have now dutifully done here).

I did, in fact, post on Twitter and Facebook that I enjoyed my experience and was quite impressed with the Acura RLX itself, and I also shared those feelings with others during the reception at the event. (And now I’ve just expressed my positive thoughts on this blog.)

Okay. So which of my “40 Ways To Harness The Power Of Word Of Mouth” did you spot, and how were they used?

And now, on to Part VII of our current series, “Effective Word Of Mouth Tactics”…

Last week, I shared with you the Five Stages In The Decision-Making Process that your customers, clients or patients go through.

This week, we’ll examine the characteristics of the Five Different Types Of Consumers, to help you figure out which tactics you should use in each stage of the decision-making process for maximum results.

1. The Innovator

• Wants to stand out from the crowd
• Knows what’s hot and trendy
• Likes “strange” or “weird” new products
• Wants to be the first to try, and will talk about it enthusiastically

2. Early Adopter

• Driven by excellence
• More concerned with possibilities than realities
• Always looking to be a leader
• Always looking for a new vision

3. Middle Majority

• Wants to be perceived as competent
• Concerned about practicality and easy comparisons
• Needs an easy way out if not satisfied
• Wants products that meet “the industry standard”

4. Late Majority

• Generally skeptical and wants to know the risks upfront
• Likes to shop around for the best deal
• Needs a support system
• Wants “what everyone else has”

5. Laggard

• Needs it to be completely safe and traditional
• Needs reassurance that nothing will go wrong
• Won’t try new things unless it’s the last resort
• Will search for loopholes and problems
• Wants to use it in “the standard industry way”

As you can see, each type of consumer wants something different, depending on their personality type. The key to generating successful Word Of Mouth for you and your business is to target and cater to each type of consumer.

In next week’s post, I’ll talk about how Word Of Mouth messages are delivered and what you can do to help facilitate this crucial component of the process.