“The loveliest village on the plains.” If you are an Auburn local there is no doubt you have heard this endearing phrase. Residents of our small friendly town value the strong ties between the community and local businesses. Natives of the city of Auburn hold tight to their values which include respect, integrity, reliability, and professional excellence in the area. As the home of the historic college, Auburn University, and as one of the fastest-growing cities in Alabama, there is no doubt that Auburn is a wonderful place for a business to reside and flourish. As a public service of an advertising agency in Auburn, AL, we understand the value of word-of-mouth marketing in a town such as this. So, you may be curious, what is word of mouth? Word of mouth is a marketing tactic that is used to start natural conversations about a business which leads to recommendations for a product or service. It is generating discussions about your brand, product, or business. In a tight-knit community like the Auburn family, word-of-mouth marketing can be extremely beneficial to a business, if they know the best ways to do it.
1. Developing a brand identity
The first step to generating word of mouth is to develop a brand identity. A brand identity is what the public sees as the values, goals, and overall communication of a business. Essentially, the brand identity is what defines what the business does and why it does it. It provides the first impression of a business. When a brand identity resonates with members of the public, audiences feel more inclined to do business with the company. When establishing an identity, businesses should keep in mind that they are not only advertising products or services, but they are advertising their overall values. When infusing the brand with the business's ideals, individuals who share the same values will in turn value business with the company. In a small town, having a brand identity that people believe in is a great way to develop word of mouth over time. However, in order to establish word-of-mouth marketing it is critical that people are aware of your brand’s identity. This can be done simply through the use of consistent advertising.
2. Generating Brand Awareness
Consistent advertising leads to brand awareness. Fundamentally, the more advertising a business, the more the business is the first one that comes to the target audience's minds when they need a product or service. When it comes to advertising your brand, your brand identity is solidified with the use of consistent advertisements. The public will be fully aware of the business's brand identity without having to do a great deal of research. With this knowledge, the public will have the capability of speaking about the business to their family, friends, and community. Thus, generating word-of-mouth marketing.
3. Being Worth The Conversation
Arguably, one of the most important factors of word-of-mouth marketing is being a company that is worth the conversation. In order for word of mouth to be successful, the conversation on your company must focus on the positives of the company. Successful word-of-mouth marketing highlights topics such as good customer service, open and honest communication with customers, and positive reviews of products and services. Basically, for word of mouth to succeed, the business must be high quality in order for people to want to share their experience.
4. Reputation Management
To be sure that your brand is being reacted to positively, your company can utilize reputation management. Reputation management is the monitoring and management of the public perception of a brand. This includes identifying how the public regards the company. Monitoring reputation can be done by tracking Google reviews, soliciting reviews, and observing social media interactions. Managing reputation is taking action to improve the brand and perceptions as needed consistently. Reputation management is important because it helps a business improve its public image while also building trust with the public. A positive image and the trust of the public are beneficial for the advertising of a company in both small and large towns. These are two key factors in perfecting a successful brand identity by utilizing reputation management that naturally generates word-of-mouth marketing.
How We Can Help
Auburn Advertising is a public service of Inner Spark Creative, your trusted marketing partner and full-service advertising agency in Auburn, Alabama. Inner Spark Creative offers a diverse range of advertising services to local and non-local businesses. Whether you are looking to develop your brand identity, craft your marketing strategy, gain exposure for your small business, or more, Inner Spark Creative is here to help you every step of the way. Contact us today, to learn more about how we can help you increase the conversations on your business in your town.
