Pugliese on PR: The power of word-of-mouth public relations
By Tina L. Pugliese, APR, Pugliese Public Relations
In an environment that bombards consumers with millions of (often conflicting) messages each day, credibility is suddenly the most valuable currency of all, and the greatest credibility of all comes from a source — word-of-mouth, both online and off — few marketers had previously considered and most had considered dangerous and unpredictable.
How do you start a word-of-mouth marketing PR campaign?
Establish Excellence. First thing is to build an excellent product or service, truly worth talking about and stand-up for every endorsement given.
Appreciation for Referrals. Reward customers and employees for promoting products and services. Create contests, discounts, giveaways, cash, and so forth. Employees and customers appreciate referral rewards.
Get Free Publicity. Inform the media about your special giveaway offerings to your customers. The trick here is to get potential customers to become new customers and receive the exclusive offerings available to customers only.
Communication Follow-Up. The Internet is the hottest engine that every business should have and use. Continually thank customers and employees for loyalty and dedication. Use e-mail campaigns to communicate with customers and employees.
Blog Control. Using a blog in a word-of-mouth marketing PR campaign is a great way to communicate with customers. This allows you to gather feedback and handle important issues. Always be certain to monitor your blog regularly to correct any damage control.
Tina Pugliese's columns on public relations appear in Palm Beach Business.com every other Monday. Her previous column can be found here.
Tina L. Pugliese, APR is an executive coach and counselor for Pugliese Public Relations, a communications firm in Boynton Beach, Florida. Pugliese is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, and is the author of the book, Public Relations for Pharmacists, and e-books, Marketing Your Business for Success, How To Work With The Media, Public Relations Manual — A Guide for Entrepreneurs, and the PR Survival Kit. She can be reached at (561) 889-3575 and by email at Tina@PugliesePR.com. Her web site is www.PugliesePR.com.
Article excerpted from e-book, PR Survival Kit, by Tina L. Pugliese, APR.
