WISP Word of Mouth Marketing gets you paid. (Helena Lopes, photo, Unsplash)

92% of people believe what family and friends tell them over any other form of marketing.*

With these numbers, every business person should use Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM). As a WISP, you’ve probably used some form of WOMM in the past. Not only is it effective when people who do business with you and know you promote your services, but it costs little to nothing.

There is a downside — it’s tough to control. After all, you can’t tell your best subscribers to talk about you — or, can you? In short, there are ways to support a WOMM program to your advantage.

Here are four simple, effective ways to use WOMM to boost your subscribership:

Establish referral partners to elevate both your businesses. (John Schnobrich, photo, Unsplash)

Referral Partners

No matter how remote your WISP, there are services that your subscribers use in your county or town. Partnering with an organization that complements your WISP helps both businesses.  If your focus is MDUs, partnering with a property management company to cross-promote each business on advertising materials, websites or through WOMM referrals is ideal.

In addition to new referrals, your WISP’s reputation is elevated when you partner with an organization that has a very good standing in your community.

Subscriber Referral Program

Don’t have a customer referral program? Why not? It doesn’t cost much and it encourages your subscribers to become active promoters of your WISP with their friends and family.

Here’s an example: give a $50 credit for each new, referred subscriber that sticks around for four months. This easy formula ensures that you get enough value from the new subscriber to pay for the program.

Reciprocity drives subscribers to do something nice for you. (Dane Deaner, Photo from Unsplash)

Ask for a Review

Great business reviews from consumers are gold. When they appear on independent sites, like Yelp, your WISP’s Facebook page or on your website they sway prospects to do business with you.

So, how do you get subscribers to post a review? Just ask.

Dr. Robert Cialdiini, the author of the well-known sales resource, Influence, says a key factor in persuasion is just asking people. For you, the principle of “Reciprocity” is at play. If your subscribers like doing business with you and you ask them to post a review on Facebook, they feel good doing something nice for you.

Employee Referral Program

Sure, why not? If employees like working with your WISP, they should refer you. Why wouldn’t friends and family members of employees want to support a business that contributes to the well-being of their loved one and the community:

Apply a similar formula as the subscriber program — offer a reward that’s affordable to you, but motivates employees to talk about your incredible services.

If adding to your subscribership is a top priority, trying different strategies is imperative because as mentioned above, WOMM can’t be controlled. If you want new marketing ideas, the Visp Success Blog is a resource that supports you in igniting ideas that get you paid.

* Consumer Trust in Online, Social and Mobile Advertising Grows, Nielsen Insights, online report: https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2012/consumer-trust-in-online-social-and-mobile-advertising-grows.html