Women Are Your Best Referral Sources!
Chances are very good the women among your residents and potential residents (leads) are your strongest sources of referral and positive word of mouth (WOM). I’ve been reminded of how strong WOM can be among women as I’ve been re-reading two books by Marti Barletta, Marketing to Women and Prime Time Women.
The author asserts that women are more likely than men to ask for opinions from friends, family and others, and also far more likely to recommend products and experiences they like, as well as share them, particularly with other women. She also shares statistics that WOM conversion rates tend to be much higher than other sources of inquiry. Capitalizing on this characteristic and getting more people talking (positively) for us is relatively easy and definitely cost-effective. It’s not about creating a WOM campaign. It’s a way of thinking about marketing communications programs and all the related activities so that we build viralness into everything we do.
Think about it. An email blast or direct mail invitation goes to a certain number of people – leads in the database plus a purchased list. What if 20 percent pass it on to a friend or invite a friend to attend with them? Everything works a bit better. That means the communication piece needs to be something people will want to share. And the message needs to encourage people to bring guests.
How about the simplicity of a ladies brunch? A mother-daughter event is great, but wouldn’t attendance swell if the circle were even bigger? Not everyone has a mother or daughter – the copy can suggest you invite your mother, daughter, sister, aunt, best friend or colleague.
You probably host parties for new residents at your community to get acquainted with others. But do you encourage residents to invite friends who might be interested in the community for themselves or family members?
I know one community that has “block” parties for new residents – everyone in that wing of the building or that cottage cul-de-sac is invited and given a dozen preprinted invitations to send to friends.
These are just a couple of simple ideas and they don’t even enter the realm of social media, which is all about viralness. More on that later.
Women are much easier to get to respond to a study as well.