In almost every industry, referrals are the gold standard of customer acquisition. Research has repeatedly shown that referred leads close faster, buy more, and stay longer — all with significantly less effort and at a much lower CPA than non-referred prospects. A University of Pennsylvania study[1] found that referred customers are more loyal and profitable — by a 16% margin — than their non-referred counterparts.

Among the chill of cold calls and flurry of follow-up emails, nothing quite compares to the warm, fuzzy feeling of solidifying a beneficial customer relationship. It takes time to transform a lovely lead into a lifetime customer, so brands must prioritize great customer relationships.

                    Click for sound                           Many brands are venturing outside of their office and within their network to find early adopters that can take out some of the mass marketing legwork by driving word-of-mouth. For many companies, the ideal marketing campaign is self-sustaining — an organic ripple that migrates throughout target markets and accurately represents your brand.

Where were you the night you discovered Netflix’s most significant show ever, Making a Murderer? Perhaps a friend texted you about a wonderfully weird series that you should start watching right. now. at. this. very. moment. Maybe you encountered a cluster of wide-eyed co-workers gazing at a shared monitor, swapping conspiracy theories. You might have even overheard a group of strangers passionately arguing about misplaced car keys and innocence.

This is an excerpt from our latest e-book, “How To Turn Your Customer Base Into New Revenue.” To download the full version, click here. With word-of-mouth marketing driving billions of dollars in sales every year, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most coveted sources of marketing. And when it comes to consumer relationships with brands, 74% of consumers identify word-of-mouth as a key influencer in their purchasing decision. In fact, the best source of new business is a referral from a ...

With word-of-mouth marketing driving billions of dollars in sales every year, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most coveted sources of marketing. Positive word-of-mouth interactions can exponentially drive sales when leveraged through referral marketing programs. Ambassador partnered with WOMMA, an association dedicated to ethical word-of-mouth and social media marketing, to discuss the future of the industry and how we, as marketers, can look beyond social media.

Coming off the heels of the #WOMMASummit, we’re taking a deeper look at the value of word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) and exactly what it means beyond social media. While increasing brand awareness is a natural outcome of WOMM, when does brand awareness transition to brand preference and revenue?