Have you tried these 3 ways to help your employees start word of mouth?

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When we think of talkers and influencers, most people imagine bloggers, celebrities, and journalists. And while those folks can be fantastic at spreading word of mouth, there’s another group that most marketers miss — one that has a passion for your mission and knows your stuff inside and out: your employees.

But just like other groups of influencers, they need some help starting conversations too. Here’s how to do it:

1. Let them make their own decisions
2. Let them take the stage
3. Let them teach your customers something

1. Let them make their own decisions

The difference between buzzworthy companies whose employees go above and beyond and those who just do their jobs is trust. For example, Nordstrom’s famous employee handbook has only one rule: “Use your best judgment in all situations.” That kind of trust allows them to give their customers the best experience possible — without asking a manager and without lame excuses. Besides, when’s the last time anyone talked about your employee handbook?

2. Let them take the stage

Your employees’ hobbies are something they love to talk about. So why not give them a place to talk about it and boost your word of mouth in the process? Urban Outfitters encourages their employees’ “Side Projects” by featuring them on their blog. Sometimes they even pick up their ideas for products and sell them in local stores. How much more would your employees start talking about your stuff if you featured them and what they do?

3. Let them teach your customers something

Your employees probably know a lot about your stuff. In fact, some of them might be experts. But that knowledge isn’t just good for selling products, it’s also great for earning fans. How? By letting them teach your customers something. At Hobby Lobby, they have weekly workshops where their employees teach customers different crafts like painting, quilting, or knitting. Their employees show off their expertise and build trust and respect with their customers, and their fans go home with great ideas to share.

Tags: blog, employee, employee referral, expertise, feature employees, internal word of mouth, word of mouth marketing