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Your best advertising comes from your biggest fans. People trust people like them. So when your customers talk about your stuff, your potential customers listen. But sometimes these fans need a little encouragement to spread the word.

Here are three ways to get your customers to speak for you:

1. Make spreading the word an event
2. Give them an outlet for feedback
3. Ask for their expert advice

1. Make spreading the word an event

Toyota Hybrid test drive.

Photo thanks to Vimeo.

Toyota knows that when someone buys a Hybrid, their friends and families have a lot of questions: Is it fun to drive? Do you actually save money? But to get them to try the car out themselves takes a little more encouragement. So Toyota asked Hybrid owners to participate in a “Try My Hybrid” campaign for a week. Hybrid owners all over Norway volunteered by letting friends and family take their car on a test drive. By making it an event, Toyota gave their fans a great excuse to talk to their friends and family about their car.

2. Give them an outlet for feedback

Cissé Trading Co. comment card.

Photo thanks to Cissé Trading Co.

Companies love to claim that they get their stuff from local farmers or through fair trade. But to prove their support, Cissé Trading Co. lets their customers send feedback directly to the growers themselves. That shows their customers their comments are important while reinforcing their fair-trade message.

3. Ask for their expert advice

GitHub Passion Projects crowd.

Photo thanks to GitHub.

GitHub lets software developers and coders collaborate on projects online. And since a lot of coders are also smart entrepreneurs, they created a series called Passion Projects, where women in tech can give short presentations for other code lovers every month at GitHub’s headquarters. It’s an amazing way to make GitHub users feel important and smart. It’s also a great excuse to get people into their building every month, create a feeling of community, and give a whole room a reason to talk about the company.

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