Let’s start with this: peer to peer marketing isn’t new. In fact, it’s ancient and probably goes back to the time when cavemen recommended saber-tooth tiger attack insurance to their neighbors.
And closer to our era, celebrity endorsements are also a form of peer to peer marketing, with companies seeking to associate their brand with a personality – and ultimately drive sales.
However, what IS new about peer to peer marketing, is the shift towards actively involving everyday clients – not A-list celebrities – in a business’s overall marketing program. Why? Because it’s highly affordable and very effective. That’s the good part.
The not-so-good part is that some businesses, despite their best efforts, are doing peer to peer marketing wrong. That is, they’re approaching it in the same way they ask for testimonials – i.e. passively and in a one-off or ad hoc manner.
However, as noted above, peer to peer marketing is about ACTIVELY involving customers and, essentially, making them part of the brand; not in a manipulative or co-opt fashion, but in a transparent and mutually beneficial way.
With this in mind, here are 4 tips for running a successful peer to peer marketing program:
Create an exclusive online community where customers can engage and interact. This community can function like a virtual focus group, and generate valuable insight on everything from product development to customer service, and so on.
Associate brand messages with social causes, such as eco-awareness, healthy living, supporting communities and neighbors, and so on. Make customers feel that they’re endorsing a vision with their purchase – not just buying a product or service. Obviously, businesses that move in this direction must ensure that their effort is authentic and genuine, or else it will backfire and blow up.
Inspire employees into becoming brand ambassadors by giving them tools and incentives to talk about their organization and its values. Note that this isn’t about selling anything – it’s about proud employees expressing their pride, and that’s what makes it so effective.
Create relevant, impressive and shareable assets (e.g. articles, ebooks, infographics, videos, etc.) that your customers can distribute to their professional and/or personal network. Everyone wants to be a “thought leader”, and businesses position their customers to enjoy this coveted role when they supply them with useful content.
Learn More
At Leap Clixx, we work with our customers to help them build peer to peer marketing programs that are appropriate for their industry, marketplace and customer types (buyer personas). The result is increased credibility, awareness and mindshare – which translates into more customers, sales and profits.
To learn more, contact us today. Your consultation is free.
For more information about Inbound Marketing and how it can be used successfully for your business, download our FREE eBook today:
Topics: Inbound Marketing
