Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Why Your Business is a B2P Business

It is common for brands and consumers to communicate one-on-one every day. Brands talk to people online and spend money creating inspiring and educational content to grow their following. Users on social media share branded content, helping promote businesses through word of mouth marketing.

This is the world we once categorized as either B2B (Business-to-Business) or B2C (Business-to-Consumer). Where do businesses stand today? Ultimately, all marketing communication is B2P (Business-to-People). It's people that create content and it's a person that will decide to buy your product.

1. People make up your following, your community, and your sales. It sounds simple, but it takes a moment to realize how digital media reveals this in every way. Identify the decision maker at the company and create content with them in mind.
2. People want to be spoken to online as a person. Talk to people in a friendly, personable, and honest tone. Marketers know you need to speak to people online like they are a person right next to you in a room. Copyblogger’s Chris Garret said it best in our recent interview: “Attract, engage, and then convert.” You don’t sell right away.
3. Word of mouth marketing is becoming more and more valuable. According to the most recent Nielsen Social Media Report, one out of every 7 people in the world are on Facebook and nearly 4 in every 5 active Internet users visit social networks and blogs. An estimated 85% of fans of brands will recommend brands to others. People trust recommendations from other people, and are more likely to use your business based off of these recommendations.
4. People are your influencers, your brand ambassadors. Forming relationships with influencers online will create a network of positive referrals that will market your brand effectively. Find your influencers online and connect with them. Build a relationship with your influencers and reward them for helping your business grow.

When creating any marketing strategy, create a persona to represent your target audience. Outline the type of information and content that persona is interested in most. Help solve that persona's problems with your content. Publishing helpful content will attract your target audience.

Always think from the perspective of your audience, the people behind your brand. Whether it's a new feature, a sale, or a blog post, remembering the people you are serving will will help you create great content that relates, spreads, and attracts more followers and ambassadors for your brand.