When you think about your marketing strategy, does your stomach knot up at the thought of the costs involved to carry out your plans?

Word of mouth is an incredibly powerful, free or low-cost tool that most business owners realize exists, but fail to nurture because they don’t know how. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to get people talking in order to reign in some new business for yourself without breaking your budget.

Here are some tips to help you get started in launching your own word of mouth campaign:

• Just ask – Don’t be afraid to simply ask your friends or family, in a polite way, if they would mind helping you get the word out about your product or service to those who might be of interest. Many people are happy to oblige, but wouldn’t have thought to do so if you hadn’t mentioned it.
• Join social networks – This is a valuable and important step for local businesses today. Chances are very good that your competition has already begun using Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, or the array of other social networks that are growing in popularity for every age group. It is the perfect opportunity to connect with residents and other entrepreneurs in your community, and the only thing it costs is your time.
• Get testimonials from happy customers – This is another thing that many people are willing to do if asked. Post these on your webpage, or even hang them up in your business for your customers to see.
• Engage your customers in a personal way – When dealing with your clients in person or over the phone, show a personal interest in them during the conversation. Try to identify something you have in common that you can use to form a relational bond. Someone who feels an emotional connection is much more likely to bring you up during their conversations.
• Strive for the best quality and service possible – People can tell which companies go the extra mile to create a great product or make their customers feel special, and will never hesitate to make recommendations about these businesses.

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