Research from American Express has shown the following:
- 9.9 Million Australian use social media each month
- Average of six hours and 52 minutes per mouth
- nearly nine in ten Australian users (86%) are looking for fellow internet users
- online word of mouth is likely to increase
- in terms of blogging, the number of amateur critics is growing
The findings established that people do use word of mouth recommendations, both online and face to face, when making their business decisions. 8 out of 10 people will tell others about good experiences. The biggest group of users are 18-34 year olds.
Online conversations include twitter, facebook, blogging. Other online sources of information include google maps, to find out your location, your services and offerings, so they are well informed before they contact you.
Why am I telling you this?
Because it is important for you to consider when marketing your RTO. If your target market is online, then you need to be online.
Twitter and face offer the most cost effective way to stay in touch with your customers, keep in touch with them before, during and after the transaction.
Use the American Express insights to discover more about your customers habits. Facebook and twitter also allow you to understand your target audience and their habits, use them to research what they want; one solution to understanding client needs.In online environments, everyone is a potential reviewer. jump online and see what other people are saying about your competitors.
Remember word of mouth remains a highly influential marketing tool, whether that be online or face to face.