Digital Word of Mouth: Understanding Three Online Promotion Techniques Leveraging Influence

Online promotion techniques are plentiful and range from the more technical Search Engine Optimization (SEO), paid display and search ads, and remarketing, among others. In this article, I will hone in on those that employ the power of word of mouth at scale.

Ambassador and Influencer Programs

Contrary to popular belief, influencers don’t need many followers to be considered as such, especially in niche interests.  Florida International University (FIU) is such an example. FIU hosts a student ambassador program called FIU Creators, which aims to build awareness and affinity among current and prospective students. Applicants don’t need a large following but a habit of regularly creating good content. The content produced by the participants highlights life at FIU and the student experience. FIU Creator content has spiked interest among students in the south Florida region and beyond, often with comments expressing interest in applying to FIU and raising the visibility of student events and services.

The risks of influencer programs are the need for genuine interest, a questionable reputation gained by bad actors, and associating your brand with people whose future actions might hurt it.

Affiliate Marketing

TikTok users are all too familiar with the phrase “TikTok made me buy it” this phrase is strongly associated with affiliate marketers. These marketers share a link to the promoted products and receive a commission if a user purchases with their link. For example, a simple search on TikTok of #amazonmusthaves yields videos that collectively have received over 16 billion views as of February 2023.

Influencers are not the only affiliate marketers; large media outlets are often affiliate marketers. For example, in 2016, The New York Times bought the product review site Wirecutter for $30 million and turned it into its affiliate marketing practice. Similarly, CNN and BuzzFeed create popular buying guides, especially around holidays.

Digital Public Relations

When most people think of public relations, they think of press releases, over-manicured CEO statements, events, donations, etc. However, when public relations meets the digital realm, it often overlaps with digital marketing. One of the greatest digital tools for public relations is social listening since it allows organizations to know about conversations that might lift or impact them, consumer sentiment, trending topics, and more.  Tools such as Talkwalker and Netbase scan for keywords in social media posts, comments, websites, podcasts, and blogs. Matching keywords will allow users to monitor their organization, brand, competitors, people, pain points, and other flagged terms. At FIU, a dedicated social media analyst delivers twice daily reports sourced from Talkwalker. We will actively monitor conversations to provide timely responses when needed, alert authorities, and safeguard the university’s reputation.

Leveraging influence has evolved from celebrity sponsorships to micro-influencers, quantifiable conversations, and a more direct connection of brands to consumers. The future looks bright as the lines between marketing and communication continue to blur; only those with a clear understanding of both will be better positioned to win.

Resources

• FIU News – Meet FIU’s newest student social media ambassadors
• Joel Villarini – Pros and Cons of Student Ambassadors
• Captiv8 – Influencer Marketing Trends: Three Trends to Expect in 2023
• Captiv8 – Influencer Outreach Tips: Do’s and Don’ts of Influencer Marketing Recruitment
• Joel Villarini – My Favorite Talkwalker Tools For Brands