Word of mouth: 10 reasons why people will talk about your business!

People love to talk, you just need to give them a reason and make it easy for them to spread the word.

Word of mouth

If you want to develop word of mouth publicity or referrals, it helps if you understand a little about what motivates people to share information about you and your business.  Here are 10 reasons I have been thinking about today.  You can add yours to this list using the comments section below.

People spread the word about you because:

1. Something you did or said was remarkable.
2. By sharing a nugget of information from you, they get to look well-informed.
3. They are bored and you have made it easy to spread the word; relieving their boredom for a few moments.
4. It’s a good way to gain your attention, particularly if they do it online and mention you by name.
5. They trust and value what you have to say and feel compelled to share the wisdom.
6. By spreading the word about you, it may motivate you to spread the word about them.  This is known as reciprocity.
7. They want their name to be associated publicly with you or your brand.
8. You made a controversial point, which they were not brave enough to make.  By spreading what you said, they get to make the point, without attracting the flack.
9. You have been spreading the word about them for some time and they now feel obligated to reciprocate. (See number 6.)
10. Something you just wrote or said will be of genuine value to someone they care about, who needs that help right now.  (This post is a great example.)