Word of Mouth Marketing for Restaurants

Hmmm..WOM or known as Word Of Mouth is a term that was popularized by an Australian MLM company in the mid 1980. That MLM company refers the method for gaining much more sales by asking their members to describe the benefits of using their products to the potential customers as Word Of Mouth method. Because the nature of WOM Marketing relies on the communication between people whether 1 to 1, 1 to many, or many to 1 then the credibility of a product (good or service) in the mind and heart of potential customers relies on the credibility of the messenger and the media that they used.

Restaurants are places in which people not only looking for foods and drinks but also looking for ambiences, atmospheres, or nuances. The most common program that is used to create BUZZ to potential customers is the restaurant-owner invites friends or colleagues to eat and spend time in his restaurant for free or for some percent of discounts but they must having their cars or motorcycles park in front of his restaurant, because when we try to choose a restaurant we consider that a restaurant with full of visitors shall be a terrific restaurant.

Another method of WOM marketing is viral marketing: marketers use existing social networks such as mailing lists, dating website, friendship website free online game forum or website, blogs, amusement park membership cardholders, or even text messages network to inform customers about a product. Restaurant owner can use this kind of method, but remember that the credibility of person that inform customers through this WOM method is more important than its important in the previous method, so the messenger shall be well known people (not always celebrities). A simple example for the use of viral marketing method for creating positive buzz of a restaurant is: restaurant-owner invites friends or colleagues to eat and spend time in his restaurant for free or for some percent of discounts but they must coming with minimum 2 friend, because owner's friends or colleagues will speak to their friends, families, and etc. positively if they are impressed by restaurant's products or atmospheres and the buzz will spread like pathological viruses or computer viruses. Restaurant-owner can also creates a culinary lovers group in facebook that is dedicated for those who live nearby his restaurant or in the same city as his restaurant's place and send information about events or new foods and drinks. Below are the example of other viral marketing programs.