It's all about WOM

What is the holy grail of marketing? WOM!

WOM (word of mouth) is the ultimate goal of anyone who wants to grow their business. It’s a simple fact, we as humans trust other humans more than we do advertising and marketing. Even if those people are "strangers" they have more influence over our purchases than any other factor. But how do you get that moving and growing?

Here's a great example. And it's a true one. A local restaurant owner wanted to boost his sales so he set about figuring out who else his customers patronize. He soon discovered that he had some customers who went to beauty salons fairly regularly so he sent gift certificates to local beauty salon owners for 2 free dinners. The owners ate, loved it, talked about it, and as a result the restaurant owners reservation list was completely full all for the price of a couple free meals.

How can you get that same result using social media? Spread the word about your business on Facebook and other sites. Warning: They key is not to advertise. It's to get WOM!