In my last blog, I talked about the difference between interruption marketing (pop-ups, junk mail, TV, radio ads, etc.) and recommendation marketing. Though interruption marketing is used by most advertisers, it’s annoying to customers. Recommendation marketing creates the best following because it invites a response, involves consumer interaction, and builds brand loyalty.

People are more likely to try something new if someone else recommends it. That’s why so many videos go viral — people start talking, sharing, and clicking, which builds a following. Inviting can only go so far, you need recommendations through conversation, reviews, and common interest to encourage people to come back for more.

Here are some of the ideas behind recommendation marketing. In my next post, I’ll break it down even more and give a more detailed description of how you can build this strategy into your marketing.

1. Start with positive experience on the personal level

Once I stayed a hotel that had an excellent staff and exceptional service. Before I left, I asked them if they were on Trip Advisor and told them that I would give them a good review when I got home. The point is, they didn’t even have to ask me to recommend them. I wanted to because I had a great experience, and I wanted to share it with others! Apply the same concept to your staffing firm. Focus on providing exceptional service, showing customers they are valuable, and simply being genuine.

2. Be present on review sites

So say you already provide exceptional service that people want to talk about, your next job is provide spaces for people to spread the news. Instead of sending out more invitations, spend your time and resources building a platform that multiplies itself and lets people share about your company. Are you on Yelp, Glass Door, and LinkedIn? Besides Facebook and Twitter, you need to be visible on business social media and review sites.

3. Create community, not customers

More customers may be end goal from a business perspective, but to bring people in through recommendation marketing, the focus shifts to building a community of people who support your company. Think of it like this: customers are the people who go to a restaurant, eat, pay, and leave. Community is the folks who come back week after week, know the owner, have great conversation, and (best of all) bring new people with them. Once you have made space for people to converse with you, build community to make people feel welcome and valued.

How would you categorize your staffing firm’s marketing strategy? Are you the only one talking, or is there buzz around your business? If you’re still using traditional methods for marketing, contact ASJ Partners or give us a call at 610-930-5300. We are passionate about finding the right strategy for your company to help you help your clients. You can read more about marketing strategy in my next post as I dig into the three key factors that fuel consumer recommendations: conversation, interest, and reviews.