Talk Triggers

Few things are more likely to convince consumers to buy something than a friend’s recommendation. That’s something companies understand, which is why they hire celebrity “influencers” to promote their brand. But what if there was some way to spread the word about your business without having to shell out for reality TV personalities?

Well, there is. It’s called word-of-mouth advertising, and it has the potential to replace old-school marketing techniques. Take the Cheesecake Factory. The restaurant chain’s yearly advertising bill comes in at a stunning $268 million less than its competitor Darden Restaurants, the company behind Olive Garden. In total, it spends just 0.2 percent of its revenue on advertising. Not bad for a multibillion-dollar enterprise! So, what’s the secret?

Two words: talk triggers. The Cheesecake Factory has created a reason for customers to effectively advertise its product to each other for free. That is, its eye-catchingly enormous menus. These are 5,940 words long and feature 85 chicken dishes alone! This sets the company apart from the competition and sticks in the mind of anyone who comes to the restaurant for dinner.

Talk triggers are all about sparking conversation between customers and potential customers. Adding a feature to your product or service that gets people talking and allows them to tell a story about their experience is a great way of boosting your chances of being mentioned or recommended.

In the following blinks, we’ll take a closer look at specific talk triggers that helped increase businesses’ public profile, mentions on social media, personal referrals and turnover. As we’ll discover, word-of-mouth recommendations are so effective because they’re regarded as more credible than advertising. In an age of greater suspicion and savviness, that’s critical.

Let’s find out how you can start crafting unique talk triggers for your company!