1. Advertisement
Advertising should try to motivate people to become opinion leaders or make them imitate them. Incentives include design activities, encouraging users to talk about products or brands, or asking potential buyers to ask users how they feel. Imitating an opinion leader requires finding a well-known opinion leader-such as Koina or carl lewis of running equipment, so that they can recognize a certain brand. Or in a "life segment" advertisement, let an eye-catching opinion leader recommend the product. This advertisement is usually "a conversation overheard by two people, one of whom gives the other advice on choosing a brand."
2. Product quality and customer complaints
Obviously, consumers will talk to other consumers about their experiences with products, stores and services. Therefore, it is absolutely important for marketers to provide products that meet or exceed consumers' expectations. When customers' expectations are not met, enterprises must deal with customers' complaints in a timely and proper manner. Unhappy customers will tell their dissatisfaction to nine other people on average.
3. Market research
Because opinion leaders accept, explain and spread marketing information to others, the focus of market research should be on opinion leaders, rather than "representative" samples in product fields and groups where opinion leaders play an obvious role. Therefore, the product use experiment, the pre-test of advertising copy and the study of media preference should all take individuals who may become opinion leaders as samples. It is the key to success for opinion leaders to get in touch with the marketing mix strategy of enterprises and make a good response. Of course, it may not be wise to use this strategy in product areas or groups where opinion leaders have little influence.
4. Give away product samples
Giving away samples, that is, giving away product samples to potential consumers, is an effective way to motivate people to spread product information. In one study, a group of women were randomly selected and given new instant coffee for free. It was found that within a week, 3 3% of the sample winners talked about this coffee with people outside their families. Marketers should not choose samples at will, but should try their best to distribute products to people who may become opinion leaders. In order to launch its L H series cars-Dodge Insipide, Chrysler Concorde and Eagle Vi s i o n, Chrysler offered a free weekend to 6,000 potential opinion leaders. These people include managers and community leaders, as well as people who often give advice but are not noticed, such as hairdressers. Subsequent market research found that more than 32,000 people have driven or ridden this car, and its oral praise spread more widely.
5. Retail and personal promotion
Retailers or salespeople have thousands of opportunities to use opinion leaders. The clothing store has designed a "Fashion Opinion Committee", which is composed of people who may become fashion style opinion leaders in the target market. Activists and class cadres who use shops for teenagers are also opinion leaders. Restaurant owners can also make special invitations to possible leaders in the target market, or provide coupons, recipes and so on. Retailers or salespeople can encourage existing customers to pass on information to potential new customers. For example, an existing customer takes a friend to see the car, and a car salesman or dealer can wash or refuel his car for free. Real estate agents can provide coupons for two people in luxury restaurants to customers or others who can bring new customers.
6. Identify opinion leaders
Opinion leaders can be identified by sociological techniques or by providing key information and self-designed questionnaires. What about opinion leaders who want to know about a product nationwide? It is not easy to identify opinion leaders because they are very similar to those affected. Opinion leaders use a lot of mass media, especially media related to their own opinions, which provides clues for identifying opinion leaders. For example, Nike speculates that the subscribers of Runner's World may be opinion leaders of products such as walking shoes and running shoes. At the same time, because opinion leaders are gregarious and like to join clubs and societies, Nike can also take members of local running clubs, especially club activists, as opinion leaders. Some product areas have professional opinion leaders. For poultry products, rural extension agencies are generally quite influential; Barbers and stylists can act as opinion leaders of hair care products; Pharmacists are important opinion leaders of many health products; Computer majors naturally become the opinion leaders of other students who plan to buy personal computers.