Word-Of-Mouth In The Digital Age — The Case For Selfie Mode
So there’s this phrase I’ve found myself repeating over the last few months as I’ve had forward-thinking strategic conversations about content.
“What we’re after is content that works like word-of-mouth, but can scale.”
Storytelling in this mess has gotten tricky.
WTF Is “Word-Of-Mouth At Scale?”
To me, this is the most succinct way I can try to explain the overarching revenue-driving content trends across the prevailing content distribution platforms like Meta and TikTok. This is your UGC, your creator content, and all of the crazy, experimental short-form video content that has been overwhelming The Feed of late.
For my cohort of clients—brands on a high-growth trajectory looking to become 8-figure businesses—the phone-shot creative with an engaging personality addressing the real solutions a product solves for a customer’s real problems wins out over nearly all other types of production and content with regularity.
As long as I’ve been in this business, we’ve used the term “storytelling” to try and describe the ineffable thing we’re looking to achieve as marketers. In 2024 however, I believe storytelling needs to cede some mindshare to this new ineffable thing we want to chase, “word-of-mouth at scale.”
The Feed has the user’s trust…leverage that.
More content is consumed on The Feed than anywhere else. The Feed has largely optimized itself away from storytelling in a traditional sense and toward memes and 3-second attention spans. Building new brand mythology is insanely hard on The Feed these days. Creating clever post-it notes that stick on the fridge for 24-hours is less complex. All we have to do is play by the rules and recognize the general Feed user’s tendencies.
To do that, marketers need only lean a little further into what The Feed has become. Most folks are perfectly content to walk into a bar or coffee shop, find the emptiest patch of real estate and plop down with The Feed. Most folks use The Feed as a social pacifier when they’re bored or feeling awkward at a party or dinner.
You know what can’t happen when a customer is in The Feed instead of talking with strangers at the bar…or friends at a party? They don’t get exposed to as much of the purest form of marketing—word of mouth recommendations.
This is where I think the UGC phenomenon came from. General consumers spend so much time with and have placed so much trust in The Feed at this point, that they are willing to act upon the opinion of someone that looks enough like themselves, a trusted acquaintance, a seemingly successful person, or some archetype of a person they aspire to be—even if that opinion is paid for by a brand...
People have gotten advice and product recommendations from other people they deem trustworthy since time immemorial. Now that The Feed has achieved this level of trust, we’ve gone from celebrity/influencer culture, to creator culture, and now to “anyone-who-can-use-selfie-mode-and-talk-about-a-poduct” culture. Add in brand media budgets, and this “word-of-mouth at scale” content is on a rocket ship.
I suppose the question is, is this a good thing? Dunno. But the data clearly shows it’s effective.
I’ll say I’m a fan of much of this UGC phenomenon, especially when I frame it as “word-of-mouth at scale.” This framing forces you to create the digital equivalent of the most powerful form of marketing, not some mindless drivel.
This stuff is cool because it’s relatively cheap to produce since 95% of it is shot with a phone. It’s conversational and treats prospective customers as real people rather than a wayward flock in need of conversion to some gospel of brand. It matches the typical mindset of the user when they are scrolling the feed. The relatable tone complements the distracted escape that the user is looking for in The Feed. And, the impactful text-on-video allows the user to keep the sound off when they’re taking a shit in a public stall. In 2024, The Feed is just not a great place to consume high art or complex brand pieces, so why try and force it?
Most importantly though, I feel like the UGC phenomenon and DTC environment in general has opened up a new way to create differentiation and find customers. Most of my career, differentiation has come from either the spec sheet—”our X is lighter than your X by 30%.” Or it’s achieved by the arduous process of developing a grand concept of brand— “before you buy our X we want you to understand how it will unlock a feeling that’s uniquely Y. Now buy X.”
The new way to differentiate is to create a great product and develop low-cost, relatable content that concisely explains how this product actually solves a prospective customer’s very real problems. Then Find a few superfans to generate powerful social proof and selfie videos. Use META’s ridiculous algorithm to find your audience, and scale the shit out of the best performers.
I’m consistently shocked at what some good “word-of-mouth at scale” content can do to drive revenue. And if the product truly delivers on its promises, the customer is pretty keen to jump on whatever brand bandwagon you’re driving. At this point I feel “Word-of-mouth at scale” is one of the most critical tools of the ultimate brand-building hack that has helped companies like True Classic to go from $0 to 9-figure revenues in 3 years.
So going into 2024, this “word-of-mouth at scale” idea is a cardinal direction as I develop and execute content. My goal is to have as many relatable people telling real (and yes, sometimes paid for) selfie-mode stories about the products I’m working with. We’ll tap customers, influencers, aspiring influencers, creators, and in-house personalities. We want to dive deep into the cottage industry that has sprung up around UGC to fill both our organic and paid channels.
Across clients, I’m laser focused on developing processes that can increase volume and shorten the turnaround time on these assets. We have refined our creative analysis and reporting tools. Yes, we will pursue storytelling content in the traditional sense. There’s always value in developing the “brand.” But it’ll take a back seat to the goal of scaling word-of-mouth marketing through digital channels, because ultimately that’s the stuff that can consistently sell.
What makes good “word-of-mouth at scale” content?
Great question…I’m still testing and exploring it myself but here’s where I’m at:
Lead with a “face,” in full selfie-mode glory. Make sure that face is relatable, credible, and engaging. It’s ok to get creative with the edit after that, but the user should feel like they are having a conversation with the “face.”
Be solutions oriented before anything else. The customer must be crystal clear on how the product will make their lives better enough to take out their wallet. It’s ok to inject features or brand pillars too but only as long as the solution is crystal clear.
Use lots, and lots, and lots of social proof. Mention reviews. Mention star ratings. Mention “thousands of happy customers” etc.
Longer is often better with this format, it’s ok to expand beyond the 15 second and 30 second spot if the content is consistently engaging.
9:16 vertical, animated text-on-video is mandatory. Soft music in the background is a nice touch.
Do the ad library research and don’t be afraid to try stuff.
Further Reading
I am a huge fan of @heyitsalexP and her newsletter No Best Practices. I consider her blog Banish “That’s Not On Brand” For Good essential reading for brands preparing to scale. It also bumps into the concept above a bit.
I recently discovered Levi Lindsey on linkedin. Don’t know a ton about him, but his insight on content is sharp. It was a quick Linkedin interaction on one of his posts that inspired me to write this blog.
Um…i don’t know, follow me on twitter i guess.
