One of the biggest problems I have running marketing here at tippclassical.com is trying to figure out efficient ways to let people know how great audiobooks actually are.
We’ve done qualitative research and conducted a survey that gives us overwhelming evidence that word of mouth is critical. There’s simply nothing as effective as getting a book from a friend and being told to listen to it.
But audiobooks aren’t inherently viral – unlike cellphones and bottled water, they are not consumed in public.
Another big non-visible product, 70% of Netflix customers come from word of mouth referrals (their statistic).
About 15% of ours come from word of mouth. This sort of mirrors the overall market penetration of DVD movies and audiobooks, so it’s not terribly surprising. But it’s clear that audiobooks could do with a lot more show and tell.
We’re starting a beta program internally to promote word of mouth, and it’s not a simple extension of our current referral program. We’ll see how it goes and I’ll report on it later in this blog.
Any suggestions people might have on plans of action on this front (alerting people) would be MUCH appreciated. More people should listen to audiobooks. They’re ridiculously great!
How did you first get started on audiobooks?…