The best forms of advertising are actually free, but hard to get. Word of mouth is arguably the most effective type of advertising: recommendations from friends, fun experiences with a product, blog reviews – they all work. But how can you get people talking about your business and your brand? Here are five ways to start the conversation.1. Be Where They AreTo get customers talking about you, they need to see you and find out who you are. If they don't come to you, you better go to them. Visit Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Use popular social media platforms to reach your audience in their natural habitat. Make your presence known, but don't be bossy: use social media to listen to your customers, rather than talk to them. It's of course important to post news and updates to give your fans something to talk about, but try to make the majority of your posts consumer responses. There's another place you can guarantee your customers: their smartphones. Make your business mobile by creating an app. With a high-quality app, your customers are more likely to connect with your business daily, directly from a portable device. Your business can literally be in your customer's pocket. Going mobile brings you closer to your consumer base, every step of the way.2. Providing a Sense of Belonging People like to belong to something, whether it's a culture, a movement, a club, or an ideology. Brands that can provide belonging get people talking. For example, Nike gear gives customers access to the sports crowd, people who enjoy physical activity and competition. Just go online and you too can be part of a community sharing their latest running journey and...... middle of paper......punch line. The shock and awe factor of advertising is real and it makes your brand conversational. It's much easier to bring up cute dogs or dangerous exploits in friendly conversation than to casually mention the latest advances in computer chips. Take E-Trade, an online stockbroking company. Consumers may not even know what e-commerce is, but you can be sure they can all discuss ads with talking babies. These ridiculous talking babies prove that funny (and even pointless) commercials work. It's worth it to entertain your audience. When your brand is accessible, unique and creates a community of customers, people talk about it. Make your brand easy to bring up in normal conversation, and it will be. Never underestimate the power of your consumers because they can become the best advertising you will ever have to pay for.