See something. Say something.

On a recent trip overseas, I was reminded of a phenomenon that commonly occurs among fellow travelers. The need to share experiences, ideas or recommendations with perfect strangers.

The couple sitting across from you on the train recommends a hike they went on. The women at the hotel breakfast tell you about a fabulous restaurant they ate at the night before.  The guy in front of you in line starts talking about a little village just a short train ride away with spectacular views. And for whatever reason, you trust them! And you simply HAVE to try it, see it, do it for yourself.

It gave me pause to think how easy it would be to conduct marketing in a world where people would do the work for you. In fact, with today’s easy access to social media, it’s easier than you might imagine.

It goes without saying that people are more inclined to trust friends or family over consumer advertising outlets. The key is to make sure you give them a platform to communicate. One way is to allow – or even incentivize – users to generate content on your sites by posting photos or videos. Creating a user page or unique hashtag is an easy way to allow consumers to share.

And of course, everyone loves a good ratings system. Allowing users to rate and discuss your product on your web or social media sites can get good conversations started.

So, don’t wait until your next vacation to start spreading the word about things you love. Get in on the action by connecting to your brands or consumers today. For some good examples, check out Sephora’s gallery or prolific rating and review generators such as TripAdvisor, Amazon or Yelp.