Word of Mouth Marketing - A Strategy

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Wikipedia defines Word of Mouth (WOM) marketing as "a term used to describe activities that companies undertake to generate favorable word of mouth publicity." People are inclined to believe word of mouth promotion because the source is preceived as credible and likely someone you know.

WOM is highly valued by marketers and it has become a managed marketing strategy with significant budgets. Successful word of mouth campaigns create buzz and there are dozens of techniques being used to engage target audiences.

Here are a few WOM articles and research reports for those interested (follow the links for detailed information):

Harris Interactive Inc.
Harris Interactive Inc. analyzed the effect of word-of-mouth communication and found that it strongly influences those making purchasing decisions. The survey shows that word-of-mouth - from friends, family members, colleagues and others - carries more weight than corporate advertising and public relations.

Survey Respondents

• 85% word-of-mouth communication is credible


• 84% opinions of company employees believable


• 75% rated media stories as credible


• 70% ads and PR credible

Only personal experience scored higher than word-of-mouth.

Yale School of Management Article
Recruiting Less-Loyal Customers for Word-of-Mouth Campaigns May Be Most Effective According to Study by Dina Mayzlin, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Yale

Word of Mouth Marketing Association
WOMMA Website

imedia connection
WOM Tactics: Blogs are Upside Down, January 09, 2006, by Andy Sernovitz. The WOMMA CEO gives you a five step program for earning a good reputation with bloggers.

Word-of-Mouth Communication Study
Blog: Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University and an Advisory Board Member for the Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA)

Dr. Walter Carl, Northeastern Univ.
Download this Article: To Tell Or Not To Tell? Assessing the Practical Benefits of Disclosure for Word-of-Mouth Marketing Agents and Their Conversational Partners

Greg Magnus, CEO
www.eoecho.com is a hands on, results driven marketing and management consulting firm. We frequently advise and assist small and mid- size business owners with the development and implementation of marketing strategies using word of mouth promotions.
www.eoecho.com - marketing, publishing, consulting - Strategic minds with knowledge, will travel.