Take My Word For It

Hat-tip to Nicole for sending over recent news from National Jeweler:  More than three quarters of consumers surveyed (78 percent) still put their highest level of trust in what they hear from other consumers, according to a recent global Nielsen Internet survey.

More than 26,000 consumers were surveyed on their attitudes towards 13 different types of advertising and, while word-of-mouth varies from region to region around the globe, it still ranks highest in trust factor.

Things to remember:

1. Word-of-mouth will never go away. You can advertise till the cows come home, but if you’re not delivering something exceptional (product, service, customer experience) and delivering it consistently (as in 100% of the time), you’ll soon hit the customer attraction/retention ceiling.


2. Word-of-mouth is more than just saying “we deliver the best product for the best price, and our customers are important to us.”  Read Roy H. Williams’ memo on word-of-mouth for a real education on what word-of-mouth really is and what it requires from you.


3. Word-of-mouth may be a shape shifter, but will reign no matter what the technology.  The advent of the Internet didn’t kill word-of-mouth; it actually gave it a platform from which to shout.  Making an educated purchase no longer relies on advice from your small world of family and friends – you can now read honest, authentic reviews on products, services and companies from people around the globe. 

Whether it’s planning a vacation, buying a pair of bike shoes, or determining which digital camera is right for you, those anonymous folks who have taken the time to write reviews are important to you as a consumer… and as a business owner.  What are folks saying about you online?  Having an excellent word-of-mouth quotient can mean the difference between ordinary revenue and extraordinary profit.

Comments

[Mary Schmidt]

Dang, Michele,

I was writing a post about WOM - and up pops yours. I hate it when you beat my brain to the punch.

Seriously, anyone in marketing should print out your three points and keep them on the wall.

[vsalvia]

Hi Michelle, I've been reading your blog for a while now and thought it was time I let you know how much I enjoy your point of view. My employer recently started a blog that I administer and I very much enjoy reading blogs by other women who are keeping up with what's going on in marketing. I recently posted about the importance of managing your online reputation and provided info about a few good free resources on the MightyMerchant eCommerce Blog. Thanks for being an inspiration!

[Eliezer Gonzalez]

Hi Michelle - I've pointed my own readers to your great little post.

The points you make are succinct and powerful.

I agree with you that while the technology changes, that word of mouth reigns supreme, however it also creates new challenges... just look at the challenge of managing word of mouth in a globalised online environment!

[Aurelius Tjin]

Well, word-of-mouth is a real favorite and most effective of all forms of advertising. It's has a persuasive effect to the extent of convincing a buyer to buy or take action because a friend or someone he knew used it.

The tried and tested element is therefore hard to beat!

[Chuck McKay]

Hi, Michele:

The terms "word-of-mouth" and "advertising" all too often are slung about in the same breath. (Probably because of the old bromide, "Word-of-mouth is my best advertising.") But they're not the same thing, and shouldn't be confused as such.

Any business can control its advertising by dictating what the ad will say. The only way to control word-of-mouth is to actually deliver a better customer experience.

I frequently substitute the term "professional reputation" for w-o-m when I'm discussing the difference with business people. The use of "reputation" helps them to understand that their reputations aren't advertising, and that they truly do have control over what's being said about them.

[jen_chan, writer SureFireWealth.com]

Word-of-mouth is really a powerful advertising tool. Well, compared to the bright, shiny and complex ads being put out by some agencies. It's amazing that people never really think about it consciously but it happens. Perhaps the only time when word-of-mouth will fade is when we no longer have mouths to speak with. Oh, wait. Word-of-mouth will still exist. We'll just give it a different name!

[Bill Bailey]

I agree that word of mouth is a very important marketing tool which can't be overlooked. However there are other tools which can be used, in particular I'm currently using the advice of Tim-Warren.com which i'm finding wonderful

[Dinu2008D]

Has anyone out there heard about WideCircles.com. It seems like a way better service then wasting money on PPC. Apparently they are using refering websites ( forums, blogs, wiki, etc. ) and have a viral word of mouth distributed approach to it. My friend told me he got around 100 visits from single post which cost him $0.40c. I am going to give them a try today . In case you are intrested here is it. http://widecircles.com?s=imt1

[John W Parr]

Hi Michelle - what a gr8 your great little post.

two very good points made by you

technology changfe is still very much dependent on word of mouth publicity

regards
John W Parr
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Put The Message Where It Matters! WideCircles aka Wide Circles represents relevant, distributed, highly targeted and efficient internet word of mouth marketing using entertaining or informative messages that are designed to be passed along in an exponential fashion using social network mediums such as blogs, forums, wikis and so on. http://widecircles.com

[prime816]

hello Michelle, I am surfing into the net when i came across into your site, and i read about your blogs.
Your point of view is quiet interesting so i was tempted to post a comment here.
I am also interested in marketing, not just marketing but marketing through blogs and comments.
I am looking forward to know more about this site and I hope to comment more on the different topics posted here.

Prime

Put The Message Where It Matters! WideCircles aka Wide Circles represents relevant, distributed, highly targeted and efficient internet word of mouth marketing using entertaining or informative messages that are designed to be passed along in an exponential fashion using social network mediums such as blogs, forums, wikis and so on.
http://widecircles.com

[Thushara]

I've been reading your blog for a while now and thought it was time I let you know how much I enjoy your point of view.
.........
Thushara
Social Media Marketing