Michelle's E-Marketing Blog

Word of mouth is widely regarded as one of the most valuable, and often hardest to do well, forms of marketing. In order to be successful at word of mouth marketing it is important to consider which recommendations are deemed most credible by consumers. Not surprisingly, over the years the human element has remained key in creating trust. As the use of social networks like Facebook increases around the world, this human element can be conveyed through an online medium. The supporting findings below have important implications for marketers. Rather than allocating dollars to radio or TV advertisements, in many situations it may be more effective to create online content which can then be tweeted, posted on a blog, or linked to on Facebook by a consumer. A friend who sees this content is more likely to trust it than if it were presented to them by a business with a motive.

This information shows how lucrative it can be for firms to identify those influential people out there on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. and harness them to spread the relevant buzz. Prompt your fans to talk about your brand ex. “Today we launched _____ product, tell us what you think about it!”. Or offer them discounts and deals that they can then spread the word about.  Ideally you ultimately create customer evangelists who advocate the brand at no cost!

Reference: Who Gives the Most Trusted Recommendations?