Word-of-mouth marketing is the most extravagant marketing strategy. It is hard to count on as its effect is based on the huge investment which cannot be ignored and it is usually a tinypart of the numerous marketing strategies.

–It is easy to talk about word-of-mouth but hard to achieve.

While word-of-mouth always needs endless free trails, the company would spend a lot to earn their reputation. From finding accurate customers to maintaining the relationships, from selling for free to charging a large amount of money, there is a long road for company to go before reaching their expectation.

–Plenty of substitutions make the market much more competitive.

In this highly developed commodity economy era, any resources, goods and services are substitutable. One step backward may result in the loss of customers, as they may find more fashionable and up-to-date substitutes. Accordingly, those who rely on fans to survival, either Apple or sports stars, should carefully balance their allocation on earning word-of-mouth and keeping up with trends.

Unless you provide attractive and addictive products and services, no consumer will be willing to follow you, taking no account of what happens. As a result, any company that use this strategy without knowing completely what it is will end up a failure. Therefore, precise aim and continuous innovation is the precondition for word-of-mouth marketing.

Work Cited
<http://money.163.com/14/0919/10/A6GEMCQM00253G87.html>.., 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. <