Word of Mouth Marketing

Word of mouth marketing has been used for centuries. We ask our friends and neighbors what brand they use or what store is the best. Several companies, from their beginnings, relied on word of mouth marketing to generate interest in their products: Avon, Tupperware, and Shaklee. My neighborhood is composed of many military families. Newcomers often ask for advice or request help finding the services they need. In some instances, those of us who have been asked will not only give the name or store or doctor, we will tell why that is our suggestion. We tell a story or give an example. This narrative helps to emphasize why we recommend this store or that doctor. Our experiences are important as they shape our likes and dislikes and recommendations. I was a cheerleader coach for over 20 years. I tried many products, brands, camps, etc. Coaches often asked where I purchased my uniforms, what shoes we liked, or what camp company I used. None of these were a secret, so I offered my opinion when asked. When I teach safety classes, I find that I tell stories to show how a particular risk management procedure works or why it is needed. My narratives serve dual purposes: they answer questions, and they show that cheer coaches have similar challenges. It is always reassuring to know that our problems are not unique; other coaches experience these same situations or setbacks and forge ahead.

These are all examples of what Kozinets, et al. call the organic interconsumer influence model. We have a desire to help, warn, or support others—one consumer to another. These are individual, face to face examples. However, these are limited ways to get a message relayed; I am reaching only one person at a time. With the advent of social media, word of mouth becomes a bit more impersonal as I message, text, tweet, or post information to Facebook, but it has allowed me to reach more people through Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. My company page has followers as well as my Twitter site. I can even link the two, so when I post to the company page on Facebook, it will also post on Twitter. Now I can easily reach more people with the information they are looking for. When I review those people and companies I follow on Twitter, I see a great deal of word of mouth information flowing. A sports’ injury specialist is asked about return to play policies, and he directs the questioner to his website for answers. An event producer tweets updates at his competition. A social media coach sends followers to a discussion about preparation for a crisis. These are quick and timely methods for word of mouth marketing and information.

Blogging is another piece of the social media puzzle that allows me to reach more people. We don’t have to attend a conference or workshop to have access to the thoughts of those we deem knowledgeable, those often called opinion leaders. Now we can subscribe to blogs of those we believe have information we can use. I read a variety of blogs—from household tips to crisis management information. These leaders in their fields utilize their blogs to inform and possibly persuade their readers. Blogs allow us to advise, introduce the newest whatzit, or to get on our soapbox to rant. Blogs also allow our readers to comment. Bloggers can learn as much from their readers as their readers do from them. Some comments turn into huge discussions between readers and bloggers, another method of sharing information. According to an article by Gadzoog, blogs are our persona online. Those who cannot meet us in person get their impressions of us through our blogs. In order to keep reader loyalty, we should maintain our blogs appropriately.

A website that I find useful to connect to opinion leaders is Linkedin^©. The website is promoted as a professional network with millions of members in over 200 countries. It is somewhat like Facebook but with a professional vibe. You can complete a company page and a personal page, join groups with similar interests, and share ideas with other professionals. This is an interesting way to expand your network and engage in word of mouth marketing and learn about trends in your specific industry. If I had been asked by Linkedin^© to promote their site on this blog in exchange for free advertising or an upgraded membership (which I have not), this would be an example of the Linear Marketer Influence Model as discussed by Kozinets, et al. Marketing companies often look for respected and influential opinion leaders who would recommend products or services for some type of compensation. The opinion leaders behave more like friends recommending products to other friends instead of sales people pushing stock.

Influential opinion leaders have often been used to promote products and services. Coach Nick Saban appears in Ford truck commercials when he coached at LSU and at Alabama. Mark Richt, football coach at the University of Georgia, also makes Ford truck commercials. Marketers are looking for influential opinion leaders, and, in the South, winning football coaches fit that description.

We all are opinion leaders for someone. It may be our family, our circle of friends or our coworkers. This is flattering, but it also comes with some responsibility. We need to be honest and sure of our recommendations. If my television satellite company offers me rebates for clients I recommend, I should be frank about that. This is true for our use of social media—our blogs, our tweets, our posts. We represent ourselves and our professions as we engage with others.