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Word of Mouth (WOM) is enigmatic – fairly straightforward and simple to understand yet elusive and difficult to engage, spread and sustain.

Here is are a few ideas/elements that make up word of mouth marketing (I’m sure I’m just scratching the surface with this post so please feel free to add thoughts and ideas to the list by posting a comment):

Viral Capacity

• WOM + Social Media + Global Connectivity + Inexpensive Publishing Tools =Viral Capacity

Consumer Empowerment

• Technology has enabled today’s consumers to voice their opinions and experiences about issues, products/services or brands.
• As a business owner, it’s important to understand the power of WOM
• Embracing an empathetic approach during individual interactions and across all marketing touchpoints can ignite WOM
• Think about your brand experiences as a consumer – who would you talk to about your product/service and what would you say?

Positive Interactions

• WOM is fueled by positive interactions across all your touchpoints (the places where stakeholders come in contact with your brand i.e. website, tradeshow, retail store, customer service desk, etc.)
• Macro: Experiences that stem from organizational elements i.e. company policies, quality standards, etc.
• Micro: Experiences that are impacted by individual interactions i.e. the accommodating customer service rep, the friendly deliver driver.
• The type of macro/micro interactions stakeholders have with your product, service or company will have a big impact on whether WOM occurs…and whether it will be positive or negative.

Lead Generation

• Delivering on your brand promises builds loyalty and trust
• Loyalty and trust leads to WOM
• WOM translates into referrals and sales leads
• Referrals from WOM are cool because they include some inherent trust in your brand passed on from influencers

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