“Blogs are wonderful for helping small companies build a national footprint,” said Steve Rubel, New York City-based author of the Micro Persuasion blog and a senior vice president with marketing public relations firm Edelman.

It is an excellent article on blogging. It's rather long, but comprehensive. Thank our friends at Duct-Tape Marketing for pointing it out to us.

I certainly would never tell a CEO, "B.J., I just put a big chunk of our budget into word-of-mouth." If you did, all I would say is "good luck."

Yes, Trout is right when he states WOM isn't new, but who believes it is? Adopting "WOM" nomenclature is relatively new, the concept of using electronic as well as offline communication strategies to get people talking about your company or ideas isn't. Measureable results from WOM campaigns are readily available and campaigns can be controlled to a certain extent if your communications are concise, clear, honest and your marketing department knows what they are doing. Trout's recent article at Forbes.com includes several good points, but his conclusions are behind the curve. When implemented and measured properly, WOM is an effective, yet sensible, non-traditional marketing strategy in today's rapidly changing world. Everyone now has a "printing press" and there's no need to worry about a shortage of ink. TAGS: WOM, social networking, word of mouth, Forbes, eoecho

WOM is highly valued by marketers and it has become a managed marketing strategy with significant budgets. Successful word of mouth campaigns create buzz and there are dozens of techniques being used to engage target audiences.

The following WOM articles and research reports discuss the concept and provide background information for those interested:

Harris Interactive Inc.
Harris Interactive Inc. analyzed the effect of word-of-mouth communication and found that it strongly influences those making purchasing decisions. The survey shows that word-of-mouth – from friends, family members, colleagues and others – carries more weight than corporate advertising and public relations.

Survey Respondents

• 85% word-of-mouth communication is credible
• 84% opinions of company employees believable
• 75% rated media stories as credible
• 70% ads and PR credible

Only personal experience scored higher than word-of-mouth.

Yale School of Management Article
Recruiting Less-Loyal Customers for Word-of-Mouth Campaigns May Be Most Effective According to Study by Dina Mayzlin, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Yale

Word of Mouth Marketing Association
WOMMA Website

imedia connection
WOM Tactics: Blogs are Upside Down, January 09, 2006, by Andy Sernovitz. The WOMMA CEO gives you a five step program for earning a good reputation with bloggers.

Word-of-Mouth Communication Study
Blog: Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University and an Advisory Board Member for the Word-of-Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA)

Dr. Walter Carl, Northeastern Univ.
Download this Article: To Tell Or Not To Tell? Assessing the Practical Benefits of Disclosure for Word-of-Mouth Marketing Agents and Their Conversational Partners

Greg Magnus, CEO
www.eoecho.com is a hands on, results driven marketing and management consulting firm. We frequently advise and assist small and mid- size business owners with the development and implementation of marketing strategies using word of mouth promotions.
www.eoecho.com – marketing, publishing, consulting – Strategic minds with knowledge, will travel.

TAGS: WOM, social networking, word of mouth, eoecho

Although no money was spent on print or television advertising, more than 300 people attended a very successful event. If you would like more inforamtion on effective and economical WOM campaigns, please contact eoecho at your convenience. We’ll be glad to help you plan and implement a WOM campaign.

RICHMOND, VA; Endorphin Fitness – Endorphin Fitness to Help Raise Money For Citizens Against Crime – Youth Programs

Endorphin Fitness – Richmond’s endurance athlete source for customized training, the latest technology, and nationally ranked coaches – is raising money for youth programs sponsored by Citizens Against Crime. Endorphin Fitness is collecting donations at the Grand Opening of its state-of-the-art Endurance Center on Saturday, February 25, 2006. The first Championship Indoor CompuTrainer Cycling Races in our region take place during the event.

“We are excited to be involved with Citizens Against Crime and their youth programs,” said Michael Harlow, a nationally ranked triathlete and owner of Endorphin Fitness. “Engaging at-risk youth in recreational activities helps them develop leadership skills and deters their involvement in crime.”

The money raised during the event will be used to purchase BMX bikes, which are slated for at-risk youth programs backed by Citizens Against Crime. “New BMX bikes will be a great addition to our camp program,” said Rick Tatnall, Executive Director for Citizens Against Crime. “Offering at-risk youth an opportunity to add to their life experiences at camp expands the foundation for their hopes, dreams and aspirations.”

During the Grand Opening of Endorphin Fitness, the first Championship Indoor Cycling Races in our region will take place on CompuTrainers. Professional athletes who used this training technology won thirteen of the qualifying races for the 2005 Ironman World Championship.

The riders with the best qualifying times are competing in the main event, which consists of three finals: Youth 10K Race, Adult Men 20K Race, and Adult Women 20K Race.
For starting times and a full schedule of events, please visit www.endorphinfitness.com or call 804-741-1599 for more information.

Mercedes-Benz International provides FREE music downloads. Their latest release, Mixed Tape 10, is now available for download. They provide a wide variety of music from around the world.

For example, you get “Flashback,” a track from Fat Freddy’s Drop – a soul/reggae band from New Zealand. You also get tracks such as “All The Things” from the band Rotari Klub (based in Frankfurt, Germany).

This is a very effective component of WOM marketing, “give them something to talk about.”

TAGS: WOM, social networking, word of mouth, Mercedes-Benz, eoecho

When you encounter an especially good WOM tid-bit, post your finds so we can share them. There are several strategies to create a full-blown WOM marketing campaign. Here’s a post that provides links to WOM articles and resources:

WOM Articles and Research

Also, here’s an example of a WOM communication strategy used by a Vail resort that was particularly effective.

One of my friends has access to a high end resort condo located in the Vail Valley, Beaver Creek area. At a recent party, he asked if I’d like to join a few friends this year for a week of skiing. He said the condo is huge and they never have enough people to fill it. Sure, I love to ski so I’m in.

About a week or so later, I received an email with a 25 page document from the condo’s “concierge.” Everything you ever needed to know about the condo and surrounding area was included. “Wow, that was a great idea” for the facility to send out this document.

Instantly, I felt I was getting special treatment and all I really received was a simple document. I shared my experience with several friends. WOM in action – it works when you know how to set up communication strategies for every new prospect or client.

Several much shorter and concise follow-up communications were sent to me by the concierge. The messages included service features that were easy to digest, remember, and most importantly repeat to others. Following up with a new client or prospect with the right message, at the right time, is a key element of WOM campaigns.

Many marketers fall short here. They often fail to incorporate the “process” into their plans, or lack the resolve and resources to promote their campaign beyond the early development stages.