Word-of-mouth recommendations are still the king of all kings
Marketers have known for years that word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) is the most credible form of advertising because promoters don’t stand to gain anything personally by recommending the product and are even willing to put their own reputations on the line. It’s a good day for a brand when satisfied customers happily share and swap their views about products and experiences.
Social media hasn’t changed the principles of marketing – word-of-mouth recommendations are still the king of all kings. What has changed, though, is how far that word-of-mouth recommendation reaches.
Rewind ten years ago to a point before social media rooted itself in our culture. If someone had an awesome experience with your business a decade ago, they might have gone out and told a handful of their friends and family members. Past research found a satisfied customer, on average, would tell 5 to 7 of their friends. Basically, word-of-mouth used to be fairly limited. Today, that same happy customer hops on Facebook, Twitter or their blog – sometimes before they even walk out of the business – and with a few keystrokes, they tell hundreds or thousands of their friends, family members and blog readers about their positive experience.
People trust product and brand recommendations from other people
People trust product and brand recommendations from other people more than they trust traditional media or advertising channels, and friends and family recommendations on social media channels:
- 92% of consumers report that a word-of-mouth recommendation is the top reason they buy a product or service – (Source: Nielsen 2012)
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76% of consumers recommended companies they trust to a friend or colleague – (Source: Edelman)
- 72% of consumers surveyed said that they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations – (Source: Local Consumer Review Survey, 2012)
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58% of consumers trust a business which has positive online reviews – (Source: Local Consumer Review Survey, 2012)
- A Word of Mouth recommendation is the primary factor behind 20 to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions – (Source: McKinsey Quarterly, April 2010)
Positive reviews, social sharing and word-of-mouth are all keys to successful marketing efforts both online and offline. People trust their friends more than ads or commercials, so it is important to try to reach the consumer in a way that builds trust, encourages sharing and fosters a climate for brand advocacy.
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Social recommendations – A powerful marketing asset — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/vlj
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Great article, Torben – thanks for sharing.
Of course, there is also the flip side of all this is customers (rightly or wrongly) discussing negative experiences of businesses on social media, occasionally with cynical intentions of getting future discounts and freebies.
Either way, businesses must remain alert for any kind of recommendation that they get online and respond accordingly.
Great article! I agree that word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful marketing weapons. Nothing can shot your business on the top or ruin it, like a mouth to mouth recommendations.