Note: This article is part of six-part series introducing the concept of Word of Mouth Marketing.

PART 1
What is Word of Mouth Marketing?

Word of mouth is a pre-existing phenomenon that marketers are only now learning how to harness, amplify and improve.

Word of mouth marketing isn’t about creating word of mouth – it involves learning how to make it work within an overall marketing objective.

That said, word of mouth can be encouraged and facilitated. Companies can work hard to make people happier. They can listen to consumers, make it easier for them to tell their friends and make certain that influential individuals know about the good qualities of a product or service.

Word of mouth marketing empowers people to share their experiences. It involves harnessing the voice of the customer for the good of the brand. And it involves acknowledging that the unsatisfied customer is equally powerful.

Word of mouth can’t be faked or invented. Attempting to fake word of mouth is unethical and creates a backlash, damages a brand and tarnishes the corporate reputation.

Legitimate word of mouth marketing acknowledges consumers’ intelligence and never attempts to fool them. Ethical marketers reject all tactics related to manipulation, deception, infiltration or dishonesty

All word of mouth marketing techniques are based on the concepts of customer satisfaction, two-way dialog and transparent communications. The basic elements are:

• Educating people about your products and services
• Identifying people most likely to share their opinions
• Providing tools that make it easier to share information
• Studying how, where, and when opinions are being shared
• Listening and responding to supporters, detractors and neutrals

Word of mouth marketing is a science and a process. It can work for you.

Coming up: Part 2: What are the types of word of mouth marketing?

About WOMMA
WOMMA is the official trade association for the word of mouth marketing industry. Its members are building a prosperous word of mouth (WOM) marketing profession. Thriving markets are built on best practices, effective standards and ethical leadership. Those are the qualities that bring WOMMA members together.

© 2006 Word of Mouth Marketing Association. All rights reserved. Coles Marketing Communications, a full-service public relations, marketing, creative and Word of Mouth agency in Indianapolis, is specially trained in Word of Mouth Marketing by the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.