Strategic Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Cut Through the Clutter

Cut Through the Clutter: Strategic Word-of-Mouth Marketing V idea n Unlimited Marketing Connections Evoke the Power of Connections ™ Ann N. Videan, APR Business-Tribe Architect [email_address] 480.813.2408 www.videanunlimited.com/ March 2009

WOM Foundation
In many cases, WOM isn't actually "marketing" at all.
It's fantastic products/services that get customers talking about you.
It's great customer service that earns customer respect.
It’s made easy by technology
Ann N. Videan, APR Evoke the Power of Connections ™ [email_address]

Ethical WOMM
WOMM is never about deception
No stealth marketing, shilling, or anything hiding the marketer's involvement
Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Code of Ethics

Ads vs. WOMM
76% don’t believe ads (Yankelovich, 2005)
92% cite WOM as best source for product ideas (GfK NOP/Roper)
76% of all Americans talk about at least one brand a day, and average 10 (TalkTrack, Keller Fay Group, 2006)
112 marketing-relevant conversations/week/person (TalkTrack, Keller Fay Group, 2006)
Positive WOM 6x more likely than negative WOM (Keller Fay Group, 2006)

Why It Works
35,000 marketing messages a week
Average consumer acts on just 3 to 5, but act on 1 in 3 WOM suggestions
Influencers spread the word to an average of 11 to 17 people
No. 1 type of media driving purchases
(DM News, March 24, 2006)

How WOMM Happens
Most often face to face (70%)
Telephone (19%)
Email (4%)
Instant messages and text messages (3%)
Online chat rooms and blogs (1%)
Youth conversations 3x as likely to happen digitally
(Keller Fay Group, 2008)

WOMM Process
V idea n Unlimited LINC process
Listen
Illuminate
Nurture
Create

Getting Started
Six tenets ( Creating Customer Evangelists , by Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba)
Customer Plus Delta
Napsterize Your Knowledge
Build the Buzz
Create Community
Create Bite-Size Chunks
Create a Cause

1. Customer Plus-Delta Continuously gather customer feedback.
What do customers value (practical) or love (emotional) about you?
What would they change?
What exact words do they use to recommend you?
Make it easy for customers to provide feedback

2. Napsterize Knowledg e Share knowledge freely.
The more you share, the faster the marketplace absorbs it.
The more info you give, the more valuable it becomes.
What ideas or knowledge can you share?
How can you package knowledge to share easily?

3. Build The Buzz Expertly build word-of-mouth networks.
Mega hubs
Identify "network hub" leaders or influencers
Track how customers find you
Identify your customers’ networks

4. Create Community Encourage communities of customers to meet and share.
Customers have a vested interest in you
Your product/service connected them
Get clients to meet
Find their common interests
Use technology
Create a Tribe

4. Create Community Encourage communities of customers to meet and share.
A Tribe (as defined by Tribes author Seth Godin)
• Share common goal/cause/interest
• Create a space for people to communicate easily
• Leading, not managing
• Allow members to create what they will
• Exclusive to a certain group
Examples: Oprah, home schooling, Apple users

5. Create Bite-Size Chunks Devise specialized, smaller offerings to get customers to bite.
Low-risk intro to your product/service
Small training seminar, reduced feature, limited use
Which products/services can be divided into smaller components?
What groups would showcase it?

6. Create a Cause Focus on making the world/industry better.
Adopt community causes
Sell a vision/dream
Is there a societal issue affecting your customers?
How can your products/services improve or change customers’ lives?

Stimulate Buzz
Disclose information to invitation-only lists
Create sneak preview for hubs
Go beyond obvious
Make your “behind the scenes” visible
Be a little outrageous

What’s the Secret?
“ Give real people interesting things to talk about, and make it easier for that conversation to take place.” — Andy Sernovitz

Check out the books
Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force
(Ben McConnell, Jackie Huba, Guy Kawasaki, 2002)
Citizen Marketers: When People Are The Message (Ben McConnell, Jackie Huba, 2006)
Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us (Seth Godin, 2008)
Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking (Andy Sernovitz, Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, 2006)

Cut Through the Clutter: Strategic Word-of-Mouth Marketing V idea n Unlimited Marketing Connections Evoke the Power of Connections ™ Ann N. Videan, APR Business-Tribe Architect [email_address] 480.813.2408 www.videanunlimited.com/

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Strategic Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Cut Through the Clutter

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