What Is Word of Mouth?

Word of mouth definition

It’s a type of informal oral communication. It refers to the process of telling people about a certain product or service because you think it is great and you want to convince them to try it.

However, word-of-mouth in marketing is actually a marketing method that depends on informal social interactions in order to promote a product or service. Simply put, it is free advertising initiated by customer experiences.

Why word-of-mouth marketing is important

Word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing is important because consumers are more likely to trust recommendations from people they know (family, friends, etc) than marketing ads.

WOM marketing happens when one person tells another about a product, that person tells someone else, and so on. In this way a continuous chain will be created, this is why word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective and valuable marketing methods.

How to get started with WOM marketing

Are you wondering how to do WOM marketing? Well, first of all, keep in mind that you really have to connect with consumers, so don’t just collect them.

Yeah, sure, it’s important to have many followers on social media, for example, but word of mouth marketing will be effective only if you truly connect with them.

Followers have to be interested in you in order to talk about you. Moreover, if you want to enjoy the benefits of WOM marketing, make sure to generate an emotional response in your audience because you will have more chances to provoke WOM sharing.

Studies have shown that brands that create an emotional connection with their audience receive three times as much word-of-mouth marketing as other companies that only focus on sales.

Besides the emotional connection, if you want to make sure that customers are continually talking about you, then be part of the conversation. It’s essential to engage with your audience and to listen to what they have to say.