What's the Word? It Can Be Word of Mouth Marketing or Advertising!
Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “What’s the word”? When used, it’s usually related to work situations and in social circles. In work settings it is said when: someone enters a room and there is a lot of conversation going on, or someone has been called into a meeting and those not involved want to know what was talked about, or a special All Staff meeting has been called and people are worried or in wonder of what is the subject matter. In social circles, I hear it occasionally. Typically, it is spoken when someone wants to make an impression, they want to be the one person who has all the information, the “go to resource”. A referral source that people seek out so they are informed, etc.
Now, you might be thinking why say “what’s the word?” at all, in any situation? I think of it as having a correlation to being credible. The phrase, “What’s the word” can be regarded as “important information” that can influence a decision or action that might otherwise not happen if the information was not known. Influence is the key word. It speaks to the impact or effect on how character, development or behavior of someone or something, as well as the impact or effect itself is accepted. The person communicating with impactful information is called an Influencer. By accepting what is being communicated as credible, they have the power or influence to impart that communication onto others. Influencers are imperative with regard to the phrase “what’s the word?”. It can serve as an illustration of the meaning of Word of Mouth.
Word of Mouth means to pass information from person to person using oral communication. It is spoken language that can be informal or debatable. Word of Mouth Communication is a form of referral communication from person to person. It typically relies a lot on the credibility of the source of that information or referral. The credibility of the source is critical because word of mouth reliability centers on the ability of influencing and encouraging organic discussions about a brand, service, organization, resource, or event. Again, we see how influencers are relative to word of mouth success.
Influencers are imperative to the success of any marketing or advertising campaign. Of course, they are relative to Word of Mouth Marketing and Word of Mouth Advertising because they help develop the relationship with a company or organization. Influencers are important to the product, service, or company when the focus is on Word of Mouth. What’s the Word? It Can Be Word of Mouth Marketing or Advertising.
Word of Mouth Marketing strategy compels consumers to talk about a company’s brand, service, organization, resource, or event.
It is considered to be one of the strongest forms of advertising. It uses “seeding” to communicate about a company, their products or services. This tactic also allows the communication to continue rather than stop at the initial interaction. It allows for a cascading effect in the communication about a brand, service, organization, resource, or event. It is a chain reaction of others now influencers communicating to others that become additional influencers. According to investtopedia.com 92% of consumers trust friends over traditional media. What’s the Word? It Can Be Word of Mouth Marketing or Advertising.
It can be considered free advertising based upon customer experiences such as a very positive first impression or exemplary customer service. Today, customer service in this pandemic speaks volumes to the customer. You exceed their expectations. First Impressions are a deciding factor if the consumers will do business with you. See our previous blog: Exemplary Customer Service Isn’t Just Important, It’s Essential for Business Development, July 10, 2020. It is deemed free advertising because it is unpaid, you have garnered the attention of an influential customer. The credibility of product, service, or company is real to them and they use their influence to communicate to others! What’s the Word? It Can Be Word of Mouth Marketing or Advertising.
About the Writer: Becky Blaesing has vast experience in all aspects of business development. No project is too big or too small. She resides in Ooltewah, TN with her husband and 2 rescue dogs, affectionately known as “the boys” Miggy and Sherman. She enjoys traveling (but not during COVID of course), golfing, riding her motorcycle, mountain biking, hiking and spending time with family and friends.