A Quantum Leap Into Viral Marketing

There is no stronger force in marketing than word of mouth. A salesperson, or evangelist, as they like to be called nowadays, has no leverage or influence greater than the authentic voice of a friend, or the experienced voice of a fellow consumer.

eMarketer, has the numbers, if not the how-to guide, on word-of-mouth viral marketing as compared with print, TV, ad inserts, in-store promos, Internet, and radio. The poll of 15,000 consumers found that most simultaneously consume different types of media. Almost 71 percent surf the Web while watching TV or listening to the radio, or whatever media is around; 69 percent read newspapers while using other media; 68 percent watch TV; and 56.4 percent listen to the radio, much lower because its done most while driving. The multimedia approach of most consumers shows willingness to listen to all to sources of information, plunging headlong indeed into a ravenous appetite for it. But none of these media by themselves have the power of word-of-mouth. "New digital options make it easier to give and receive options on products and services and it's no longer confined to one-to-one conversations," said Joe Pilotta of BIGresearch. "Online search, blogging, email, texting, video, streaming and social networks such as MySpace and YouTube have expanded the word-of-mouth universe and made traditional advertising less relevant for many." In both electronics and vehicle purchasing, consumers trusted word-of-mouth far more than other media, with print articles and TV broadcasts holding distant second and third place positions. But the most impacting numbers are:

94% of consumers regularly or occasionally give advice about products and services they purchased 91% regularly or occasionally seek advice about products and services before making a purchase

And the Internet only magnifies that. "The Web has taken Word of Mouth, which used to be restricted by geographic realities, and exploded it outwards in all directions," writes Enquiro head Del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit | Furl Bookmark murdok: