Word-of-Mouth articles by the best and brightest in the field

• Clearing the Air About Word-of-Mouthby Deborah Eastman
  Michael Antman's recent article, "Six Reasons Word-of-Mouth Doesn't Work," struck a chord. He raises reasonable points about the limitations of WOM; after all, it can't completely replace other forms of marketing communications. However, we can't ignore the impact of WOM. What's more, here's what companies should be doing to leverage it. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• Operation Beijing: What PR Is Doing Wrongby Martin Lindstrom
  There's a lot that China could do better, like every country in the world. But the Beijing Olympics PR machine is failing badly to put a positive spin on anything. So, what are they doing wrong? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• How to Launch an Effective Blogger-Outreach Program in One Dayby Mack Collier
  Too many organizations have made bad impressions on bloggers by trying to reach them on their terms, instead of the bloggers'. But the process of engaging bloggers can be surprisingly easy. Follow these steps to launch a simple but effective blogger outreach program... in one day. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• How Boar's Head Is Defending Its Brand Against the Old Flimflam: Six Steps to Empowering Your Customersby Glenn Gabe
  This is a tale of flimflam and a unique way that Boar's Head is battling it. Given the power of word-of-mouth, it's hard to overlook the potential of how Boar's Head is empowering its customer base. (And see how you can, too.) [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• Email Marketing for Nonprofitsby Winston Bowden
  Nonprofits are confronted with many of the questions that any other enterprise often ponders: How do I connect with my customers? Which communication vehicle will provide my organization with the highest return on investment? How can I determine what my target market wants? While many of our corporate friends have turned to email marketing to help answer these questions, the concept is comparatively new to nonprofits. Email marketing may not be the silver bullet for every problem, but it provides us with an efficient and affordable tool to communicate with our constituents. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• Going Viral With Your B2B Marketing: Q&A With David Meerman Scottby Mack Collier
  Viral marketing has been all the rage in recent years: Companies are intoxicated with the idea of creating the next video that spreads across the Internet and becomes a viral sensation. But for every successful viral effort there are countless attempts that totally miss the mark. Here's where David Meerman Scott comes in. Scott understands why ideas spread in a Web 2.0 world, and he educates his clients on why the "old school" rules of PR and marketing are totally irrelevant in a time of content-sharing on YouTube and Twitter. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• How to Hear the Voice of Your Customers: Hone First-Person Intelligence From All Forms of Feedbackby David Bean, Ph.D.
  Today's technology offers ample opportunities to start conversations with and among customers, fans, foes, competitors, and the press—any person or group who cares to listen and, perhaps, act on the messages received. By some estimates, 85% of the information companies collect is not in a form that they can access or analyze—it is unstructured. The Gartner Group reports unstructured data doubles every three months while seven million web pages are published every day. This cacophony presents the one of the biggest challenges companies face today. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• Seven Ways to Monitor Blog Conversationsby TJ McCue
  Do you know what your customers are saying about you? If not, you (and your brand!) are at a distinct disadvantage. Take the opportunity to participate in the blogosphere -- even if only on a small scale -- and you'll help shape your brand, rather than having it be shaped exclusively by your customers. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• How Social Media Is Changing the 4Ps of Marketing: Stories from Real Companiesby Mack Collier
  Anyone who has taken Marketing 101 knows the 4 Ps of Marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. But what you may not know is that some companies - including these four - are turning these Ps over completely to customers. (Graphic: David Armano.) [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• The Death of the PR Handler in a Viral Environmentby G.A. "Andy" Marken
  At a time when business and marketing strategy changes at the speed of light, and competitors, partners and customers have instant access to information, the days of the handler the publicist are numbered. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• Getting Old-Fashioned Buzz With New Media: Q&A With Paul Dunayby Mack Collier
  Paul has earned his keep over the past 20 years by building buzz for heavyweights like Google, IBM, and Microsoft. These days he's immersed himself in social media, which serves him well as the director of Global Field & Interactive Marketing for BearingPoint. In this one-on-one, he gives us the lowdown on how to use social media to kick-start your buzz marketing efforts. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• What Web Marketers Should Know About Twitterby Jeremiah Owyang
  If you're responsible for the direction of the online strategies for your company or organization, you've probably been hearing buzz about Twitter, a next-generation instant messaging tool. Even if you're new to Twitter, this article will serve as a guide to educate you to help you make a decision, by linking to resources and providing a starting point for your strategy. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• 25 Metrics to Prove Marketing Drives Salesby Roy Young
  Driving sales is what B2B marketing is all about. Although the precise roles and responsibilities of Marketing may differ from company to company, your marching orders are the same: Help Sales produce more with less. All marketers want to know best practices and share experiences about driving sales. Here are 25 metrics you should select from to prove marketing drives sales... and to track progress. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• Wanted: Catalysts for Co-Creationby Earl Cox
  In today's ever-changing, increasingly interactive media world, marketers are captivated by a new business buzzword: "consumer-generated content." While word-of-mouth has always been powerful, consumer-accessible technology (the Internet, podcasting, video production, social networks, etc.) puts it on steroids. Success in this new world order requires marketers to develop a new perspective, a new skill set, and a new role in consumers' lives. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• How (and Why) to Get the Word Out about Your Brand and the Environmentby Steve Utley
  Consumers are beginning to take environmental impact into consideration in purchase decisions. Businesses that demonstrate environmental responsibility have the opportunity to contribute favorably to their images while aligning themselves with the preferences of their customers. To get the full value out of green practices over time, companies need to let the public know what they are doing and why it matters. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• Dynamite Brandingby Martin Lindstrom
  As YouTube, Google and MySpace announce that video advertising will become a key driver in their future revenue strategies, the glitzy, anonymous ads we have been used to for years will have to change course. Ads need to be intriguing in some way; they need to urge us to watch them. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• iPhone Debut Rivals Harry Potter Mania... But Will It Last? (Or, Why the iPhone Is Not a Phone)by Paul Paetz
  Does the hype of the iPhone equal runaway success? Is the game already won? Or will there be an equal and opposite reaction when possibility and excitement about the future gives way to reality, and inevitable issues arise with service, availability, bugs in functionality and unfulfilled expectations? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• Successful Networking Through Personal Brandingby Dan Schawbel
  Some 80% of available jobs are never advertised, and over half of all employees obtain their jobs through networking. The most important component of a successful job search is your network, consisting of friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, teachers, and coworkers. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• BearingPoint's Paul Dunay: Marketer on a Mission to Demonstrate Differentiation, Positioning and Brandingby Suzanne Lowe
  How rare is it to see a senior marketer from any professional service firm—even one as prominent as BearingPoint—leading a series of cutting-edge conversations that do not appear to be directed at just his internal colleagues? We checked in with Paul Dunay and learned the extent to which he has intentionally begun to "do things differently" and how positively it has benefited BearingPoint. Here is his story. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth
• An Insider's Guide to Creating Podcasts - Part 2by Lisa Johnson & Cheri Hanson
  Podcasts are an excellent way to share your latest findings and juiciest developments in a medium that's engaging, fun, and portable. If you're thinking about podcasting, here's the second installment of an insider's peek at the creation of a podcast series, complete with professional tips from a talented audio team. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Word-of-Mouth

Word-of-Mouth: See all 74 marketing articles

Word-of-Mouth case studies, deconstructing real life examples and illustrating lessons learned

• How a Nonprofit Used New Banner-Ad Technology and Market Insight to Create an Effective Viral CampaignThe Blue Cross
• How a Controversial Book Became a Bestseller via an Aggressive Web CampaignVanguard Press
• How a Telecommunications Company Enlisted the Quirkiness of an Offbeat Celebrity to Build Brand AwarenessGotVMail Communications, LLC
• How a Software Company Generated Strong Click-Through Rates on FacebookSerena Software
• How a Technology Company Leveraged March Madness Live Streaming to Increase Visibility for Its Own ProducteTelemetry
• How a Technology Firm Used Social Media to Build Awareness for Its Web-based Monitoring ProductRadian6
• How an Email Marketing Solution Startup Signed up 300 Customers in 7 DaysMad Mimi
• How a Video Podcast Series Garnered a Top Industry Award and 68,500 views in 12 MonthsTellabs
• How One Whitepaper Generated 500 Leads and Significant PR for a B2B ManufacturerJER Envirotech
• A Niche E-tailer Sizes Up Glamour... One Customer at a Time, Boosting Sales with a Personalized Web Site ExperienceSydney's Closet
• How a Bed & Breakfast Inn Boosted Its Bookings with One Video AdMorning Glory Inn
• How a University Embraced Social Media and Scored Millions in YouTube ViewsCarnegie Mellon University
• How MyFax Upped Customer Engagement, Achieved a 79% NetPromoter ScoreMyFax
• How a Finance Director Left Her Day Job and Launched an 'Engaging Brand' Online via a Podcast and BlogThe Engaging Brand
• How a Digital Input Device Manufacturer Increased Engagement With Customers, Upped Holiday SalesWacom Technology Corp.
• How a Marketing Consultant Significantly Increased His Client Base via Social MediaL&G Business Solutions
• How a Consultant's Internet Radio Show Led to New Business, New Sources of RevenueCRM Essentials LLC
• How Goodwill Attracted Hip Customers via Social Networking, a Virtual Fashion ShowGoodwill of Greater Washington
• How a Viral Campaign Gave OfficeMax Brand Recognition, Drove ShoppersOfficeMax, Inc.
• How an Ice Cream Company Increased Revenue More Than 8% a Year With Low-Cost BlogsDenali Flavors

Word-of-Mouth: See all 34 case studies

Word-of-Mouth online seminar broadcasts from the best minds in marketing

• Strategy First on Facebook: Opportunities of a Ready-Made Marketing PlatformAttendee rating:  - Jan 10, 2008
• Make Word-of-Mouth Marketing Work for Your CompanyAttendee rating:  - Dec 19, 2007
• Ten Cravings of Generation X and Y: Satisfying This Young and Lucrative MarketAttendee rating:  - Jul 26, 2007
• How Connected People and Companies Are Winning Big in the Tech-Savvy Consumer PlaygroundAttendee rating:  - Jul 25, 2007
• Blogs, Tubes, Twitters, and More: Emerging Media's Impact on the Customer ExperienceAttendee rating:  - Mar 29, 2007
• Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Metaverse: Second Life for MarketersAttendee rating:  - Jan 11, 2007
• Eleven Big Ideas, with Seth GodinAttendee rating:  - Aug 8, 2006
• The Anatomy of Buzz: Lessons in Word-of-Mouth Marketing, with Emanuel RosenAttendee rating:  - May 26, 2005

Word-of-Mouth: See all 8 seminars

Word-of-Mouth mini articles distilling bite-sized advice (from our Get to the Point newsletters)

• Green Is Good. Green Works. Marketing Inspiration
  Van Jones beat the odds when The Green Collar Economy landed at number 12 on the New York Times best-seller list. "What he didn't have, as a first time author...
• A Skeptical Look at Word-of-MouthSmall Business
  Marketers don't always agree on the best way to achieve results, and Michael Antman takes the contrarian view of a strategy popular with many of his colleagues. "[S]ome businesses, especially...
• Create a Customer Walk-a-ThonMarketing Inspiration
  When we say "viral marketing" you know exactly what we mean. The question isn't whether to integrate viral elements into your marketing mix, but rather how—and to what degree. But...
• Time to Yelp!New Media
  Following its 2005 debut, Yelp became the Zagat for a new school of tastemakers. "Yelpers" review everything—bars, boutiques, dot-coms, universities—with humor, anecdotes and flair. Yelp boasted 3.3 million users in...
• Glad You Could Make It!New Media
  Social networks and viral media have become the new lifestyle habit of choice. And with an estimated 400 million social network users on the Web, Internet communities have broken the...
• It Takes a Community Customer Behavior
  What do Star Wars fans, MacIntosh user groups, and Harley-Davidson owner clubs have in common? They represent loyal users and future purchasers of specific brands. Recent research into how companies...
• Blogging for DollarsSmall Business
  Michael Martine of Remarkablogger defines a business blog as one that supports the sales and marketing efforts of your company; and if it's going to be successful, he says, your...
• Who Are You, and Why Should I Care What You Say?Customer Behavior
  Companies are becoming increasingly involved with sponsoring social causes, such as encouraging consumers not to drink and drive. These do-good practices are laudable. They also support socially redeeming causes, which...
• Those Jerks Are Talking About You. So Talk Back!Marketing Inspiration
  "[I]t seems like the perfect time to write about something I've been thinking about since being on an ill-fated panel at SXSW earlier this year," writes Rohit Bhargava in a...
• Time for a Makeover!B2B Marketing
  Shrinking sales. Fewer prospects. Tightening budgets. All the classic signs of a recession are here. So, what's the next logical step for a B2B company to take? Web site makeover! OK,...
• Being Green: It Ain't EasySmall Business
  In a blog post, Beth Ziesenis recalls working at a Colorado dude ranch, and being asked to put placards in guest rooms urging water conservation. They were intended to save...
• Gossip Is Good. Really.B2B Marketing
  Time to face facts: They're talking about you. Sorry, that's the new reality. Word-of-mouth marketing is here to stay. So, if you can't beat 'em, you may as well join...
• Leave Evangelism to Billy GrahamSmall Business
  While conducting a seminar workshop entitled "Old Media vs. New Media," Lewis Green's enthusiasm for the topic was palpable. And in a post at his blog, he says initial feedback...
• The Truth Will OutMarketing Inspiration
  When you start to see how effective word-of-mouth marketing can be, you might feel the temptation to juice it up in little ways. Maybe you notice that no one in...
• Give to ReceiveSmall Business
  When you work with the media, your first priority is probably figuring out what they can do for you. But Christina Kerley—widely known as CK—says the greater long-term payoff lies...
• Don't Be a TwitMarketing Inspiration
  If you've embraced Web 2.0, you're probably using Twitter, a networking service that broadcasts messages of up to 140 characters through a variety of channels. As with any new form...
• Stronger Words, Louder MouthsSmall Business
  At his blog Damn! I Wish I'd Thought of That!, Andy Sernovitz discusses something unusual he noticed on the refrigerator at his office. A colleague had gone to the trouble...
• The SEO RapperMarketing Inspiration
  When we heard a YouTube channel about online marketing was getting tens of thousands of hits, we had to take a look. And so should you. Its host Charles Lewis...
• Make Them Happy They Chose YouEmail Marketing
  Customers who opt in to your email campaigns can just as easily opt out or ignore your messages. It's up to you to keep them interested—and committed. Century21's Evan Blittner...
• How to Avoid Ticking Off the (Ever-Sensitive) BlogosphereSmall Business
  Ever worry about what happens when you annoy the million-headed monster known as the blogosphere? Well, worry no more. After hosting a lively panel at this year's SXSW conference with...

Word-of-Mouth: See all 49 quick reads

Word-of-Mouth marketing downloads for the busy professional

• Small Biz How-To Guide: Avoiding Key Pitfalls
  Let's face it, more small businesses fail than succeed. Make sure yours is one of the winners with this guide to getting your small business off the ground and solidly on the road to success.
• Lead Generation How-To Guide
  Great product, great sales team, great marketing collateral - now what? People to sell to, of course. Put your lead generation tactics under the microscope with this enlightening how-to guide. Get more and better qualified leads, faster today.
• Trade Show Marketing Template
  Trade show marketing is a high-risk, high-reward endeavor. This Template provides a sytematic look at trade show marketing. It walks you through selection and promotion, to follow-up and measurement. This step-by-step guide will insure your trade show marketing is effective, efficient, measurable, and successful.
• Buzz Marketing Summit - MP3
  Format: MP3 Buzz Marketing? Viral Marketing? Word-of-Mouth Marketing? Customer Evangelism? Guess what? They really aren't all synonyms! Who knew? And each one can have a different purpose and place in your marketing strategy. We gathered together seven industry experts on Buzz Marketing and got them talking. Not only will you hear pretty clear definitions of Buzz Marketing and all its sisters and cousins, you'll also get good current examples of each (and one from 1936!), you'll also get practical and actionable advice on what you can do right now. So get buzzing.
• Buzz Marketing Summit -Transcript
  Format: Downloadable transcript Buzz Marketing? Viral Marketing? Word-of-Mouth Marketing? Customer Evangelism? Guess what? They really aren't all synonyms! Who knew? And each one can have a different purpose and place in your marketing strategy. We gathered together seven industry experts on Buzz Marketing and got them talking. Not only will you hear pretty clear definitions of Buzz Marketing and all its sisters and cousins, you'll also get good current examples of each (and one from 1936!), you'll also get practical and actionable advice on what you can do right now. So purchase your Premium membership today and get buzzing.

See all marketing downloads