Study Examines Word of Mouth, Sees Growth

While word of mouth has been around since humans could open their mouths and it has been the most highly trusted source of information for most anything in most any category, it is now becoming a marketing practice. The Word of Mouth Marketing Association has been set up to foster and guide marketers who are endeavoring to listen and participate in the growing number of conversations taking place on blogs, chat rooms, forums, IM and good ol' face to face spoken word.

eMarketer, in association with WOMMA, today, released a study called "Word of Mouth, The Stats, Surveys and Substance Behind the Buzz which is jam packed with facts and figures about the segment such as the enabling influence the Internet has had on fostering word of mouth, the confirmation that friends and family have been and always will be the greatest influencers, the power word of mouth has in 9 business segments, the demographic makeup of those most likely to become influencers and engage in word of mouth, how blogs and blog readers can influence the flow of word of mouth, seven tips for a successful word of mouth marketing campaign and ten reasons why WOMMA and eMarketer think word of mouth will become an important and integral component of any marketing program.

Not to be accused of simply dumping facts on the industry and running, WOMMA has launched a weblog called Word of Mouth Basic Training which will contain "how to" articles and is tied to the organization's upcoming training event in Orlando which promises to educate attendees on how to best use word of mouth as a viable marketing element.