Word of mouse word of mouth

The unwritten rules of marketing have changed in recent years, as inbound marketing methods have become a desired option for businesses over traditional methods such as direct mail, telemarketing, etc.  There has been debate on whether this new way of marketing is here to stay, and if it is positively or negatively affecting consumers’ buying decisions.

One of the primary stages of the buyer decision process is the information search stage, which may include actively using public sources, such as the Internet, or personal sources; i.e., consulting with friends, co-workers, and family members.  While recommendations from a trusted source can certainly influence a buyer’s decision to purchase (or what to purchase), this type of word-of-mouth influence is now rivaled by “word-of-mouse,” or “word-of-Web,” influence.  A number of growing websites, for example Yelp, Twitter, Urbanspoon, and Zagat serve as online guides that post customers’ reviews of businesses and professionals, ranging from very small to large businesses such as restaurants, clothing stores, and spas, to medical and healthcare professionals, academic professors, lawyers, etc.  While both types of sources can aid in expanding a business and building a brand, word-of-mouse can lead to greater consequences for businesses receiving poor reviews.  The reliability and quality of information is also an issue that divides the two types of sources.

Word-of-mouth, as we all know, is a form of personal communication channel that can have considerable effect in many product areas.  Personal influence carries great weight especially for consumers in the market for products that are expensive, risky, or highly visible¹.  Few consumers today are buying a big-ticket item without knowing exactly what existing users have to say about the product.  The same goes for restaurant goers, gadget-lovers, bargain shoppers, you name it.  Surveys of purchasing influences support that buyers tend to trust recommendations by a relative or friend; “one study found that 90 percent of customers trust recommendations from people they know and 70 percent trust consumer opinions posted online”¹.  All that being said, it is clear that buyers can be influenced heavily by word-of-mouth reviews and recommendations, either positive or negative.  From a business perspective, customers with positive experiences will spread the ‘word’ to their network of friends and family members, which can be good for business.  Folks who have had bad experiences can share their story as well, but will be limited by their personal network—a plus for businesses looking to avoid the “kiss-of-death” associated with bad reviews circulated online.

Word-of-mouse, on the other hand, is not only a play on words, but also a source of communication publicly-available online that can make or break a business given its far-reaching and lasting consequences.  While word-of-mouse advertising can be categorized as a key trend driving business, capable of creating fast connections with customers and building ongoing relationships, negative reviews posted online can quickly end customer relationships before they’re even established!  Businesses don’t typically post or manage the posting of online reviews, and those with poor online ratings (generally, about 40 percent of all reviews are negative¹) can suffer losses in sales and goodwill as a result.  It can be frustrating for business owners (especially small, local business owners) who have no control over the filtering of subpar reviews, especially from critical shoppers who require a seemingly unobtainable level of service.  From a customer standpoint, the ability to find reviews of a local business or popular brand can be a useful when making purchasing decisions; however, finding reliable information online can be difficult, which is consistent with customers’ tendencies to trust recommendations from known sources.  Also, one could argue that businesses have upped their service levels in recent years, as they are now at the mercy of their customers’ reviews—again, a plus for customers.

In terms of the quality of information, word-of-mouth is a better option given that the source is presumably a reliable one who is perhaps concerned with the review seeker’s personal benefit.  For example, it is unlikely that someone would recommend a subpar physician to a friend (I’m not referring to your ‘Facebook-only’ friends here, people). Conversely, an online review of a physician may be unwarranted and could be lined by ulterior motives, but might be true.  The point is, the variability associated with word-of-mouse reviews diminishes its validity.  On the flip-side, word-of-mouse is capable of spreading a good idea or business concept quickly, and provides an opportunity for businesses to establish and sustain long-distance relationships with its customers.  For instance, Panasonic and other businesses in the tech-world have had success in the past taking advantage of using Internet bloggers as a technology-based marketing tool.  Said one Panasonic spokesperson, “When you give bloggers equipment and they love it, just like any other consumer they’ll evangelize it”¹.  Word-of-mouth communication, on the other hand, is limited by personal networks; i.e., friends, family members, and co-workers.  For businesses receiving consistently positive feedback from its customers, word-of-mouth may limit the ‘buzz’ surrounding their products or services.

Both word-of-mouth and word-of-mouse sources can assist businesses in spreading positive ‘buzz’ surrounding their products, but word-of-mouse communication can lead to greater consequences given its far-reaching capabilities.  Buyers using word-of-mouth as a source for information tend to trust recommendations, as they are coming from a known source; on the other hand, word-of-mouse communication can be unreliable in nature given its anonymity.  From a customer perspective, finding reliable information is key to maximizing the benefits of either information-gathering methods.  For businesses looking to engage its customers, the Internet is a powerful tool that can create brand conversations and involvement; harnessing it as a technology-based marketing tool is key to combatting the negative effects of word-of-mouse.  Failing to do so may result in a missed opportunity for creating a competitive advantage.  The unwritten rules of marketing have not only changed, but will continue to evolve; as they say, “Adapt, or die!”

¹ Kotler, Philip. Principles of Marketing. 14th ed., 2011. Print.

Словосочетания

Автоматический перевод

слово из уст, слово рта, слово уст

Перевод по словам

word  — слово, известие, речь, обещание, текст, вести, сформулировать, выражать словами
mouth  — рот, уста, отверстие, горлышко, вход, зев, изрекать, брать в рот

Примеры

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Think about the last time you tried a new restaurant. It wasn’t that long ago that you heard about it from a friend or family member talking about, or through some other kind of marketing campaign. Now, however, you may have heard about it through social media. Whether it was a Facebook post or page, a Yelp or Open Table review, or a picture on Instagram, you might not have even known the person you were learning from. That is why the tried-and-true word of mouth marketing, is now more accurately termed word of mouse. Word of mouse is simply word of mouth but in much more powerful digital online media.

In addition to being more powerful, word of mouse is more measurable. As Celina Connor writes in Business2Community “The effectiveness of word-of-mouse marketing can be measured through the social activity of internet users in response to the ads and other forms of information (images, videos, articles, etc.) released online. Social signals such as the number of likes, retweets, and +1s are a good way to measure social activity.” Word of mouth was much harder to measure, and usually required some sort of customer survey after the fact.

There are five reasons why word of mouse marketing is more powerful and effective than word of mouth:

Social Media is Pervasive. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, and many other platforms have become a significant part of the lives of millions of people from all generations, around the world. Over 3 billion people use social media each month, or 42% of the total global population. Moreover, it’s growing: every day, one million people try social media for the first time. Despite recent concerns about data privacy, social media has become so ingrained in the way we communicate and live; it will be challenging for people to not use social media in one way or another.

Social Media is Influential. As demonstrated in our 2016 political elections, social media has the power to influence peoples’ beliefs and actions, sometimes radically. And if social media can change your fundamental values and motivations, it can certainly impact how you choose the products to buy and the services you use, as well as our consumption patterns.

Social Media is Contagious. Like contagious diseases, information communicated through social media can be quickly transmitted from one person to another, simply with the click of a button. In fact, any information on social media has the potential to spread to millions of internet users in a matter of seconds. They don’t call it “going viral” for nothing!

Social Media Has No Boundaries. There are no geographic boundaries with social media. Consumers look at product reviews from throughout the world. They can search for restaurant recommendations weeks before they arrive at their destination. A customer in California can recruit a new customer in Florida. Additionally, word of mouse can become word-of-mouth, which is still a good and effective form of marketing for many brands and categories.

Social Media is Borderless. Social media crosses into every aspect of our lives, including work, leisure, personal and consumer topics, and more. Therefore, word of mouse is not just about technology but gives insight and access to all issues in our lives as well. This blended perspective on the market and into the thoughts of individual consumers allows brands to mesh with customers’ lives.

Utilize the power of social media to generate word of mouse. Create passionate and excited consumers who will share what they think about your company’s products and services with their friends, relatives, and even perfect strangers in the offline world. It only makes sense to leverage social media to gain the most word of mouse!