When it comes to news who do you trust?
The March 2008 edition of Tactics, the Public Relations Society of America newspaper, reports that research in 2007 by PR agency, Golin Harris, shows word of mouth and personal experience are the most trusted sources of information for many Americans.
And that mainstream media scores “lower in terms of accuracy, truthfulness and honesty than dedicated on-line media channels".
The article suggests this shift in trust from mass media to personal and on-line experiences means communicators should:
- Look for opportunities to provide direct experiences to audiences.
- Seek to create memorable moments that cause people to talk.
- Reach out to engage 'key influencers' - people willing to share information in their social and other networks.
- Use a variety of communications platforms and experiences rather than just relying on traditional mass media.
Research consistently shows word of mouth is free, credible and fast. That makes it the most powerful marketing channel an organization can use. That's why not for profit groups and others with limited marketing budgets should consider factoring word of mouth into their next marketing or PR plan.
4 comments:
Hi Bob
I totally agree that word of mouth is the way to go. I run a mystery shopping business www.spyseebiz.com.au and it is the biggest thing we want to teach clients.
Cheers
Carolyn Queale
Hi Bob, interesting post...I am writing in from Banagalore, India.
How do you think word of mouth can be leveraged internally?
Regards
Aniisu
I think word of mouth is important in internal as well as external communication.
It can be leveraged internally through:
1)Cultivating key ifluencers (both formal and informal)in an organisation.
2) Providing easily understandable information to staff.
3) Integrating word of mouth with other communications tools and channels.
Word of mouth can be successful internally if you have a strong champion [should be the CEO] and a band of trustworthy warriors who should be handpicked and suitably briefed. These warriors should preferably cut across heirarchies and positions in the organization.
Stay cool
Post a Comment