Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Word gets out about word of mouth
What do religions, roadsters, and razors have in common? Their popularity and adoption is spurred by word-of-mouth validation.
That type of validation was the topic of our conversation with Ed Keller, CEO of Keller Fay Group; author of the seminal book, The Influentials; and President of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).
Clearly Ed's career revolves around making sure the word gets out -- literally. Today, companies can no longer simply push brands on consumers. That's because consumers are pulling information themselves to share, discuss, and even contest.
The corporate impulse is to try to control online buzz. That's why many companies remain fearful of starting corporate blogs, for example. Instead of fostering word of mouth (buzz), they avoid it. They think it opens the floodgates for negative feedback that will tarnish their brand.
As you will hear in our podcast, Ed says that's all hooey. He counsels corporate marketers to join the conversation; accept, learn from, and improve products and services through online criticism; and ultimately, strengthen trust with customers.
In turn, they will spread the good word on your behalf -- the most powerful form of advertising.
Of course, that's just a nutshell of Ed's advice, so tune in our podcast get the full frontal on fostering positive word-of-mouth, both online +and+ off. Then practice what he preaches by passing it along!
That type of validation was the topic of our conversation with Ed Keller, CEO of Keller Fay Group; author of the seminal book, The Influentials; and President of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).
Clearly Ed's career revolves around making sure the word gets out -- literally. Today, companies can no longer simply push brands on consumers. That's because consumers are pulling information themselves to share, discuss, and even contest.
The corporate impulse is to try to control online buzz. That's why many companies remain fearful of starting corporate blogs, for example. Instead of fostering word of mouth (buzz), they avoid it. They think it opens the floodgates for negative feedback that will tarnish their brand.
As you will hear in our podcast, Ed says that's all hooey. He counsels corporate marketers to join the conversation; accept, learn from, and improve products and services through online criticism; and ultimately, strengthen trust with customers.
In turn, they will spread the good word on your behalf -- the most powerful form of advertising.
Of course, that's just a nutshell of Ed's advice, so tune in our podcast get the full frontal on fostering positive word-of-mouth, both online +and+ off. Then practice what he preaches by passing it along!
Labels: Ed Keller, Keller Fay Group, WOMMA, Word of mouth
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Oh, what a tangled Web 2.0 we weave ...
Quick! When I say Web, you say 2.0. Web! [2.0!]
Web! [2.0!]
Web! [2.0!]
You got it! ... Or do you?
Web 2.0 is all about community, collaboration, and social networking. This is all fine and well if you understand how to use it to your advantage. And that's what I'm here for, folks.
Many business owners ask me how they can become part of these online communities. Most believe it's hard to get involved in community-based networks, and even harder to use them. This is a myth. These things are so easy to use, even a diaper-donning baby can have great success with them. (Well, you get the point.)
For those who don’t know what social networking is, let me take a moment to clarify. It’s the new buzzword for what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising (WOM). The buzzword was created so that some guy could rake in millions by making something people already did sound brand-new -- a total crock, but who am I to argue with a great business plan?
In order to understand how to use social networks to grow your business and spread the word online, we have to first define what networks will give you the most bang for your buck. And by buck I mean time put into networking, since most of the sites are free.
Consider the big three: Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace. These sites are the most well-known social networking sites. Facebook caters to the college- and high school-based audience.
LinkedIn is a resume-trading site that's fairly complex and difficult to navigate. It's the only network of the three that was intended for any type of business use. But there really isn’t much else to do on it besides share resumes with friends and coworkers.
And then there's MySpace. Anyone can join it. And even though it's not business-oriented, it is the most viable option for businesses right now because of its open policies.
The real work starts from here, so buckle your boots. I'll have more social networking tools and tips soon!
Web! [2.0!]
Web! [2.0!]
You got it! ... Or do you?
Web 2.0 is all about community, collaboration, and social networking. This is all fine and well if you understand how to use it to your advantage. And that's what I'm here for, folks.
Many business owners ask me how they can become part of these online communities. Most believe it's hard to get involved in community-based networks, and even harder to use them. This is a myth. These things are so easy to use, even a diaper-donning baby can have great success with them. (Well, you get the point.)
For those who don’t know what social networking is, let me take a moment to clarify. It’s the new buzzword for what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising (WOM). The buzzword was created so that some guy could rake in millions by making something people already did sound brand-new -- a total crock, but who am I to argue with a great business plan?
In order to understand how to use social networks to grow your business and spread the word online, we have to first define what networks will give you the most bang for your buck. And by buck I mean time put into networking, since most of the sites are free.
Consider the big three: Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace. These sites are the most well-known social networking sites. Facebook caters to the college- and high school-based audience.
LinkedIn is a resume-trading site that's fairly complex and difficult to navigate. It's the only network of the three that was intended for any type of business use. But there really isn’t much else to do on it besides share resumes with friends and coworkers.
And then there's MySpace. Anyone can join it. And even though it's not business-oriented, it is the most viable option for businesses right now because of its open policies.
The real work starts from here, so buckle your boots. I'll have more social networking tools and tips soon!
Labels: Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Social Networking, Web 2.0, Word of mouth
