The informal sharing of opinions and recommendations about a brand, product, or service between people.
A trusted form of influence that grows from strong experiences and customer advocacy.
Short and sweet:
The informal sharing of opinions and recommendations about a brand, product, or service between people.
A trusted form of influence that grows from strong experiences and customer advocacy.
See also: Referral Marketing, Social Proof, Brand Reputation
Word of mouth is the unpaid spread of opinions and recommendations about a brand between everyday people, whether shared in person, in a group chat, or through a public review, and it tends to carry more weight than paid advertising because it comes from someone with no financial stake in the recommendation. Businesses can’t buy word of mouth directly, but they can influence how likely it is to happen by creating experiences distinctive or satisfying enough that people want to talk about them. Because it spreads through personal networks rather than a media buy, it’s also harder to measure precisely, even though its impact on trust is widely accepted.
In-N-Out Burger has never run much traditional advertising, expanding almost entirely on word of mouth as fans move to new states and beg the chain to follow them there.
A great haircut often spreads through this kind of informal recommendation alone, with a happy client telling friends and coworkers about their stylist without the salon spending a dollar on ads.
Costco’s Kirkland Signature products enjoy strong grassroots buzz among shoppers who swap tips about which store-brand items rival name brands at a fraction of the price.
