BLOG vs. WOM

I subscribe to a lot of marketing newsletters and got one today from a group I really like. But the gist of the article had, what I consider a flawed premise about how Word of Mouth Marketing (WOM) differs from concepts like blogging. Here's a direct quote from the article to let you know where I'm coming from...

"...The vast majority of marketers report interest in WOM, more than are interested in podcasts, RSS and even blogs, according to research released this summer by Epsilon..."

Now, my thought is that blogging IS a form of WOM. That is, since WOM is about getting others to talk about you, creating an active, interesting, compelling blog is a major componenet of a WOM campaign.

How can you contemplate a WOM component that exists by itself?

If you do you are casting the entire thing into the great beyond and hoping that the word that is spread about you is good.

To be sure, a WOM campaign MUST begin with quality product and exceptional service, but if that is where it ends, then you are missing a huge boat. You have to remind, prompt, and constantly reappear in the lives of your customers and clients.

Blogging is ONE way to do this. Not the only way, maybe not even the best way, but if you eliminate it as being something OTHER than a component in a WOM campaign, then you sell it short.

That is not to say that blogging is ONLY about WOM either. If it is, then it becomes nothing more than a running advertisement that no one wants to listen to. You have to create something worthwhile, which brings us back to the original premise of having a good product and great service.

I hope you like this blog. If so, come back soon.

And tell a friend, too.