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eMarketer Report on WOM, Free for WOMMA Members
Nearly Half of All Online Marketers Engage in Word of Mouth Marketing Campaigns
New eMarketer report finds acceptance growing as measurements increase
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NEW YORK, NY (November 3, 2005) -- Word of mouth marketing, more than just the marketing buzzword du jour, is quickly becoming an indispensable tool, helping marketers turn good customers into their best advertisers.
eMarketer's new Word of Mouth Marketing report, published in association with the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), reveals a wealth of statistics and research that attest to the growth of word of mouth marketing.
The report finds that as word of mouth activity becomes more measurable, more marketers are apt to include it in their marketing budgets. "Word of mouth has always been there, and always been the thing that gets customers to buy," says Andy Sernovitz, CEO of WOMMA. "What's exciting is that marketers can finally do something to harness this power and measure the results. Word of mouth has moved from anecdotal to actionable."
After analyzing data from hundreds of sources and interviewing word-of-mouth marketing experts to measure the influence, effectiveness and extent of word of mouth marketing efforts, eMarketer estimates that nearly half of online marketers will engage in some form of word of mouth or viral campaign this year. eMarketer expects that a majority of digital marketers will use word of mouth next year.
"Word of mouth is the 'hidden statistic," says Geoff Ramsey, eMarketer's CEO and author of the Word of Mouth Marketing report. "No one has locked on to a defining statistic for word-of-mouth marketing before."
Key questions the Word of Mouth Marketing report answers:
- Why is word-of-mouth the hidden statistic?
- How many marketers are using word-of-mouth/viral campaigns, and what is driving this use?
- What consumer trends underlie and support the growth of word-of-mouth marketing, today, and tomorrow?
- Is there solid support data proving that consumers rely on word-of-mouth to make decisions about products, services, brands and places to shop?
- What are some guidelines marketers can use to successfully incorporate word-of-mouth strategies in their marketing plans?
The report also includes sections "Seven Tips for Successful Word of Mouth and Viral Campaigns" and "10 Reasons Why Word of Mouth Marketing is So Hot". For more information on the Word of Mouth Marketing report, contact eMarketer at www.emarketer.com and Word of Mouth Marketing Association at www.womma.org.