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Influencers Seek, Trust Information From WOM Sources
The number of word of mouth influencers is expected to jump from 26.8 million in 2007 (17.5% of the U.S. population) to 34.4 million in 2011 (20.0%), according to a June 2007 report from WOMMA member company eMarketer. In an environment where the number of consumers identified as WOM influencers is growing, it's more important than ever for companies to find sure-fire ways to reach them.
So how do you do that? Well, more than half (55.6%) of adult influencers turn to family and friends as a source of information, according to the "Media Myths & Realities, 2006 Media Usage Survey" that was conducted by Ketchum and the USC Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center. Over one-third (34.6%) of influencers seek advice from co-workers, while 20.7% turn to blogs and 18.6% turn to social networking sites for information.
U.S. consumers in general still trust family, friends, and acquaintances over other information sources, according to a report released this month from Bridge Ratings and the University of Massachusetts. Consumers give family and friends an 8.6 on a scale from 1-10, while advertising rates only 2.2 on the trust scale.