Guideline - Elements of successful Word of Mouth / Viral Marketing

In this entry I will describe some of the aspects and elements that are necessary for successful word of mouth marketing.

Market research: What kind of word of mouth already exists about my company and products? What do customers and consumers say about my products, services and brands?

Reactive Management: Which of my customers are spreading negative word of mouth / talk negative about my products and brands? Why? What do I have to do in order to surprise my clients and customers so they transform there negative word of mouth into positive word of mouth?

Product policy: Which of my products have potential for creating word of mouth by themselves? How can I support and enhance this potential?

Communication policy: Does my communication have viral potential – do my messages spread from customer to customer? Do I use certain elements my advertising and communication that customers like to forward to each other and talk about? Is it easy for customers to send my marketing materials to other customers? Can Customers easily download and forward my advertising (posters, videos, audios, games….)? Do I incorporate the psychological elements of successful communication into my PR and advertising?

Customer Relationship Management: Do I know my satisfied customers? Do I know my most influential customers? Do I know, which opinions influence my market? Do I try to reach and bind these customers to my company?

Controlling: How to I measure the success of my activities? How can I recognize if word of mouth is improving or not? Do I know the Net Promoter Score (very important figure) of my company, my products and services? How can I improve my Net Promoter Score?

Word of Mouth Video Conference - Number III - Next 07

Link: sevenload.com

The Next 07 is the second Word of Mouth Marketing & Web 2.0 conference of "Sinner Schrader" and it stands under the topic - "All Power to the customers?!".

On the Website there around 20 high level presentations about:
- Web 2.0 & its opportunities
- How to use Second Life, MySpace & Co
- Brand Wikization - should you give your Brand to your customers?
- Innovation Camp
- Viral Marketing
- Customer & Web Psychology - how to use it
- Quo Vadis Marketing & Mass Advertising
.....

In my opinion - a very good and professional Conference!

Word of Mouth Video Conference - Number II - Next Ten Years

The "Next 10 Years" is Web 2.0 & Viral Marketing Conference of the marketing company Sinner Schrader and it has around 10 good topics to cover:

- What is Web 2.0 & how to use its potential
- Psychology of the Web
- How to use & build communities
- Long Tail Business
- Tools & Opportunities in Web 2.0
- How to use Word of Mouth & Viral Marketing
....

The conference & presentations are in  german - if you speak the language and you have some time you should take the opportunity and watch some of the professional speakers.

Word of Mouth Video Conference - Number I - Dresden Future Forum

Yesterday I found 3 interesting Video Conferences about Web 2.0, Word of Mouth, Viral Marketing....

This is the first conference - The Dresden Future Forum

If you register on their site and click on webcast - you can watch the following presentatitons:

Prof. Richard Scase: Globalization of Markets - Global Re-Mix and the New Corporate Playlist

Dr. Curtis R. Carlson: Innovation - The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want

Announcement of the winners of the Web 2.0 competition and presentation of the laureate of the 10th International Media Art Festival CYNETart_06humane

Jaron Lanier: Future of the Internet - The New Definition of Personhood

Tim O'Reilly: Future of the Internet - What is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software

I have to say - the speakers are quite high level and bring good knowledge in their presentations - everybody who is interested in the new ways of Marketing and Web 2.0 EBusiness should check them out.

This is the description of the conference
On the initiative of Dresden-based T-Systems Multimedia Solutions, scientists, experts, entrepreneurs and other interested parties discussed the future of Internet technology at the 2nd Dresden Future Forum on 16th November 2006.

Particular focus was on the development of the Internet, which will rely on its capacity to organize social exchange based on new technologies. In this context, the primary focus has not been on technology but on reasonable ways of using it. These new opportunities of exchange, shaped by maximum transparency, are likely to revolutionize the way the Internet is used.

Highly renowned experts representing various specialized fields, including Tim O’Reilly, who has played a vital role in filling the term “Web 2.0” with life and Prof. Richard Scase, influential business strategist from the UK, Dr. Curtis Carlson, innovation-driving CEO at SRI International, as well as the computer scientist and artist Jaron Lanier presented their specific viewpoints and impressive visions as a basis for discussion.

The advertising misconception

I think this video illustrates quite well what is going on
in marketing and advertising right now - Enjoy.

Unleashing an Ideavirus - Free Ebook on Viral Marketing

I have this book since almost half a year and I have to say it is great. It brought me a lot of interesting insights into the “next level of marketing” and what a company can do in order to really increase success.

The book is called Unleashing an Ideavirus, it is by Seth Goddin and is free.

Here is a short description:
...............................................
Treat a product or service like a human or computer virus, contends online promotion specialist Seth Godin, and it just might become one. In Unleashing the Ideavirus, Godin describes ways to set any viable commercial concept loose among those who are most likely to catch it--and then stand aside as these recipients become infected and pass it on to others who might do the same. "The future belongs to marketers who establish a foundation and process where interested people can market to each other," he writes. "Ignite consumer networks and then get out of the way and let them talk."
...............................................

Read it, it will be valuable.... - you can download it here.

The future of Marketing and how to manage it professionally

I just had a talk with some marketing experts about the future of marketing and what changes will probably happen. We agreed on some points that I will post in the Blog, these are things every company should know about and engage into (or at least each company should have some people that are good in these areas) in order for to become more successful and efficient:

Building and managing a strong brand
- Professional Brand Management is the Foundation for everything
-  Building a strong, emotional brand image that people remember and associate good feelings and images
-  Celebrating your brand, so people can experience it, connect it with emotions and talk about it
-  good positioning in your market
-   …. (this is a long but important list)

Management of Connected Marketing
- Word of Mouth Marketing
- Buzz Marketing
- Viral Marketing

Get people talking about your Product and make it virus worthy, so they spread your brand message into their social networks.

Generating and Managing Buzzworthy PR
Here are two definitions to make it more clear (taken from Connected Marketing):

A PR Consultant is “a applied social scientist who advises a client on the social attitudes and actions he or she must take in order to appeal to the public on which it is dependent”.

PR practice is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its public.

Managing Web 2.0 Marketing
Making professional use of:
-  Blogs / Blog marketing
-  Social Networks like MySpace, StudiVZ, Friendster….
-  Games like Second Life, Word of Warcraft (huge potential if applied correctly)
-  Video platforms like YouTube, MyVideo
-  Viral advertising
-  Online Communities
-  Tracking Tools
-  Website, Email, Newsletters.. (the traditional tools)

Neuromarketing / Marketingpsychology
Understanding how and why Marketing and advertising really work and how you can make your advertising and marketing messages really efficient

Evangelism / Opinion Leader Marketing
- the Art of building relationships with influential people and getting them to evangelise and provide good word of mouth about your product
-  since 10 % of the western population tell the other 90 % what to buy, it would be beneficial to get in contact with these opinion leaders, recruit them for your company – make them loyal and let them spread good word of mouth about your brand
-  Integrated Communication of Connected marketing, Blogs and Social Networking

Integrated Communication of all your marketing channels
-  have a core message and a strong brand with emotional values
- communicate this message with all your communication channels in order to create a clear picture in the
   mind of the consumer
- align all your marketing channels (Direct Mail, Sales Personal, Video Communication, Online Marketing…) so
   they all communicate the same powerful message and desirable emotional benefits of your brand

Making Use of Consumer Generated Media and Open Source Marketing
-> see my entry about CGM

Using the Long Tail Approach to sell more of your products and services
-> Read more about this in The Long Tail

List to be continued…