By now you should all have started reading Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz.
Here are the questions for the prologue and Chapter 1. You do not need to respond to each question, but do give your thoughts and impressions after reading the chapter. Here are some questions to help you get started.
1. What are your thoughts on the Four Rules of Word of Mouth Marketing?
2. There are three reasons people talk about companies - what companies do you talk about? For which of the three reasons?
3. What is the difference between organic and amplified WOM? When is it a good time to use either form?
4. Think about the "talkers" you know. What do they talk about? What gives each talker credibitilty in his/her topic?
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ReplyDeleteI really like this book! It's such an easy read. I feel like I am just reading a book that I WANT to read.
ReplyDelete1. I agree with the four rules and think they are great rules of WOM. Being interesting I feel like is the foundation rule. If you think about it, you don't talk about things that aren't interesting in the normal everyday life so why would you talk about not interesting products, companies, etc. Making things easier is also important. One thing I have been told over and over again in all my PR classes is..."You have to make it as easy as possible for people to do what you want them to." Jumping through hoop after hoop tends to turn people off. Making people happy is just plain great...we should all try to do it. But seriously, people tend to tie memories with emotions. If you make some one really happy or really mad, then you’re going to leave an impression either way. And of course, people are going to talk when they feel strongly about something. Making people happy will make that talk good talk. I think the rule of earning trust and respect is the most important. Like the book said "no one is willing to put their name on the line for a company that will embarrass them". People that trust a brand are going to seek it out, buy it repeatedly, and make sure other people know they trust that brand. Trust is a strong bond, between people to people and people to brands or companies.
2. I don't talk about a lot of companies to be honest, but the ones I do talk about...people hear about it. I love Kohl's. They are the only department store that I have a credit card to. Why do I talk about them? Mostly the "Me" reasons. They give me great exclusive offers because I have a card with them, which make me feel important and smart (saving money kind of smart). The staff is always been super nice, helpful, and pleasant, which makes me feel important. And I really like the styles they carry, which is how I express myself. Plus it helps also that they are in my price range as a college student
I have really enjoyed reading this book so far, because it is really funny and certainly relatable. The way the author writes makes it really easy to understand and follow. He makes reading about social media marketing fun and not just a task. Anyway, that is my take on the book so far.
ReplyDeleteIn answering the first question I would say that the four rules of word of mouth marketing are definitely crucial to brands and businesses. Whenever I use any type of social media outlet I usually look at or pay attention to something that is interesting such as an article, a catchy headline, a fun fact, etc. If something is not interesting, why would a consumer look at or even care about what the company is trying to say. The next rule is to make it easy. I think that this is probably one of the most important out of the four rules, just because you want consumers to be able to use your outlets of social media easily. Whenever I visit a website or Facebook page of a certain brand or company that I want to learn more about I usually do not spend a lot of time looking at their site if it is too complex to maneuver. That is one of the most frustrating situations too, because I feel like you as the consumer have taken the time to visit their site, but they really have not made it user friendly, which in turn has wasted your time. The third rule says to make people happy. This is also important, because without happy customers certain brands and companies wouldn't still be around. Making customers happy will bring a company more business. The fourth and final rule is to earn trust and respect. Social media definitely reflects this rule, because if a brand or company does not have trust and respect from their customers then that could turn on them. Customers who do not trust a brand can pass on that information onto their family, friends, and co-workers. Bad word of mouth marketing is probably not something that can be easily reversed, and could end up costing the company a lot of time and money to fix it.
Another question I want to look at is about the talkers I know. On Facebook especially I see a lot of Instagram pictures of food or drinks, which sometimes influences me. For example one of my friends recently posted a picture of a cup of coffee and that made me really want coffee, so I later that day I paid a visit to Starbucks.
I agree with everyone else that this book is MUCH easier to sit down and read because it is not a textbook. It’s interesting and makes good, relatable points.
ReplyDeleteThe Four Rules of Word of Mouth marketing make a lot of sense and are common sense if you think about them. Although they are common sense, I think many companies forget to take these four simple rules into consideration when planning a campaign. A process can be simple, but it needs to be run efficiently.
I found the three reasons people talk about you to be the most helpful. I control social media for a bank at home, so sometimes I think to myself, what else could I talk about to keep followers active and interested. Sure, the bank gives me dates to upcoming events and wants those things posted…but what is going to give it that creative edge? This section of the chapter really intrigued me and helped me do some brainstorming on why people like our bank. We want people to appreciate our services. We want them to have enjoyable, easy experiences. It makes them that much more reliable that they will tell their friends and family where to go to get a new loan or open a checking account.
I think that the reason I participate in word of mouth marketing is because of reason number 2- it makes me feel good. I really like being able to tell someone a product or service that will solve all their problems! It really does make me feel smart :)
Reading through out the first chapter, you see how strong the customer or consumer really is to a business then just merely purchasing it. We study consumer behavior to get a feel for what a customers wants or needs out of a product or service; however after read the first chapter it felt like using word of mouth marketing and utilizing social is taking consumer behavior to the next level. when using social media such as facebook for a product, you are making a page to endorse your product and advertise. However like in the book it displays more for the customer interaction and that is where businesses thrive off of positive customer interaction that sprouts in seconds. Now around page 12 it is talking about why people talk about you. Obviously the first one was talking about yr product, service and specialization yr wanting to spread the word. The second two however showed more of an in depth consumer behavior study with in social media. I never really realized that we can also focus on making other people look better when bringing out a facebook for a product or company. People want to look, you give them a good product to talk about that they thoroughly enjoy, they get to look like experts. Lastly people want to be connected to other people with similarities and through customer chats, blogging, and web posts people can meet others with similarities through a products social media platform. I found that the most interesting so far in this book, is not only are we bringing out the product, we are studying why social media is blowing up so quickly through more in depth customer or consumer behavior.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this book is not bad at all to read! I am actually enjoying it so far and it doesnt feel like im being forced to read 100s of pages of boring material.
ReplyDelete1. The four rules of word of mouth marketing are extremely important to a company's success. They are four simple rules, however if you screw one up just a little bit, it can severly affect a companies social media marketing. I think gaining consumer interest is extremely crucial and sometimes tough for companies to come up with creative ideas to make themselves stand out next to competitors.
2. Out of each of the reasons people talk about you, I definately am #2- talking makes me feel good. I like knowing a lot, sometimes too much, about everything going on around me. I need to know every little detail about certain products and services I use. I'm very particular about a lot of things, so I think this is why I like to know so much. I also really enjoy helping other people out, espesically when it comes to helping a friend make an important purchase decision. I know a lot about the brands that I use, and would say I'm pretty loyal to my brands. I talk a lot about clothing brands or stores, I am really in to fashion (unfortunately I never get to wear anything besides tennis clothes it seems) and I like sharing with my friends reasons why I wear certain brands or why I shop at certain stores.
Thinking about all of the talkers I know, I realized I have a good amount of people that I just trust for their opinions. I have certain friends who I count on for restaurant recommendations, fashion, and technology. My best friend see's movies all the time, she's not a film buff or anything but she just enjoys going to the movies. I, on the otherhand, don't really go see them much at all. So if she tells me something is really good, then I'm actually going to go see it because I trust her opinion on it and she doesn't recommend movies all the time. I think it helps a talkers credibility when they make recommendations sparingly. There is definitely something to be said for people who are early adapters making the best talkers to target.
ReplyDeleteI really like this book, it is written well and easy to understand. It's great that Sernovitz puts everything into context as well, and I'm a big fan of the infographics!
I also agree with those who have said this is a pretty easy read. I was surprised at how conversational it is, which makes it very painless to read and understand.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the very first thing that jumped out at me was in the intro when it says, "It doesn't matter whether you're selling real estate, jelly, or jet engines. People will ask other people about you before they decide to buy from you." This is so true. Sometimes when I'm shopping and I'm looking for a new cleaning product to buy, I'll call my mom and ask her if she knows anything about it. It seems like such a trivial thing, but I'll typically listen to her advice and buy a certain product, and even if I've never seen a commercial for it before, she just helped them advertise. Like the book says, "Advertising is the cost of being boring."
3. Organic word of mouth marketing is when a product is actually good and people WANT to talk about it, and amplified is when a campaign by the company is designed to get people talking. I think organic WOM marketing probably works a bit better than amplified. Organic WOM marketing happens all the time no matter what... as long as you have a good product/service. The company doesn't have to put any extra time into it; their only responsibility is to create a good product and deliver good customer service. On the other hand, amplified WOM marketing requires some effort on both parts. It also can come off as kind of forced. Rather than someone saying, "wow, this product is great because of x,y, and z!" they're saying, "oh, well it looks like this product is supposed to be good because of (reasons company gives in campaign)". Unless I misinterpreted what that is. :)
First of all, I think this book is really well written. It is very refreshing to have assigned reading that is actually enjoyable. I think the author knows that social media is primarily in the hands of younger generations, and he writes in a way that rings true to our personalities.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ashley that the 4 Rules of WOMM are kind of common sense, and that companies often forget to heed them. I think, before social media, other forms of marketing communications took a more "authoritative" role in the communications process, therefore they were/are not always as effective. Social media and WOMM bring the company to the level of the consumer, making us all feel more like we are equals.
When it comes to the "talkers" I know, the ones I have come to respect and listen to are well-educated (either traditionally or through experience in their field(s) of knowledge), are aware of their effect on others, and are capable of examining their decision making processes and levels of satisfaction/dissatisfaction.
Glad you are all enjoying the book! More book chats to come!
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