Nielsen recently released a report on consumer trust in brands; what resources do they trust the most, least, etc. The report proves that consumers trust recommendations from people they know the most, followed by opinions posted online, then brand websites. Similar to this data, I was reading a very interesting blog post by Trent Reznor, the lead singer and founder of the band Nine Inch Nails, where he states that the most effective way of marketing (the only marketing that matters) is word of mouth advertising. Coincidence? I think not. Trent goes on to discuss successful marketing of a new unknown artist starts by establishing your goals, who you are, what you want to accomplish (your brand promise).
It seems so simple, right? It is - if your goals are clearly defined, you know who you are, what you stand for, and have a good product. In that case, word of mouth advertising will be your best friend. It doesn’t matter if you’re an unknown band trying to garner your first fan or a multi-national corporation building a new-media marketing plan. The days of personal recommendation are back. People like to pass on great experiences - be they with good customer service or killer music.
Take it from Trent Reznor and Nielsen - word of mouth advertising is the most trusted and only marketing that matters. Before “joining the conversation” (over-used social media buzzwords), take a look internally and make sure you know who you are and what you stand for first. If that’s clearly defined (and right), people will do all the marketing that matters for you.
