Managed Word of Mouth-Still Thinking
I just re-read Dave Balter’s Word of Mouth Manual. You might recall that I wrote about it here a few weeks ago. There’s a link to a free download on that last link, and/or a pointer to the physical book on Amazon, in case you want to pick up a copy. I’m still thinking about word of mouth, as Dave lays it out.
Between this book and Andy Sernowitz’s book, I’ve come to realize that I was thinking the whole word of mouth thing was planted people talking about products, street teams, etc. Dave’s book says that’s traditional marketing. Instead, managed word of mouth is just an effort to put products and services in the hands of those who would likely appreciate knowing about them, such that they might choose to evangelize under their own steam. (There’s more to it than that, but that’s the gist).
I think it makes much more sense that giving someone a product they might actually like, and might talk with others about, is a reasonable strategy for driving interest and adoption. If you give Corvida a sneak peak at a software application, and she likes it, she’s going to evangelize it. If you share Guy Kawasaki’s Famous Teriyaki Sauce recipe with someone like Grace Piper, she’ll probably tell folks about it, if she digs it.
I just cant see that it’s wrong. And further, with blogs and podcasts and the like, there’s the ability to spread such word of mouth even further. And the only major important element, just like I mentioned the other day, is transparency. If you’re given something to evaluate, call it out. Don’t make it a big fat issue, but explain that you’ve been given an evaluation copy or the like.
I’m thinking it makes sense, and makes even more sense on the web. What’s your take on this?
Photo credit, suneko
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Whats Your Take on Word of Mouth
The folks at BzzAgent sent me a nifty book, The Word of Mouth Manual: Volume II. Dave Balter writes and Seth Minkin illustrates (some fun stuff, by the way). What’s different about this book than some others, however, is that Dave LIVES this stuff. He’s in the word of mouth business.
Not BzzAgent specifically, but when it comes to “managed word of mouth,” as Dave calls it, I consider some of these plays to be something like when a liquor vendor pays someone to sit at a bar an talk about how much they love new Zima Black. And yet, that’s some of what’s taking place on the web. I’ve been circling these waters at different points over the last few years and have yet to make up my mind completely.
Balter’s point is that very few companies make a product that speaks for itself, and that guided word of mouth is just a way of helping something take root. I get that, and I think I endorse it, but here’s where I stick (and I haven’t read the whole book in detail, so maybe this is covered very well). I need to know that you’re endorsing something. I need to know that someone sent it to you. And then, I’m quite okay.
That’s how I’m handling the few things people have sent me of late:
- Nikon D60 camera. (They want it back, but I guess I can buy it off them).
- Flip Ultra.
- Garmin Nuvi 200 (this is a loaner).
When I meet someone at a conference and I pull out the camera, someone immediately comments. I then immediately reply that Nikon USA sent it to me to check it out and play with. You might notice that I’ve never blogged about the camera. But EVERY single time someone sees it, I talk about the fact it was sent to me. Ditto the Flip, the Nuvi, etc. (In context. I don’t blurt out confessions).
So, if there’s disclosure, I’m really cool with it. If not, it’s lying. (Oddly, I just searched my PDF version of the book for “disclosure” and found zero hits; searched for “lying” and got about a dozen.)
By the way, if you want a FREE copy of the book for yourself, just click that link.
So what’s your take on it? What do YOU think about Word of Mouth and how this all works?
I don’t think you should discount the book. It’s a decent read, full of ideas and arguments. I think it’s worth considering, if only to further your impressions and opinions on the matter. Me? I’m still out. Why don’t you tell me your take?
