Amplify your message with word of mouth

 Word of mouth (WOM), or spreading messages from one person to another, has become a hot topic in the marketing world during the last decade. Although WOM is probably the oldest marketing channel in existence, there is a renewed interest in understanding the role of individuals in spreading messages further after initial exposure.
The level to which an individual contributes to Word of Mouth marketing can differ from person to person and in general there are three key groups in spreading WOM.

Connectors

Individuals who talk to many different people about a particular category

Mavens

Individuals who know a lot about a specific category

Sellers

Individuals who are likely to convince others of their opinion

Consumers who conform to all three of these criteria are called Influentials. These Influentials tend to be the most knowledgeable and vocal members within their communities, irrespective of whether these communities revolve around their social or professional networks, geographical location or common interests - such as those served by magazines.
Research conducted by BMRB on behalf of the PPA to investigate consumers’ WOM behaviour across 11 categories revealed a number of interesting facts.

It showed that magazines and television were the most influential media to influence WOM among consumers and that magazines drive WOM amongst 57% of the population as illustrated by the chart on the right.

The study further illustrated that magazines were more effective at driving WOM than newspapers, radio or the internet in 10 out of 11 categories explored. In addition magazines were the most effective at driving WOM in the fashion, drinks and healthy living categories.