There is a tendency to think that the pressures and responses to contemporary events have never been experienced or confronted before by those that precede us. Of course, that thinking is opposed by those that exclaim that there is nothing new under the sun or that those that do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. In thinking through one of the hottest topics in small business, Buzz Marketing or Word Of Mouth Marketing (WOM) - one is reminded that In the play, Jesus Christ Superstar, obviously set in a time over 2000 years ago, the song, "What's The Buzz (Tell Me What's A-Happening) focused on the very same issues now being wrestled with by business people :

1. publicizing one's ideas
2. finding the right message
3. determining the right vehicle to convey a message
4. attracting a following

Word Up

Word of Mouth advertising refers to what was once called "the grapevine" or the informal conversations that customers or users have with others about a company, a product, or an employee. Examples are plentiful in our everyday lives:

1. Not sure what Pediatrician to use; ask friends, neighbors, even the school for a recommendation
2. Have a bad experience with a hairdresser - be certain to let everyone you speak with to avoid that person or even that shop
3. Uncertain if you want to try the new restaurant that opened in town last month, go online and read reviews from other diners.

As a business person, the issue is

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how to garner positive attention for products, services, or other distinguishing aspects of the company, and minimize the negative without taking steps to appear fake or planned. Customers will see through a planned campaign of paying bloggers to post positive things about a company if it is not genuine. Word of Mouth cannot be controlled, but it can be guided and leveraged. When companies try to control it, then it becomes advertising and is viewed with more suspicion than when it is the organic result of having experienced a company's products or services in a positive light. With that in mind, a business can employ the following components into their effort to contribute to positive buzz or positive word of mouth comments about themselves:

1. Providing education on product/service offerings and differences vs. competition or other offerings within the company's portfolio
2. Allowing access for two way communication between customers and the company. Blogs, electronic bulletin boards, creating communities of users, etc.
3. Understanding how customers use the product or service and why some prospects do not

Put On A Happy Face

When the financial analysis is done, it is always shown that retaining a happy customer is more cost effective than acquiring a new customer. What is not as often measured or understood is just how much of a multiplier effect that can have when one considers how influential a happy customer can be in providing endorsements to colleagues, friends, family, neighbors, etc. about the business. By harnessing the enthusiasm and the passion of a satisfied customer and allowing their credibility with their contacts to help build a brand or a business, the effect of positive word of mouth can be exponential.

Recognizing that people have a natural desire to share their experiences, provide direction and counsel to others, and offer wisdom and expertise either as a goodwill gesture, or even if a self promoting way to position themselves as experts within their social circles; companies can leverage that by offering those influential people with positive outcomes in their dealings with the company so that they will then become advocates and zealots on behalf of the company. Of course, the reverse is also true. Should these same people encounter difficulties with a brand or a company, they are equally likely to share that with their social contacts as well.

Crossing The Line

The desire to treat Word Of Mouth marketing efforts like an advertising campaign or like some other corporate initiative controlled by the company can occasionally lead to some business owners trying to "game" the system or trick the unsuspecting prospect into taking an action or believing something about a company that they would not otherwise have done. There is an industry association that supports the positive aspects of Word of Mouth Marketing, WOMMA (Word of Mouth Marketing Association - http://womma.org), that warns members away from doing the following:

-Deceiving people by not exposing that a marketer working with or for the company is providing a comment on a blog or sharing an opinion as if a customer
-Paying for endorsements without acknowledging that practice
-Using automated software to post irrelevant comments or links back to a business website on a blog that is outside the content of the blog -Infiltrate discussion groups or manipulate the conversations around products or services in an effort to forcibly take over the dialogue
-Offering information that is known to be false or misleading.

Few things will lead to a stronger or angrier backlash against a company than purposely abusing the relationship customers have with trusted sources, websites, or reputable bloggers and offline social community leaders.

Positive Actions

The ethical use of Word of Mouth Marketing can led to positives for both customers who are able to match their needs with appropriate vendors or businesses, and businesses that are able to link their offerings to a targeted market of likely users. Among the suggestions for conducting a WOM effort successfully are:

-Encourage dialogue with customers and prospects through social networking, online forums, feedback devices, blogs, etc.

-Maintaining the relationship with customers by providing them with updates, news, or other information about the company that can be forwarded, shared, or emailed to their social network

-Creating communities or opportunities for customers and prospects to connect and share with each other. Common examples are User Groups, Fan Clubs, Rewards Programs, etc.

-Identifying influential individuals or communities and offering them "first look" at company plans or asking them to provide input into future products. If payment is to be provided, it should be acknowledged to prevent appearing duplicitous or unsavory to future customers.

And perhaps the most important component of any Word of Mouth attempt is to sincerely listen to customers providing feedback and responding appropriately to complaints, suggestions, or other comments offered.

Word of Mouth Marketing is garnering high interest from many businesses because it appears to cost less than simple advertising, however, it can only benefit a business that is already strong. A weak business that does not serve customers well, will find that the buzz around their products, employees, and company is going to need more than a deity or a superstar to save them.

David Zahn is a serial entrepreneur and consultant to Fortune 100 businesses (www.zahnconsulting.com) as well as entrepreneurial startups (www.startupbuilder.com). His books, "How To Succeed As An Independent Consultant, 4th Ed.," and "The Quintessential Guide To Using Consultants" are frequently cited by other authors and have been used as textbooks in college and MBA classes.

The opinions expressed are the author's and not necessarily those of connpost.com. Please direct comments to cdauber@ctpost.com.