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Gossip vs. WOM Marketing

by Jennifer Gniadecki on May 16th, 2008

For those who may not know, WOM stands for Word of Mouth :)

This afternoon we start off with a MarketingProfs article, and then my analysis of the article. Yea! Trust me, this one is chock-full-of-info. The post on the whole, not just the following article.

Gossip Is Good. Really.

Time to face facts: They’re talking about you. Sorry, that’s the new reality. Word-of-mouth marketing is here to stay. So, if you can’t beat ‘em, you may as well join ‘em, and work to turn that gossip positive. Luckily, WOM guru Andy Sernovitz has isolated three main reasons why people talk about your company. We offer them here, along with Sernovitz’s tactics for keeping things pleasant.

It’s About YOU. They’re talking because they want to say your company is great. Tactic to keep it positive: Make yourself remarkable. Example: A Chicago restaurant surprised parents by offering a stroller valet service. The resultant WOM packed their tables.

It’s About ME. They want to feel smart. Tactic: Give them a freebie or two. Example: Emarketer features graphs that B2B’ers can use for their own blogs or presentations.

It’s About US. They want to be part of a gossipy group. Tactic: Invite clients to talk under your own umbrella. Example: Microsoft hosts a ton of virtual meetings a month.

By empowering good WOM in these ways, you can boost your B2B image and reach. According to Sernovitz, “[If you] earn the respect and recommendation of your customers � they will do your marketing for you, for free.” Sounds like a good plan.

The Po!nt: You can’t stop WOM, but you can make it positive. Just look to the bright side. As Sernovitz reminds us, “It’s more fun to work at a company that people want to talk about.”

Article Source: MarketingProfs, LLC | 419 N. Larchmont | #42 | Los Angeles, California | 90004

Unfortunately, the article title is misleading, because it’s about WOM marketing, not gossip. Which makes me think of the chapter in Non-Toxic Networking that talks about real gossip and how good it can be for your business. Referring to actual gossip, not WOM marketing disguised as gossip. Here are some thoughts on that not from the book.

Gossip *is* good, but when it comes to the small business owner most of that gossip is happening one on one in networking events or via email and phone through business networks.

When people network, gossip naturally occurs. With the direct sales crowd, it happens in the form of “so-and-so stiffed me on half the table fee and didn’t show up to the show” (I know many people would argue direct sellers are not business owners, so that may not be the most prime example.) Or…if someone does business with a company and it is a negative experience when they’re in a networking group and someone asks about that service, the person with the negative experience will usually pipe up and tell the rest of the group about it. That’s gossip. Talking about someone behind their back. It’s different from talking about a company, which doesn’t have feelings or humanity per se, but an image/brand to protect.

Gossip also occurs when you and a competitor are in the same general town and are networking. People will ask straight out what you think of your competition and you need to be prepared to answer. No longer can you just say, “Well we don’t really get into talking about other companies.” I mean, you can, but using the leverage of what your competition offers to spotlight your strengths can be done without “talking mad smack” about your competitor.

If you’re a less than nice person, gossip can be a powerful tool to keep people away from competitors, but the same can be accomplished (and without the risk of you being outed as the person that started a nasty rumor) by starting a positive rumor about how great you are and how your new client is going to be so-and-so. (It doesn’t have to be a huge company or national brand to be a powerful buzz generator or gossip starter, either.)

Usually, once you’ve got a few Networking Buddies you can get this information out very easily, because you know who talks to who and the social structure they’re part of. You know who tells your business to everybody - so tell them something great they’ll share. Dropping positive things about your business into the waters can generate buzz and get your phone ringing.

People love to talk, and while negative information tends to spread faster…everyone loves a secret…and if you can balance the hush-hush factor with people’s need to share…you can generate very positive buzz about yourself as well as your company. (This can also be leveraged to do a talk at your local professional-networking-meeting or chamber of commerce…if people are talking about you, strike and ask to do a talk while the iron is hot.)
It’s like sending out a press release to your acquaintances and business colleagues using a distribution service that just happens to be human.

I in no way recommend or endorse saying nasty things about competitors. It never ends well.

Image Source: newscom

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POSTED IN: Gossip, Networking Buddies, Networking Etiquette, Networking Tips