Top 10 Lessons from WOMMA Summit 2015

Melanie Taylor & Laura Graham November 2015

Word of Mouth (WOM) is too important for us to keep ignoring it.

1

A $6 trillion dollar impact that organizations don’t support with dedicated staff, and that agencies and vendors often make up metrics.

- Nate Elliott Forrester Research

On the street WOM can drive huge social response.

2

Three key steps: 1.  Make people stop 2.  Make them want to take pictures 3.  Make it easy to share those images.

- Walter Levitt Comedy Central

Content is about to explode for brands.

3

•  As more take the publisher role seriously, they are re-staffing teams.

•  There’s no ad-blocking for content. •  CMOs are thinking about content in all areas of

the business including reducing selling costs.

- Stephen Diorio Forbes

You look AWESOME in a museum!

4

And good storytelling helps spread word of mouth. Great storytelling helps grow business.

-  Nick Gray MuseumHack

Leveraging influencers is important.

5

But it must be AUTHENTIC – in their voice, no scripts. Brands have to partner with influencers, not HIRE them. It’s not a media buy where you are pushing your message, but a collaboration to spread positive word of mouth for the brand. There’s a clear difference.

-  Bethany Mota

Strong legal compliance matters.

6

Because lying about material connection is deceptive to consumers and the FTC is not screwing around. Mentioning your connection to a brand in your bio or in the YouTube description is NOT enough. Be upfront, be clear, be transparent and authenticity will win.

-  FTC

WOM and social media influence varies by category and buyer journey position.

7

High heart and high effort categories are the most influenced (like vacations) – which means it’s hard for toilet bowl cleaners. And the beginning and the end of the journey is where social and WOM has the most influence. Funnels be damned.

-  Halverson Group

Communities matter more than reach. 8

Finding the right voices to amplify your message can be more effective [and cost effective] than depending on high reach of a star. That allows brands to join the conversation, rather than interrupt it.

Things that DON’T work. 9

1.  The post and pray method (often need paid or at least a strategy)

2.  Hijacking irrelevant hashtags 3.  Paid reviews and recommendations (also

against the law)

-  Nate Elliot Forrester Research

We live in streams. 10

And often visual streams.

Listening, though important, is not enough. You have to watch.

Watch what users are doing on platforms, watch the content they are creating and sharing. It is more than just text.

- Seth Rogin, Mashable - Beau Avril, Google