Andy’s Answers: The difference between word of mouth and advertising
By Andy Sernovitz on February 27th, 2009 | 11581 comment on this posthttp%3A%2F%2Fsmartblogs.com%2Fsocial-media%2F2009%2F02%2F27%2Fandys-answers-the-difference-between-word-of-mouth-and-advertising%2FAndy%27s+Answers%3A+The+difference+between+word+of+mouth+and+advertising2009-02-27+13%3A59%3A35Andy+Sernovitzhttp%3A%2F%2Fsmartblogs.com%2Fsocialmedia%2F%3Fp%3D1158
If it stops when you stop paying for it, it’s advertising. If it keeps going, it’s word-of-mouth marketing. When thinking about whether you should engage in word-of-mouth marketing or whether to go with traditional advertising, you’re really talking about when to spend money.
Three differences:
- Word of mouth allows for “test first, spend later.” Testing a campaign or a message on Facebook is free and takes a few minutes. If it takes off, then you know it’s worth investing in.
- Speed to launch. You can start a new word-of-mouth strategy in less than an hour, whereas advertising requires lots of planning, research, and coordination.
- Staff involved. One person can effectively reach lots of your fans and influencers to engage in conversations about you, while advertising often requires multiple departments and outside agencies.
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11581 comment on this posthttp%3A%2F%2Fsmartblogs.com%2Fsocial-media%2F2009%2F02%2F27%2Fandys-answers-the-difference-between-word-of-mouth-and-advertising%2FAndy%27s+Answers%3A+The+difference+between+word+of+mouth+and+advertising2009-02-27+13%3A59%3A35Andy+Sernovitzhttp%3A%2F%2Fsmartblogs.com%2Fsocialmedia%2F%3Fp%3D1158Permalink
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