Social media is the digital version of word of mouth.
Do you agree?
Word of mouth is one of the oldest ways to pass along information to one another and is still effectively used today. However, as technology has shifted to a digital world, word of mouth has become even more powerful with a different approach. Social media has become the new word of mouth.
With traditional word of mouth, we were not able to track or monitor these conversations but with the help of the Internet and social media, we now can understand what is being said and how it affects us. Social media has proven to be a successful tool for businesses to help engage in conversations with their customers and aid in promotion. Brands can communicate with consumers without advertisements and commercials. They can finally be in the same place where their customers spend much of their time, social media.
How powerful is word of mouth on social media?
Let’s imagine you just purchased brand new Nike tennis shoes. You are pretty excited about your new kicks. So what do you do next? Of course you post a picture on social media. You decide to post on Instagram and Facebook telling all your friends about your awesome new shoes. Your post also includes hashtags in reference to your shoes and Nike. You’ve just provided your opinion and review of the shoes. In essence, you have just given social proof of the brand. You also have given Nike free advertisement. Some of your friends may ask more questions about why you like the shoes while others may never see your post.
It is not uncommon for us to post our purchases on social media and explain why or why not we may like the product. According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. We also enjoy talking about ourselves and different parts of our lives. We want others to listen. We want other people to collaborate with, share common interests or experiences. Social media is the perfect place to do just that.
Social media has the power to reach a vast amount of users in a short time frame with the help of the sharing status updates and hashtags. Social media offers instant communication with users. This is partly because we are always on our cell phones. We are always connected. Our phones and social media allow us to discover information sometimes before someone tells us the news.
Think about when Robin Williams passed away this past summer. Social media exploded from the news. People that didn’t know him were grieving from this loss because they connected with him as an entertainer. Also his death created an opportunity for others to communicate with their depression, anxiety, addictions and thoughts of suicide. These difficult topics could be discussed on social media. This isn’t the first, nor will it be the last time social media lights up from news.
How do you receive headlining news? Would you say the majority of your information comes from friends or people you follow on social media?
