Don’t ignore the digital influencers

Although online word of mouth has become a more widely used source of information, it is still relatively small compared to other sources. However, you cannot ignore opinion leaders on the Web.

The most powerful form of promotion is word of mouth. If you can get ten people actively talking about a product, the chances are you will sell a hundred. If you can get a hundred objective ambassadors, then you can get a thousand. Advertising, PR and all recognised marketing services are the tools to start these rumour mills, but the power lies in the direct contact from consumer to consumer.

This is why social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace or Bebo are so popular and have such a strong control over the minds of popular culture. People love to gossip, and like it or like it not, information that is passed by word of mouth will register more succinctly in the mind of any consumer than any marketing campaign, no matter how effective.

The trick is to use marketing resources to position the message in the subconscious of the audience. Once an individual thinks that your message is their own idea, and in turn starts to relay that to a third party, you will have the most powerful brand ambassador in the business.