It’s the buzz words today in the world of marketing. With the continuous accepetance of online social media as a means to reach consumers and target markets, companies and marketers are embracing viral and word-of-mouth marketing as part of their strategies. However, people still confuse the two and think they’re synonymous and interchangeable. They’re not, and Dave Balter, author of the book “The Word of Mouth Manual, Volume II” (free download of the PDF version here!) clearly differentiates the two in this interview of him by Guy Kawasaki:
Guy: What is the difference between viral and word-of-mouth marketing?
Dave: Viral marketing is typically reserved for programs where the advertising is talked about as opposed to the product itself. A good example are viral videos, where the humor trumps the brand, ala Cadbury Schweppes drumming gorilla video—humorous partly due to the Phil Collins soundtrack, of course—and the parodies which followed). Word of mouth is the actual sharing of an opinion about a product or service between consumers. Your viral marketing only works if it gets people talking about the product itself. If it doesn’t, you might create some laughter and awareness, but there won’t be a change in sales.
I hope companies learn the difference and start implementing social media strategies with clear objectives if they want positive results. I’ll be learning more about it in the next two days (June 26-27) when I attend the ad:tech Singapore. FYI, ad:tech is an interactive advertising and technology conference and exhibition where worldwide shows blend keynote speakers, topic driven panels and workshops to provide attendees with the tools and techniques they need to compete in a changing world. In short, it’s all about Digital Marketing. Updates about the event to follow. 
Filed under: Internet Marketing, marketing, social media | Tagged: ad:tech, Dave Balter, viral, word of mouth
