Websites, Social, or Word of Mouth

We heard a debate the other day that involved what’s more effective: websites, social, or word of mouth. We wanted to settle the debate once and for all. They are all important and they should all be utilized in order to create a trusted brand. 

A New Version of an Old Trick

Word-of-mouth marketing doesn’t function like it did 20 years ago (obviously!) A lot of word-of-mouth sharing takes place over social media and websites, so in a way, word-of-mouth advertising and social media advertising are parts of the same thing.

The Statistics

“92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising.” (Forbes)

“66% of respondents under the age of 34 are more likely to give a referral after receiving social recognition.” (Software Advice via Referral Candy)

56% of B2B responders use word-of-mouth marketing to “find information[al] advice.” (I-Scoop)

A Market Force study found that “81% of U.S. consumers are influenced by their friends’ social media posts.” (Market Force)

“75% of users admit to making judgments about a company’s credibility based on their website’s design.” (Sanford Study via Kinesisinc)

Stay True to Your Brand

Essentially, these are all parts of one whole. If your website isn’t strong and if your social media campaign isn’t true to your brand, word of mouth isn’t going to do much for your business. The first thing people normally do when they hear about a company is Google it, so make sure that whatever they find in those search results reflects your brand, your tone, and your overall vision. That way, word-of-mouth marketing, social media marketing, and your website will create one unified experience for the user.