9 ways to screw up advocacy marketing
Great article by Brian Cavoli in Boston in ‘iMedia Connections’
“Every brand can benefit from strong consumer advocacy. Fewer consumers are relying on ads and media coverage to make their purchase decisions. They are increasingly turning to each other and to social media to share opinions and gather insight before making purchases, whether it’s a big ticket purchase or an innovative new laundry detergent (have you tried Tide Pods yet?).
The fact that shoppers trust personal recommendations more than brand messaging is nothing new. But did you realize that even as social technologies mature, our trust in word of mouth is skyrocketing? Nielsen’s latest trust in media report shows that in the last four years, our trust in recommendations from friends increased 20 percent and trust in online reviews is up 15 percent. At the same time, trust in TV, magazines, and newspapers are all down more than 20 percent. The funny thing is this — that’s where marketers spend much of their money. Go figure.”
My newsletter 11th May 2012
As a professional you need to communicate your expertise. This includes giving talks, writing articles and holding seminars as well as using the hugely valuable forum on social media, whereby answering questions and participating in a discussion gives you a great platform to be seen and heard – giving (quality) information.