Earlier this week a book was released called The Word of Mouth Manual: Volume II by Dave Balter. I finished it this morning and I have to say that it was a good read. If you are looking for examples of how Word of Mouth has worked for various companies and individuals, it’s worth the read.
One of the more compelling stories that I enjoyed was that of Casey Kasem. He was the first to capatialize and catapult the idea of a Top 40 list (or # Best of Something list). Balter points to research that we, at any given time, can only have about 40 products in our mind that we are willing to talk about. When Kasem took the Top 40 songs and played them each week, musicians wanted to be in that list. When they were, they were talked about. The more they are talked about, the more sales they received.
I’m convinced that web technology is allowing us to get back to Word of Mouth roots. We can connect socially and recommend products to others more easily than before. Our reach is more broad so our voice can be louder and more targeted. It’s going to be fun to see where all this goes over the next immediate months and years!
If you are interested in the book, you can download a free electronic version (119 pages) or look for it on Amazon.
