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« Mark LeBlanc and His Golden Tip for Growing Business | Main | Multnomah County Judges Teach A Valuable Word of Mouth Marketing Lesson »

July 04, 2007

Website User Reviews More Popular Than Traditional Media Reviews

Header_logo There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago about Gold Star Events , a California-based online company that sells half-price tickets to live performances in Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington. It is successfully reaching young audiences with personalized Web-based marketing techniques that match buyers with events.

Gold Star Events has over 300,000 members, mostly under the age of 45, who have signed up for a weekly email notifying them about discounted special events in their local areas. According to a membership survey that the company did in May 2007, members trust Web site user reviews far more than print-media reviews by "major local columnists." According to Goldstar, "More than 30% of respondents said negative user reviews on a Web site would 'strongly discourage' them from seeing a show. This is about 15 times more respondents than would be discouraged by a bad columnist's review." This is yet one more example of how we live in the Age of the Empowered Consumer.

July 04, 2007 |

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Websites

  • Galvin Communications
    The website for my word of mouth marketing and PR firm. Sign up for The Buzz Bulletin, a free monthly eNewsletter.
  • WOMMA: Word of Mouth Marketing Association
    An outstanding resource for word of mouth marketing information. This respected organization also puts on a variety of well-organized and information-rich events and conferences which are worth attending.

Speaking

Books

  • Bella the Boxer: Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success

    Bella the Boxer: Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success
    Bella, a boxer dog and my company's director of goodwill (D.O.G.), teaches overworked and overstressed humans how to live successful and meaningful lives by thinking like a dog. Bella has improved our family's life so much since we brought her home five years ago. Read this book and you'll wonder why it has taken you so long to listen to the wisdom of dogs.

  • Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz: Go for No!

    Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz: Go for No!
    A great parable about a salesman who learns that every "no" brings him closer to "yes" - an important lesson for anybody who wants to create buzz.

  • Chip Heath: Made to Stick

    Chip Heath: Made to Stick
    This is the best business book that I've read since The Tipping Point since it provides a new way at looking at how you try to tell people about your products or services. You'll have lots of new ideas for promoting your business when you've finished reading this book. And, you'll discover that the best way to promote yourself doesn't involve spending money on marketing rather its all about learning how to tell your business stories better.

  • T. J. Walker: Media Training A-Z

    T. J. Walker: Media Training A-Z
    Walker, an accomplished media trainer, provides great practical insight into maximizing the value of the media spotlight. By following his simple suggestions, you'll go into interviews much more confident and come out of them with much better results for your business.

  • Andy Sernovitz: Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking

    Andy Sernovitz: Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking
    This is the perfect book for an entrepreneur looking for a "how-to" on word of mouth marketing rather than a theoretical or academic overview. Andy Sernovitz built the Word of Mouth Marketing Association using many of the intriguing word of mouth marketing tactics he describes. His strategies are practical for both small and large businesses as his interesting case studies demonstrate. You may put this book down a few times while reading it so you can start implementing some of its excellent ideas.

  • Fred Reichheld: The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth

    Fred Reichheld: The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth
    Too many companies are addicted to bad profits. These corporate steroids boost short-term earnings but burn out employees and alienate customers. Learn why the answer to one simple question can determine your company's future: Would you recommend us to a friend?

  • Ben McConnell: Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force

    Ben McConnell: Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force
    An interesting look at how to develop evangelism marketing strategies and programs that will create communities of influencers who will drive sales for your company.

  • Mark Hughes: Buzzmarketing

    Mark Hughes: Buzzmarketing
    This book contains some great stories from an experienced buzz marketer that illustrate the importance of finding angles that make you stand apart from the competition. I loved the story of how getting the town of Halfway, Oregon to change its name to Half.com generated a flood of publicity. You'll learn some great practical tips from this book.

  • EMANUEL ROSEN: The Anatomy of Buzz : How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing

    EMANUEL ROSEN: The Anatomy of Buzz : How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing
    Rosen pinpoints the products and services that benefit the most from buzz and offers strategies for creating and sustaining effective word-of-marketing campaigns.

  • Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

    Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
    Why do major changes in our society so often happen suddenly and unexpectedly? Ideas, behaviour, messages, and products often spread like outbreaks of infectious disease. This book will help you understand how social epidemics take off and reach critical mass.

  • Al Ries: The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR

    Al Ries: The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR
    Credibility is the crucial ingredient in brand building. This book explains why PR should be used to launch a brand while advertising should be used only once major PR opportunities have been realized.

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