Chalk one up for tradition. Personal communication is still unbeatable WOM…offline WOM is more prevalent, positive and credible than online buzz.

First of all, word-of-mouth conversations that take place in person and over the phone are far more prevalent than those online. About 3.5 billion US WOM conversations occur daily. Offline WOM accounts for 92 percent of these. Offline is the predominant mode of WOM across all age groups.

And not only is it more prevalent, face-to-face communication is more:

• Positive in tone
• Likely to be judged “highly credible”
• Likely to lead to strong purchase intent than online talk

…………………

I’ll believe it when I see you…

Although the credibility gap may be because online communications often occur between people who don’t know each other very well, the gap exists even between people who are related or know each other. Content from a spouse, relative or best friend is rated more believable when it is shared offline, whether by phone or face to face, than online - via email, text messaging or blogs.

“Apparently, the value of eye contact, voice and perhaps even nonverbal communication provides a boost to credibility and to the likelihood that we’ll do something about what we’ve learned,” said Keller Fay COO Brad Fay, a coauthor of this WOM study.

Source

Christine Babick is a blogger at www.beneaththebrand.com. A marketing strategist and linguist, she specializes in marketing language, website text, “emo copy,” and cause and relationship marketing. More…

Article Tags: Babick | Buzz | Communication | Credibility | Personal | Research | WOM
Filed under: Research, Viral Marketing, Word of Mouth Marketing