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Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking [Paperback]

Andy Sernovitz , Guy Kawasaki , Seth Godin
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (157 customer reviews)

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Book Description

April 30, 2012
THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY MONEY, AND AMAZON BESTSELLER

Foreword by Seth Godin. Afterword by Guy Kawasaki.

Master word of mouth marketing with this fun, practical, hands-on guide.

With straightforward advice and humor, word of mouth expert Andy Sernovitz will show you how the world's most respected and profitable companies get their best customers for free through the power of word of mouth.

Learn the five essential steps that make word of mouth work and everything you need to get started. Understand how easy it is to work with social media, viral marketing, evangelists, and buzz. Start using simple techniques that start conversations:

- 3 Reasons People Talk About You

- 4 Rules of Word of Mouth Marketing

- 5 Ts of Word of Mouth Marketing

- 6 Big Ideas: Deep Stuff That Changes Marketing Forever

Find out what sparks the irrepressible enthusiasm of Apple and TiVo fans. Understand why everyone is talking about a certain restaurant, car, band, or dry cleaner -- and why other businesses and products are ignored. Discover why some products become huge successes without a penny of promotion -- and why some multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns fail to get noticed.

Open your eyes to a new way of doing business: Honest marketing makes more money, because customers who trust you will talk about you. Learn how to be the remarkable company that people want to share with their friends.


Frequently Bought Together

Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking + Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (And Other Social Networks) + The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly
Price for all three: $40.65

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

Review

''I highly recommend this book because it is so practical, tactical, and hysterical.'' --Guy Kawasaki, author of Rules for Revolutionaries

''It's brief. It's elementary. It's obvious. But the truth often is. Read this book to relearn what you always knew just in time for it to change your business life.'' --Bob Garfield, co-host of NPR's On The Media

''No one knows word of mouth (the good, the bad, and the measurable) better than Andy Sernovitz.'' --Peter Fader, Professor, Wharton School of Business

''A quick, practical, and extremely useful guide to word of mouth marketing.'' --Emanuel Rosen, author of The Anatomy of Buzz

''This book is to Gladwell's The Tipping Point as engineering is to physics. If you want to understand the deep sociological theories behind interpersonal communication, this isn't the book for you. If you want to understand how to harness interpersonal communication to drive your business, then buy this book.'' --David Godes, Associate Professor, Harvard Business School

''Great book on WOM. Nicely written.'' --Jack Trout, author of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind and The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

''Word of mouth is the valuable currency in today's advertising-saturated world. Andy Sernovitz has written a book packed with ideas on how to do word of mouth marketing the right way.'' --Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell, authors of Creating Customer Evangelists

''Andy brings it together perfectly: the vision, the strategy, and the practical how-to. It's all here.'' --Geoff Ramsey, CEO, eMarketer

''It's an actionable guide for anyone looking to capture the power of word of mouth. Andy has written a book that shows just how simple it is to get people talking about your business. You should read this book and then tell a friend.'' --Brad Santeler, Kimberly-Clark

''A primer chock-full of great stories, tips, and exercises to make you a better word of mouth marketer, no matter what size company you work for. Read it, and you will increase your influence with your customers and make yourself more influential in your company.'' --Ed Keller and Jon Berry, authors of The Influentials

''It's easy to agree that word of mouth is important. But it's time to become students of how it works and why it is so valuable to our customers. Start or continue your journey by reading this book.'' --Bob Pearson, Dell

''Andy's approach is practical, affordable, and, best of all, ethical. Don't waste your money on mass marketing: Spend it on this book and start people talking.'' --Greg Stielstra, author of PyroMarketing

''The coolest book on the hottest topic in marketing and communication. Andy tells it all and tells it like it really is. The Five Ts are the best organizing framework for word of mouth I have seen yet. Use them and profit. No hype. No smoke and mirrors. No overblown promises.'' -- Don E. Schultz, Professor Emeritus-in-Service, Northwestern University

''There is no wasted word in this practical guide. Pure nuts-and-bolts how-to's for people who want to start implementing a word of mouth marketing program today. Other books cover the theory, but Andy gets to the actual action best.'' -- George Silverman, author of The Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing

''Another must-read if you're at all interested in word of mouth marketing.'' --Mark Hughes, author of Buzzmarketing

''Andy Sernovitz's book will give all marketers a reason to talk. Sernovitz not only legitimizes word of mouth marketing, he provides THE road map to what drives it.'' ----MaryLee Sachs, Chairman, U.S., Hill & Knowlton

''As I read through Word of Mouth Marketing, I felt, more than anything else, relieved. Relieved that we finally have a marketing author who understands the simplicity (and complexity) of this business; who recognizes that honesty is the only workable policy for advertisers; and who see --You'll learn how to be that remarkable company people want to share with their friends.

''As I read through Word of Mouth Marketing, I felt, more than anything else, relieved. Relieved that we finally have a marketing author who understands the simplicity (and complexity) of this business; who recognizes that honesty is the only workable policy for advertisers; and who sees that in a flat, information-flooded world, nothing but the right product -- a product fashioned around your customers' needs -- will cut it. Sernovitz has managed to achieve a pretty rare twofer in providing a simple, tactical, how-to guide that anyone could use to improve their communications efforts, while simultaneously sketching out a whole new philosophy for marketers and advertisers everywhere. Oh, and the guy has fun anecdotes and a readable style too. Seriously, I know you're bored silly by all those marketing texts and I am too, but this one's worth your time.'' ----Jonah Bloom, Executive Editor, Advertising Age

From the Back Cover

You can have amazing word of mouth. This fun, practical, hands-on guide will teach you how.
   
What sparks the irrepressible enthusiasm of Apple, IKEA, Harley-Davidson, Southwest, Zappos, and Patagonia fans?
   
Why is everyone talking about a certain restaurant, car, band, or dry cleaner -- and why are other businesses and products ignored? Why do some products become huge successes without a penny of promotion -- and why do some multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns fail to get noticed?
    
In this book, word of mouth expert Andy Sernovitz will teach you exactly how you can create passionate, loyal fans that do your marketing for you, for free.
   
We're going to get specific: where to start, what to do, and how to make it successful. You'll learn how to use word of mouth to become more profitable, how to spend less on marketing, and how to make your customers happier.
   
You'll learn how to be that remarkable company people want to share with their friends.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press (April 30, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9781608323661
  • ISBN-13: 978-1608323661
  • ASIN: 1608323668
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.9 x 6.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (157 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andy Sernovitz teaches word of mouth marketing and social media. He wrote the New York Times bestseller "Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking." He leads SocialMedia.org, the community for social media leaders at the world's greatest brands, and WordofMouth.org, where marketers and entrepreneurs learn to be great at word of mouth marketing.

Andy taught word of mouth marketing at Northwestern University and internet entrepreneurship at the Wharton School of Business, ran a business incubator, and started half a dozen companies. He created the Word of Mouth Marketing Association and the Association for Interactive Marketing. His fantastic blog is called "Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That!" (http://damniwish.com).

Customer Reviews

A very good, easy read. JSR  |  43 reviewers made a similar statement
If one buys the above premise, this is THE book to read. I. M. Idle  |  34 reviewers made a similar statement
Andy Sernovitz's book is a great way to get started with word of mouth marketing today. J. Stephens  |  30 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
131 of 134 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Word of Mouth Marketing - An Essential Read! November 17, 2006
By Dana
Format:Hardcover
I recently finished Andy Sernovitz's new book, "Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking". Actually, I finished it a while ago, but haven't had time to do a full blog review.

The book is a quick read - 4hrs total, give or take, and it's packed full not only of WOM theory and a bit of history, but also with some concrete ideas from real WOM marketers and a checklist or two to boot. I love checklists!

The really "shocking" thing about this book, is that it's not one of those "wow, wouldn't it be cool if our company could do that" like "Blue Ocean Strategy, but rather, a book about WHAT EVERY BUSINESS SHOULD ALREADY BE DOING WITH THEIR MARKETING. Seriously, let's look, at what the book tells me to do.

You need the Five Ts. Talkers, Topics, Tools, Taking Part and Tracking.

* Talkers: Find people who will talk about you

* Topics: Give people a reason to talk

* Tools: Help the message spread faster and farther

* Taking Part: Join the conversation

* Tracking: Measure and understand what people are saying

Andy has another tidbit that worth the price of the book (or a visit to his site). The Word of Mouth Marketing Manifesto:

1. Happy customers are your best advertising. Make people happy.

2. Marketing is easy: Earn the respect and recommendation of your customers. They will do your marketing for you, for free.

3. Ethics and good service come first.

4. UR the UE: You are the user experience (not what your ads say you are).

5. Negative word of mouth is an opportunity. Listen and learn.

6. People are already talking. Your only option is to join the conversation.

7. Be interesting or be invisible.

8.
... Read more ›
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A brainstorming guide to becoming remarkable April 21, 2008
Format:Hardcover
This book is exactly what it promises to be...a fun, practical, hands-on guide to the art of word of mouth (WOM) marketing. This book is about getting back to the basics and fueling your desire to build a remarkable organization. The quick summary of what's in the book...

* 3 Reasons People Talk About You
* 4 Rules of Word of Mouth Marketing
* 5 Ts of Word of Mouth Marketing
* 6 Big Ideas: Deep Stuff That Changes Marketing Forever

The first 59 pages of the book give a thorough, yet concise, overview of the concepts of WOM marketing. For me, the really juicy stuff began on page 61--the HOW-TO section. (That's the pragmatist in me.) Page after page, I found myself writing down ideas, usually a spin-off of something Andy's seen or done...which is a considerable amount. Going back through my notes, many of these ideas are things we can do right away along with things we should have always been doing, but somehow got off track. This book is like a brainstorming guide...it helps you focus on the WOM concepts that matter most.

Word of warning...if you're looking for detailed, data-driven analysis of WOM, this is not your book. Most of the negative reviews on Amazon criticized the book for being too "obvious" or "simple." I'd argue that it's the simple and obvious ideas that make this book so powerful, not just for marketing and PR professionals, but for anyone in your organization who interacts with your customers and prospects.

BONUS: One of the 5 Ts of Word of Mouth is TOPIC. People often latch onto the most unexpected topics and we need to have the courage to run with it. Andy uses the example of RedEnvelope. Their unexpected topic? Beautiful gift packaging. I've personally ordered from RedEnvelope...it was a gift for my mom.
... Read more ›
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59 of 70 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've just gotten into WOM marketing and so I assumed that my knowledge on the subject is limited. After reading this book, however, I came to think that I could be a marketing guru as well. The ideas described in this book could be summarized on three pages and still those pages would not be worth reading! Rules such as: make your message interesting or make it short or make it easy to remember are obvious for all those who are capable to think logically. Others (e.g. Chinese banquet example) are simply ridiculous!
I expected to learn a lot from this book. I learned nothing new. Plus, the book appear to contradict all the rules he lists: it could definitely be shorter and more interesting!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Readable guide to where marketing and pr are going June 19, 2007
Format:Hardcover
Andy Sernovitz makes a point of mentioning that word of mouth advertising is as old as mankind. However, with new online media--forums, blogs, etc.--word of mouth can travel faster and further than ever before. Therefore, marketers need to understand how to use--and how not to use--Internet tools that can nowadays make or break a company.

Andy does a superb job of explaining all this in simple language that will make sense to skilled online marketers as well as business owners and executives who are just starting to figure out what business blogs are. He gives us the big picture view of word of mouth, as well as a sizable number of useful tips on how to execute effective word of mouth activities.

The book is not all about online marketing, either. One of my favorite tips is how Andy turns client business cards into luggage tags. What a great way to get talkers talking! It's very cool that Andy not only introduces new concepts, but reminds us of old ones, like handing out logo pens, that we tend to forget as we're swept up in the Internet craze. These things still work.

One thing that surprised me is Andy's emphasis on email as a word of mouth tool, maybe even the most important word of mouth tool. I've heard so many complaints about spam and "in-box overload", you wonder how long email will hold up for conversation or any other use.

There's great stuff in here for any business, regardless of size or scope.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars boring
I read this sort of advice on blogs, or find it to be such common-sense that it isn't worth describing. There is nothing new or insightful here.
Published 1 month ago by L. Busch
5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for anyone interested in marketing!
I was assigned this book to read and present to the class in a university level marketing course. Compared to many of the other books my classmates presented, this book seemed to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Josh
5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly the book I would have written, but better
After starting a business and running it for 4 years, I discovered the secret that word of mouth is not only the most effective in marketing but that it can actually be controlled... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Verdant Green
3.0 out of 5 stars Great basics, but lacking detail and polish
I'm a big fan of Andy Sernovitz's pithy online advice about marketing and this book isn't just a rehash of what is on his blog. Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Greenbaum
5.0 out of 5 stars Word of mouth marketing
Brilliant how to book on how to easily and consistently be successful at the best and most effective way to market anything and everything
Published 5 months ago by Ian Berry
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for startups
Full of interesting thoughts and also with great ideas. Recommend it for anyone who's looking for suggestions to improve marketing of their brand.
Published 5 months ago by morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
I start reading the book with curiosity and I finished it in 24h. Its really helpful. I strongly recommend it.
Published 7 months ago by fernando
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fast Read | Fundamental Marketing but Very Important stuff!
Most of the book is fundamental marketing 101 however I feel it's useful for anyone- whether rookie marketer, new business owner, seasoned marketer or long time business owner. Read more
Published 7 months ago by brentgrab
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring read
I think every marketing and PR person, every customer service rep, and every exec should have to read this. Read more
Published 8 months ago by K. Livingood
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent & to the point!
This is a great how-to guide for beginners, and a great reminder for the professionals!

Easy, to the point tips on how to keep up an honest, interesting, and ethical... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Rebekah Grmela
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