Harnessing the power of word of mouth

Have you ever wondered if there was a way to control the power of Word of Mouth marketing for your product or service?

Jonah Berger in his recent "The Secret Science Behind Big Data And Word Of Mouth" write-up offers a nice structured approach to harnessing this elusive but highly desired marketing mechanism.

In the recent years I've worked extensively with online user communities, including building the new user community for one of my products from zero to over 800 participating members. I can attest first hand the power of genuine engagement from customers and the associated growing stream of word of mouth, amplified by natural transparency of social media.

As Product Managers attempting to engage our constituency lets keep in mind this powerful approach, and take the right first STEPPS - Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories - (refer to Jonah's article for details).