A majority of baby boomers get asked for recommendations on products and services about 90 times every year, according to Weber Shandwick.
Nearly all (89%) of those who were asked for advice gave it to their friends, or fellow boomers. And nearly all boomers (93%) say that they consider their friends (also boomers) to be trusted sources of information.
"When it comes to word-of-mouth recommendations, boomers have both unrivaled influence and rich networks of peer advisors," said Dr. Leslie Gaines-Ross of Weber Shandwick.
As with most word-of-mouth, 84% of boomer recommendations are made face to face and 82% by phone, while only 45% are made online.
Boomers aren't alone in their preference for personal contact when it comes to word-of-mouth. In an April 2006 survey, Keller Fay Group found that US consumers vastly prefer in-person communication for marketing-relevant word-of-mouth over e-mail or other interactive channels.
When boomers do go online, many of them research products or services.
The key is to provide enough information online to fuel an offline word-of-mouth campaign.
eMarketer senior analyst (and baby boomer) David Hallerman notes that those intent on using e-mail in word-of-mouth campaigns aren't wasting their efforts either.
"When done correctly," says Mr. Hallerman, "e-mail mixed with word-of-mouth is effective because of trust — people tend to trust others they know more than they'll ever trust advertising and marketing."