Word of mouth is not limited to cutting-edge influential consumers. The majority of consumers give and get perspective on purchases, according to Forrester Research's "NACTAS Benchmark Survey."
Six in 10 US consumers surveyed said they shared product advice with family and friends.
"Four in 10 consumers neither give nor receive advice, and 6%
receive advice only," said Lisa Bradner, analyst at Forrester.
"The rest are actively involved in generating and sharing buzz."
Forrester found that the largest segment of word-of-mouth users by age was baby boomers, at 44% of the total, followed by 18- to 40-year-olds, who accounted for more than one-third of those using word of mouth.
Word-of-mouth consumers were also an optimistic group. About 90% of WoM consumers said they "always tried to make the best of every situation," compared to only about one-half of non-WoM users who agreed with that statement.
"Word of mouth is playing an increasing role in how consumers make decisions:
everything from what to buy, what doctor to see and where to travel, to
how to vote and what school to choose," said Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst at eMarketer. "It is often one of the top
sources consumers cite."
Spending on word-of-mouth marketing totaled close to $1 billion in 2006, according to PQ Media's "Word-of-Mouth Marketing Forecast: 2007-2011" report.
Get consumers to spread your message. Read eMarketer's Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Winning Friends and Influencing Customers report.