The science behind word-of-mouth that ignites customer referrals [Infographic]

 People will talk. What they say about your brand on social media has a direct impact on your bottom line. In fact, word-of-mouth is still the most influential factor in driving purchase decisions. Consider these findings:

• A Neilson study found 92 percent of people trust recommendations from friends more than all other forms of marketing.
• Another recent survey found 90 percent of people were influenced by positive online reviews in their buying decision, and 86 percent by a negative review.

These numbers are impressive, but nothing persuades like a story. Here is a true story that illustrates the power of word-of-mouth to go viral and influence countless customers.

At the end of a long day Peter Shankman rushed to catch his flight home. He realized there was no time to get a decent meal before departure and no time to stop for dinner when he arrived at home in Newark. He jokingly tweeted his favorite steakhouse the following:

Hey @Mortons – can you meet me at Newark airport with a porterhouse when I land in two hours? K, thanks. 🙂

His intention for the tweet was only to amuse himself and his Twitter followers. But what happened next is now a part of customer service legend.

A “wow” moment goes viral on social media

When he arrived in Newark, he was met by a man in a tuxedo from Morton’s with a special delivery: a 24 oz. Porterhouse steak, an order of Colossal Shrimp, a side of potatoes and a Morton’s bread roll. He was speechless.

He sent this tweet to his 100,000 followers, and as he said, “Twitter lit up like a bottle rocket.”

He then wrote a blog post about his experience. The post has 6,700 tweets and 10,600 Facebook shares. Two years later the story appears in numerous other online publications when you search for customer service examples. That’s what can happen when word-of-mouth spreads on social media.

Could you ignite this kind of word-of-mouth for your brand? This Infographic helps answer that by breaking down the science behind where and why it starts, where it is happening, and how you can make it work for you.

by Column Five Media.
Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.

If you’re looking to beef up your strategy for publishing “wow” content that resonates with your desired customers and starts word-of-mouth referrals, I can help you with that. Send me a note; I’d be glad to talk with you.