WOMA = Word Of Mouth Advertising

The old has become new again. Everyone has always known that word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. It costs nothing. It's honest, real, authentic, genuine. Successful businesses have been built on it. Others killed by it.

You hear other terms used interchangably: Buzz or Viral marketing being the most popular. But neither of those really captures the essence of word-of-mouth. WOM is grassroots marketing, fueled by customer loyalty or disdain. If I love a product or service, I'm going to talk about it. If I hate a product or service, I'm going to talk about it.

Blogs provide the ultimate word-of-mouth manifestation. Blogs, in their purest, highest and best incarnation, are articulate and honest, sometimes brutally so. Thanks to the capabilities inherent in blog technology (comments, trackbacks), they carry an innate power -- the ability to connect, to network, and to do so at faster-than-lightning speeds.

One of the best ways to create WOM about your business is to start blogging yourself. Be careful though. Talk about what you have to offer in a way that does not come across as self-promotional. Authenticity is the order of the day. If you believe in what you have to offer, it will come across honestly in the blog.

Of course, you've got to have a product or service worth people talking about. So, what about it? Is what you offer worthy of a discussion at the water cooler?

Marketing may be dead, but people are always going to talk.