Now my Mom isn't the only one who thinks I am a genius.

Most people know that I am a HUGE fan of cool Word of Mouth marketing.

There are bunch of people who do it very well and a big chunk of them will be speaking (with myself) at the World of Mouth Supergenius event in Chicago on December 16.

Shameless plug aside this post isn't bout the conference and more about what the organizers did to promote the event...you see they mailed a t-shirt to all the speakers with a customized discount code as an incentive to promote your appearance. I love this idea, I love free t-shirts and I love offering discounts to people who read my blog and perhaps like to follow what I am up to.

It makes perfect sense that a conference about Word of Mouth marketing would do something Word of Mouth worthy so for that I am getting on the bandwagon and joining folks like Jason Falls and writing a post about my shirt...but unlike Jason I can't show you a photo cause my shirt is being held at Canadian Customs or something so I just made my own :)

Here is a video of Andy Sernovitz explaining the idea behind the shirts and if you are interesting in attending please use the discount code SAULISMYHERO for a $101 off the cost of the conference.

...and now the infamous "You are all horrible people" panel from MESH09!

I was lucky enough to be included on the Word of Mouth Marketing panel at the MESH Conference a few months ago and have been sitting on this video for a while because to be honest I don't like a few of my answers and more importantly I decided to do something very 'High Concept' in this panel that out of context makes me look jerky. But since I talk about being naked a lot here it would be pretty hypocritical for me not to post some videos just because I was trying to do something interesting.

The whole thing is about an hour so I have broken it up into a few smaller videos...and I think it is worth mentioning that while it seems like I am doing most of the talking (because I am a chatty girl), my panel mates, Sean Moffitt, Angie Kramer and Jacquelyn Corbett Cyr make some amazing points and the conversation would not have been as interesting without them...and yes I do call everyone in the audience "horrible people" at the end because noone knew the name of Dean Kamen's iBot Wheelchair (I didn't either) but as you will see (in video #5) that I was kidding and making what I think is an interesting point!

Hope you find the time to watch these as there is a whole university level education in these videos.

MESH 09 Word of Mouth Panel Part One! from saulcolt on Vimeo.

MESH 09 Word of Mouth Panel Part 2 from saulcolt on Vimeo.

MESH 09 Word of Mouth Marketing Panel part 3 from saulcolt on Vimeo.

MESH 09 Word of Mouth Marketing Panel part 4 from saulcolt on Vimeo.

MESH 09 Word of Mouth Marketing Panel part 5 (The Dramatic Conclusion) from saulcolt on Vimeo.

WOM + Campaigns = fail and why measurement is killing true WOM marketing!

DISCLAIMER: Just because it is Lindy Dreyer Week here at www.saulcolt.com does not mean she agrees with any of my opinions...in fact I am not sure I make a point in this post and if she had written it there would be better grammar. What I am trying to say is that I am a good kisser and I don’t mind if you pass that on. I love Root Beer and Cream Soda and my favourite sandwich is Grilled Cheese but this isn't about that, it is about Lindy Dreyer and while this is something I have been thinking about for a while this post was inspired by a conversation with her. Sure they are all my own ideas and opinions so please don't hold her responsible for my views :)

Telegraph

Telephone

Tell a Friend

Right there is the genesis of how ideas have spread throughout history.

A few posts ago I wrote about how at a recent WOM conference there was the plenty of chatter around the idea of a Word Of Mouth Campaign and how you can use it to artificially (my word, not there’s) amplify the desire to chat about your product or service. I think I have made it very clear that I am firmly in the camp of WOM needs to be a 365 day a year project (and yes, in 2012 it will be a 366 day a year project….that is the first time I have recycled a joke on this blog but I am doing it to be more green….wow, I just did it again) that is more of a lifestyle then a time limited amplified campaign. I have stated that fact a few times but have never explained why…so here goes.

A while back I was asked to participate in a WOM campaign (run by a super HUGE WOM agency) to launch a new product. The company (and I am not naming any names here) asked me to email them or log into a web site and report every time I used the product, showed anyone, spoke about the product, blogged about the product and they asked that I provide them with the email addresses of all the people I spoke to so they can contact them and see how many times they spoke about my original conversation.

At first glance I thought this wasn’t a big deal cause I actually liked the product and I would be doing all these things anyway (remember that fact…cause it is important later) well except the reporting part, so the first few days passed and I did all the reporting I was required to do and by day three I stopped talking/showing/blogging about the product because the idea of keeping track of all my conversations seemed too much like homework and the concept of Word Of Mouth became WORK of Mouth (another term I think I have created so please credit me and for most people, homework is not something you get excited for and do out of love.

WOM to me is all about love and should always the “prettiest girl or guy in the room”.

Real WOM should be something that is natural and beautiful and trying to measure it down to the decimal point is like trying to grow flowers in a desert. I imagine it is possible and you could do it for a while but can you sustain it and why would you want to?

This seems like as good a place as any to explain that I do think you need to measure your efforts (notice I didn’t say campaign) because there are 1000+ ways to reach people and get them talking and you need to know what aspects of your efforts are connecting with people so you can do more of what is working and less of what isn’t but to ask your users/fans/customers to do anything more than “be happy and let people know” is a great way to turn them off.

Forever!

If your product/service is great and you treat people well the message will spread…and you will know it because you will see more blog posts, Tweets, increased sales, brand awareness, and visits to your site.

People love to talk and with tools like social media more and more people are becoming “influencers”, so give these people what they need to “influence”…and what that is for most people is a great product and an interesting talking point. What you should never give them is a business card with a toll free number and say “call me right after you tell someone about this product” because that is, and I know I am sort of repeating myself, like giving people homework.

So what is my Smartest Man in the World solution to all of this?

I would love to see WOM agencies/companies like Buzz Agent and others who currently offering to run campaigns for big business to morph into a teaching role and start getting companies to understand that THEY [the company looking for the BUZZ] need to change their thinking on WOM and how they can implement WOM departments inside their own marketing departments because no one is going to watch closer and respond quicker to an opportunity then your own employees.

A great example of this is from Andy Sernovitz and his company Gaspedal. They are doing exactly what I am suggesting, ( BTW if you use the code "welovefreshbooks" you will get a $250 discount when you register)

Guest Post - 5 Ideas for Saul's New Book

As it is Lindy Dreyer Week here at www.saulcolt.com, I (Lindy Dreyer) happily accepted Saul's invitation to guest post while he is traveling. I hope I can fill his crazy shoes for you.

I have to say, I'm very excited about Saul's book concept. During our conversation last week, he mentioned that all the good books have been written. Clearly not the case. And he told me that the publishers were not interested in anything that went beyond a very rudimentary, basic level for WOM. The publishers may not know what the market wants...I say, we're ready for something more advanced.

So, maybe in those two, simple sentences I was able to snap Saul out of whatever was holding him back. And if there's something holding you back, well, snap out of it! (Was that inspiring?)

Here are the 5 things that I'd like to see in Saul's book, possibly the next great WOM book.

1. Hard-hitting, practical advice at an advanced level
2. Examples from non-profits and associations, as well as small businesses and Fortune 500 companies
3. A sincere, detailed and balanced view of different types of WOM, and why some types are better than others
4. A discussion of measurement, including current techniques and bigger concepts--I know. Saul is cringing.
5. Something innovative that makes the book WOM-worthy


What would you want to see in the next great WOM book? What am I missing?

WOM + B2E = Awsomesauce!

DISCLAIMER: Just because it is Lindy Dreyer Week here at www.saulcolt.com does not mean she agrees with any of my opinions...in fact I am not sure I make a point in this post and if she had written it there would be better grammar. What I am trying to say is don't hate me cause I am beautiful and clap your hands if you love ferries and pixies...personally speaking I love the Pixies and all things Frank Black but this isn't about that, it is about Lindy Dreyer and while the following posts were inspired by a conversation with her they are all my own ideas and opinions. Don't hold her responsible for my views :)

A few weeks back I was lucky enough to attend the Canadian Marketing Association's Mass to Grass – Word of Mouth Conference and I learned a few interesting things...but perhaps not what you would expect from such an event.

My biggest take away was that WOM marketing is still a mystery to some large companies and to even a few people that are working in the industry.

What I mean is there was a panel of experts who couldn't agree on "best practice" or even if WOM should be campaigns or everyday initiatives...now reading this you may be reading to yourself "Self, that must have been an interesting panel but also must have been a waste of everyone's time". Now I can only speak for myself but this was one of the cooler things I saw at the conference because I love the fact that there is still a mystery (or MAGIC) to WOM and because people can't agree says to me that there isn't only one way to do it well but rather you need to try stuff and see what works for you and your product and/or service.

Other things that caught my attention was the constant discussion around WOM campaigns. I am firmly in the camp of WOM needs to be a 365 day a year project (and in 2012 it will be a 366 day a year project because of a leap year) that is more of a lifestyle then a time limited amplified campaign. Sure you may try to push things at a launch etc but to think that you are going to work like crazy to get people to notice you and then when the month ends you slow down or stop altogether is strange to me. I am a believer that WOM has to be hard wired into you and your company's DNA if you are going to do it well and you need to make it a way of life and not a seasonal activity

Finally (and this may not make sense to all but it makes perfect sense to me..) There was a lot of talk about the difference between b2b and b2c WOM marketing. This is another thing that had me scratching my head because the point of WOM is to get people talking. These "talkers" may or may not be customers but they probably know people who could be so instead of using the terms b2b or b2c I would love to see everyone adopt the term and philosophy of B2E (business to everyone...and I think I may have coined this phrase so please give me credit from now on and while you are at it I would also like credit for "AWESOMESAUCE") because the backbone of WOM is to do remarkable things that are interesting enough for people to talk about. Remarkable things are interesting and interesting doesn't have a time limit and doesn't have to be targeted directly to one group or another because everyone loves interesting things.

I am not saying WOM is the new mass marketing but WOM IS THE NEW MASS MARKETING only with a more personal/one to one feel..you could almost say it is B2E (see what I did there!).

Everyone should be playing with WOM initiatives and keep trying different things and see what works for you because you would be amazed how powerful it is!

*Not Sure if there will be a post tomorrow as I will be travelling but when I return on Thursday I will be explaining why Measurement is Killing WOM so please come back and check it out!

Want to know the secret to getting a referral? Just ask!

One of the most sought after things in marketing (WOM or Traditional) is a genuine referral. People beat them selves up to figure out how to get these treasured acknowledgments when the simplest way to get a referral is to just ask for one.

Yep, that is the scary genius secret.

...and if you need any further proof I would like to offer the court my Exhibit "A"



This is a card I was given at the airport in Washington DC this morning. Cornelius found me a cab and even went the extra step to make sure they took credit cards (something that very few taxi's in DC do) As I was getting in to the cab I was asked to email his boss and tell them I was happy with his service.

I was happy AND I liked the idea of the card so I emailed and blogged about it.

...all because I got good service and was asked to tell folks!