Everyone in the world has been part of word of mouth advertising at some point in their lives. Any time you mention how great a restaurant was or rave about a movie, you are providing word of mouth advertising for that respective business.

Anyone that has been in business long enough knows that word of mouth advertising is one of the most powerful forms of advertising in the world. This form of advertising has been around for millennia and will continue regardless of technological advances. That being said, word of mouth is even more powerful now because of the World Wide Web. The reach and virility of the web has made everyone’s sphere of influence that much more powerful and effective.

Here are some ways to strengthen your word of mouth advertising:

• Leverage social media. Social networking sites like Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, YouTube and others have radically changed how your voice can affect business.
• Create an incentive for existing clients, affiliates or others to share your business with the world.
• Hold an event that creates a viral buzz (i.e. a golf tournament).
• Do something extraordinary for your clients/customers that is unexpected. They will tell a lot of people about it.
• Video is the King of Viral. It doesn't have to be perfect as long as it engages people and gives them sonething to talk about. Humor, shock, new, secrets and out of the ordinary all help create a viral video.

The Buzz / Being Viral
Ultimately, any healthy “word of mouth” campaign should create a buzz. Something that everyone is talking about. Do you remember when Budweiser came out with their “Waaaz uuup” videos/commercials? Everyone for a while was saying “Waaaz uuup” and it became a viral sensation. Viral content grows exponentially and spreads quickly. Creating that powerful buzz may be challenging, but once unleashed, it is both the most effective and the least expensive way to market your business in the world.

Creating a campaign that triggers a buzz everywhere is rarely an easy thing to do, however, implementing it is easier than you think. There are so many mediums at our disposal these days to create viral content such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter (Social Media). Alternatively, there are more traditional ways to get the buzz going such as flyers, radio, TV and qualified direct mail. Unfortunately, some of the traditional ways, except TV, which can be very cost prohibitive, rarely are capable of creating a buzz or even having any meaningful impact on your marketing efforts.

Where to start
Below are some starting questions to help you along your way to starting a viral sensation for your company. The simple questions below will help you and your staff find some areas in which it will be most effective.

• What does your target market need most?
• What does your target market want most?
• What is the current trend in your industry?
• What are your competitors doing currently that you can do better?
• If you have a product, is it addictive? (Do not include food related items)
• If you have a service, is it positively experiential for clients?
• How does your product or service make people feel?
• Does your product or service add effectiveness, efficiency or affordability to people lives?