Word of Mouth Advertising Still Reigns
A recent Inc. 500 study reveals what many of us business owners already know and that is that word of mouth advertising is still King. What percentage constitutes kingship? How about 82%. The Word of Mouth Marketing Association extracts additional percentages from the survey.
- Email marketing (58%)
- Web-based keyword purchases (51%)
- Print magazines (50%)
- Direct mail (46%)
- Web banner ads (35%)
- Print newspapers (24%)
- Television (9%)
- Billboards (6%)
These statistics were derived by asking CEOs on the Inc. 500 list how they advertise or market their products and services. I would tend to agree that a large part of our new business comes from referrals and word of mouth advertising. Treat customers right and they will naturally promote you!
Thanks to Andy for the hat tip.
About the Author: David Wallace, co-founder and CEO of SearchRank, is a recognized expert in the industry of search and social media marketing. Since 1997, David has been involved in developing successful search engine and social media marketing campaigns for large and small businesses. Follow 
Alexey | Dec 18, 2007 | Reply
I work in the Real Estate industry and deal with customers every day. Referral are much easier to deal with. You don’t have to prove how good you are, they were already sold on you.