Driving Sales with User-generated Content: How Word of Mouth Impacts Manufacturers Online

Published by Bazaarvoice on Oct 24, 2007

Today's consumer is inundated with advertising. It's so ubiquitous, it becomes ignored. What's more, 75% of people don't believe that companies tell the truth in advertisements, according to Yankelovich, a consumer research company. So, who can speak for a brand and have a real impact? Customers, in their own words. User-generated content "defined as information generated not by a business or media outlet, but by a user of such online assets" drives Web 2.0. When businesses enable customers "or users" to write reviews, ask or answer questions from the community, or share experiences, they create conversations that become the most powerful form of marketing - word of mouth marketing.