Spread the word. Word of mouth is a powerful, but often undervalued, marketing strategy---here's how to harness it.

W hile woRd-of-mouth mARketing has always been available to marketers, it tends to be dismissed and undervalued as a legitimate strategy. check the index of any marketing or public relations textbook —a description of WOM is usually just a paragraph to a few pages long, if it’s included at all. More often than not, such a mention tends to focus squarely on the consequences of negative WOM without discussing the ramifications of positive WOM. For instance, most marketing professionals have learned that very satisfied consumers will tell an average of three people about their positive encounter while a bad experience will be shared with 10 people. WOM marketing is typically defined as the sharing of information from one person to another person or groups though human communication such as face-to-face contact, telephone, correspondence (letters, e-mail, text messaging) or social media. positive WOM, often called buzz, viral marketing or free advertising, occurs when one individual tells another individual(s) about a product or service. positive WOM is considered to be one of the most powerful forces in the marketplace, especially in health care, where services can be complex and difficult to evaluate. in health care, positive WOM from experienced and trustworthy sources can reduce the discomfort of making a medical decision. in the article, “Loyalty and positive Word of Mouth: patients and hospital personnel as advcates of a customer-centric health care Organization,” ronald Ferguson and colleagues noted that WOM helps to overcome the following: SpReAd the woRd