I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: word of mouth marketing is the most important form of marketing.  Study after study proves what we’ve witnessed – people buy what other people talk about.  By a wide margin, "Recommended/Referred by a Friend" is the #1 driver of purchasing decision (company websites & blogs are #2)  In a very real way, word of mouth is all that matters.  As much as the web changes, the recommendation of someone you know or trust still means more than any pretty webpage, Flash animation, funny commercial or polished collateral.  People don’t listen to marketers, they follow people they trust.   Steve’s vaunted "reality distortion field" works: onstage at Macworld he presents an image of someone you can trust.   My wife noticed that while watching Steve’s Macworld keynote for the first time.

Speaking of friends, David Meerman Scott, the author of the bestseller "New Rules of Marketing and PR" has released a new, free eBook entitled "The New Rules of Viral Marketing: how word-of-mouse spreads your ideas for free"  where he explores this issue in greater detail.  And lo and behold, David has a chapter in the book about me and MarketingApple.com!  Check it out today and let me know what you think. 

Thanks David, and keep up the great work!  You are someone I trust.

I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: word of mouth marketing is the most important form of marketing.  Study after study proves what we’ve witnessed – people buy what other people talk about.  By a wide margin, "Recommended/Referred by a Friend" is the #1 driver of purchasing decision (company websites & blogs are #2)  In a very real way, word of mouth is all that matters.  As much as the web changes, the recommendation of someone you know or trust still means more than any pretty webpage, Flash animation, funny commercial or polished collateral.  People don’t listen to marketers, they follow people they trust.   Steve’s vaunted "reality distortion field" works: onstage at Macworld he presents an image of someone you can trust.   My wife noticed that while watching Steve’s Macworld keynote for the first time.

Speaking of friends, David Meerman Scott, the author of the bestseller "New Rules of Marketing and PR" has released a new, free eBook entitled "The New Rules of Viral Marketing: how word-of-mouse spreads your ideas for free"  where he explores this issue in greater detail.  And lo and behold, David has a chapter in the book about me and MarketingApple.com!  Check it out today and let me know what you think. 

Thanks David, and keep up the great work!  You are someone I trust.