Word of mouth is powerful but it only works if your target audience sees that there is something in it for them. If you’re trying to create buzz about your product, service, or company, you’ll get far better results if that buzz includes why it helps the consumer.

For example, I saw a blog by Michael Martine, who wrote “WOM has to serve those who spread it.” He talked about a local company who’s slogan is “We want you as one of our stark raving fans!” As he points out, no one cares what the company wants – they only care about what they themselves want.

Ask yourself what’s in it for them? What does your company, product or service have to offer them? WHY would they want to talk about it? If you have a strong, solid answer to that question, you’ve got word of mouth in the making … and a whole lot of excited consumers on the horizon.