Word-of-Mouth Marketing on Social Media. Influence on Buying Decisions, Evolution and Recommendations for Companies

Marketing has changed. Imagine yourself standing in a shoe store looking for a new pair of sneakers. Which ones will you buy? Those you have seen once or twice in a TV commercial? Or those which your friends wear and recommend? Despite the effects of commercials the ''word-of-mouth'' from trusted persons has an outstanding effect on our decisions. Especially the influence of social media and its correlation with the so-called word-of-mouth-marketing had caused a certain movement in marketing. In her new book Jennifer Bettinger sheds a light on this phenomenon. She shows how word-of-mouth can have a far-reaching impact and presents a structured overview on the evolution of traditional marketing up to today''s social media marketing. She analyses modern and old marketing techniques and conducts two expert interviews. Keywords: - marketing; - word-of-mouth; - social media; - WOM; - Facebook; - Instagram