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<\/a>Advertising Age suggests that the growth in the use of online social networks like Facebook and Twitter have created such large networks of casual acquaintances that trust in word of mouth is eroded.<\/p>\nThe study has some lessons for small businesses, which I\u2019ll go into in a moment. However, I have to say, with all due respect, that the study\u2019s findings are problematic.\u00a0 Here are a few of my concerns:<\/p>\n
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- The finding that only 25% of people find friends and peers credible is questionable given the sample size Edelman used for this study. The firm surveyed only 500 adults, and didn\u2019t provide any demographic information that would show how the sample represents Americans as a whole (which is standard in many survey reports).\u00a0 It also doesn\u2019t say whether this was a random sample or not (and statistical evidence is only appropriate in random samples.<\/li>\n
- The study asked about credible sources of information about a company. That phrase, \u2018a company\u2019 probably means very different things to different people. To many people I know, it means companies like Exxon, General Motors, and General Foods. It doesn\u2019t mean Cheerios, Ace Hardware, or New Seasons Market. A company can be, but isn\u2019t necessarily, a brand that people talk about regularly. I wonder how asking about \u2018credible information about products or services\u201d would change the answers.<\/li>\n
- Edelman\u2019s President and CEO, Richard Edelman, says that the lesson of the study for marketers is that people have to see message in different places and from different people before they believe it. In fact, they need to see it in five different places. There is nothing mathematical in the study to back this up, and it could be seen as a blatant shill to get advertisers to return to traditional media as part of the \u2018big five.\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
However, there are some lessons for small business. People are looking for\u2026and using\u2026information to make decisions.\u00a0 Every decision is not an emotional one. You can become a great source of information for decisions. To do this:<\/p>\n
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- Make sure you, and your employees, are experts about what you sell.<\/li>\n
- Have access to industry reports to share with customers who are making important decisions. This can be kept in a \u2018resource area\u2019 at your store which could simply be behind a counter.<\/li>\n
- Print out relative \u2018consumer reports\u2019 to give customers added confidence in their decisions.<\/li>\n
- Ask for customer testimonials and post them in your store, on your website, and\/or in your newsletters.<\/li>\n
- Have access to experts you can call when customers have questions you can\u2019t answer (your salespeople, manufacturers, etcetera).<\/li>\n
- If you can\u2019t answer the customer\u2019s question right away, get their contact information and call them back when you find out. It\u2019s a great way to reach out and build a personal connection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And I guess the final recommendation: take every piece of research that you didn\u2019t conduct with a grain of salt.<\/p>\n
– Kim<\/em><\/p>\n