User:Natdogmillionaire/Word of mouth

Social Media
Social Media is a form of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos). Social media involves the way individuals communicate with others online. Social media in itself is not word of mouth, but it is one way that word of mouth spreads. In fact, half of all word of mouth takes place online. Practitioners have started using electronic word of mouth for consumer insight through text analytics, sentiment, hashtag analytics, and other machine learning tools. However, researchers of the Keller Fay Group found discussions are often face-to-face and not primarily dominated by social media. Alluding to offline word of mouth (real life conversations) being just as persuasive as online word of mouth.

Social media as word of mouth may be controversial. Researchers can argue that social media itself isn’t word of mouth, just a way word of mouth spreads. Word of mouth is a story or verbal recommendation and some researchers view social media as a mechanism. When considering how word of mouth spreads, social media can play a factor.

Verbal Communication
Verbal communication in the literal sense is oral communication with words that you or others speak out loud. Word of mouth involves a communication channel from a messenger to a receiver. Imagine the telephone game. There are generally considered to be four types of verbal communication. Intrapersonal communication, the private and (mostly) silent conversations we have with ourselves. Interpersonal communication conversations between two individuals on a one-on-one basis. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Small group communication, such as a committee or work team meeting. Small group communication involves more than two people, but small enough for groups to let all participants speak. Public speaking, one person speaking to a large group of people.