A study reported in MediaPost this week reinforces what should be common sense -- offline word-of-mouth (ie., face-to-face or on the phone) is much more positive and credible than its online counterpart.
The study concluded that face-to-face conversation is more likely to be judged highly credible and more likely to lead to strong purchase intent than online conversation.
Roughly 3.5 billion WOM conversations take place every day in the U.S., with 92 percent of those
offline (75 percent face-to-face and 17 percent on the phone). Online WOM via e-mail, IM, text-messaging, blogs, chat rooms and other social media comprise seven percent of all WOM.
One explanation for the difference in credibility is that online communications often occur between people who may not know each other very well. The value of eye contact, voice and non-verbal communication like body language enhances credibility and the likelihood that information transferred will be accepted, believed and possibly acted upon, says the study.
Seven percent may not sound like much when it comes to online WOM. But that seven percent equals some 245 million WOM conversations every day. That's ten to twenty times the average number of people that might see a commercial on prime time TV.
And keep in mind that discussions online can -- and probably often do -- lead to the more credible offline WOM.
So while it's still true that there's nothing like the real thing, strong online buzz can stimulate
those face-to-face and phone conversations that can impact decisions and change minds.