Word-of-mouth marketing isn’t dead in 2024; on the contrary, it’s as prominent as ever! In the era of fake AI-created influencers, real humans with real opinions are priceless.
Think about the last time you experienced something amazing and just had to tell your friends about it.
You know what that was? Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM). It’s something we all experience almost every day. It’s no wonder that nearly half (48%) of businesses worldwide lean heavily on WOMM. Why? Because it’s a free (well, mostly) and powerful way to spread the word about products or services using loyal customers as the mouthpiece.
To really grasp the power of word-of-mouth marketing, let’s dive into some eye-opening statistics.
Ready to find out more about WOMM?
So, let’s get started.
📊 General Word-of-Mouth Statistics
| 📌 Statistic | 🔢 Percentage |
|---|---|
| 🗣️ People who talk about their favorite products with friends and family daily | 23% |
| 🗣️ People who rave about their favorite experiences weekly | 78% |
| 🛡️ People who trust a recommended brand (even from strangers) | 90% |
| 🛡️ People who trust a brand recommended by friends or family | 88% |
| 🥇 Top method for recommending businesses | Word-of-mouth |
| 🚫 People who avoid a brand after a negative story | 26% |
| 🚫 People who lose trust in a brand due to bad WOM | 21% |
🌍 The Power of Word-of-Mouth Marketing Statistics
| 📌 Statistic | 🔢 Figure |
|---|---|
| 💸 Annual global spending driven by WOM | $6 trillion |
| 💼 Contribution of WOM to global sales | 13% |
| 💥 Effectiveness of WOM over paid ads | 5x more sales |
| ❤️ People who say WOM increases brand affinity | 28% |
| 📈 Marketers who agree WOM is the most effective marketing form | 64% |
| 📊 Marketers aiming to increase online WOM spending | 70% |
| 📈 Marketers using WOM for brand awareness | 83% |
| 📈 Marketers using WOM to boost sales | 43% |
🌱 Brand Discovery Through Word-of-Mouth Statistics
| 📌 Statistic | 🔢 Percentage |
|---|---|
| 🧑🤝🧑 Millennials discovering brands via friend/family recommendations | 38% |
| 🇨🇴🇲🇽 People in Colombia and Mexico who hear about products first from WOM | 39% |
| 🎧 People discovering new podcasts via WOM | 32% |
| 📱 People becoming aware of smartphone apps through WOM | 20% |
| 🇦🇺 Australians discovering brands through search engines | 42% |
| 🇷🇴 Romanians using WOM as a product discovery method | 28% |
| 🧓 Baby Boomers discovering new brands via WOM | 16% |
| 👨👩👧 Generation X discovering products through WOM | 18% |
| 👶 Generation Z discovering new products via WOM | 12% |
🛒 Brand Consideration Through Word-of-Mouth Statistics
| 📌 Statistic | 🔢 Percentage |
|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 Chinese luxury hotel guests who consider WOM in decision-making | 17% |
| 🛒 People considering convenience store visits after WOM | 28% |
| 🎄 Consumers considering Christmas gifts based on WOM | 23% |
| 💝 People considering Valentine’s Day gifts based on WOM | 23% |
💵 Influence on Purchases Through Word-of-Mouth Statistics
| 📌 Statistic | 🔢 Percentage |
|---|---|
| 🛍️ Purchases directly influenced by WOM | 90% |
| 🇸🇬 Singaporean shoppers buying in physical stores due to WOM | 23% |
| 🍽️ Americans deciding on restaurants based on WOM | 37% |
| 📺 Electronics purchases influenced by WOM | 31% |
| 🍺 U.K. craft beer drinkers buying based on friend recommendations | 50% |
👥 How Customer Service Drives Word-of-Mouth Statistics
| 📌 Statistic | 🔢 Percentage |
|---|---|
| 😀 Satisfied customers who return and share experiences | 96% |
| 💬 Customers who tell others about a resolved issue | 4-6 people |
| 💸 Value of customer loyalty compared to a single purchase | 10x |
| 🤝 Brands with positive experiences receiving more WOM | 3x more |
| 😡 Customers sharing bad experiences | 8-16 people |
| 😤 Customers sharing after a second bad experience | 20+ people |
🏢 Word-of-Mouth for Small Business Statistics
| 📌 Statistic | 🔢 Percentage |
|---|---|
| 💼 B2B marketers using WOM to promote live events | 8% |
| 🚀 Businesses planning to use WOM in their yearly strategy | 20% |
| 📈 Small businesses using WOM for recruiting | 65% |
| 🦟 Clients coming from WOM for a mosquito fumigation service | 76% |
| 💻 Small businesses choosing software based on WOM | 46% |
| 🇺🇸 U.S. businesses using WOM as a top marketing tool | 48% |
🔄 Organic vs. Non-Organic Word-of-Mouth
Marketers need to understand that WOM can be organic or amplified.
Organic WOM naturally starts with consistently delivering great customer experiences. Satisfied customers will do the talking for you.
On the flip side, if your business isn’t getting enough buzz, you can kick things into gear with amplified WOM. This involves using marketing campaigns to generate talk around your brand.
A classic example? Tinder. When it launched in 2012, the app relied entirely on brand ambassadors to spread the word. Fast forward two years, and it had 50 million users, all thanks to WOM.
Another success story is Audible, which leveraged influencers to reach over 123 million YouTube viewers in a single campaign. By using influencers across various niches, Audible tapped into a broad audience, proving the power of amplified WOM.
While organic WOM is ideal and offers long-term benefits, amplified WOM can be a great way to jumpstart your strategy.
These statistics make it clear: word-of-mouth marketing isn’t just powerful—it’s essential. Whether organic or amplified, WOMM can shape the