The Traditional word-of-mouth (WOM), defined as an oral form of interpersonal non-commercial communication among acquaintances (Arndt, 1967), has evolved into a new form of communication; electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). This refers to any statement made by potential, actual, and former customers about a company’s product and services via the Internet (Hennig-Thurau et.al., 2004). The advances of the Internet offer a strong ground for eWom marketing (Goodman, 2009).
You may think this is new but it’s the oldest type of marketing we know; you come across something new or funny and you share your discovery!
There is an emerging attention on the effectiveness of electronic word of mouth and it is becoming a powerful element in marketing (Godes, 2015). As online communities increase in size, number and character, marketers have come to recognize word of mouth’s growing importance (Meuter, McCabe and Curran, 2013).
via Do You Know The Importance of Electronic Word Of Mouth? | kls30’s blog.