Word of mouth vs word of blog

Howard Lake | 29 June 2009 | Blogs

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• Digital

If you are seeking to increase the number of your charity’s supporters then stop blogging or tweetering for a minute and pay attention to this useful nugget of information:

Market research on consumer behaviour conducted by Mintel, reveals that 34% of Internet users in the US who bought a product or service based on a recommendation got that tip from a friend or relative, while 25% of purchasers based their decision on advice from a spouse or partner. And only, 5% of them made a purchase as a result of reading a blog.

In other words, for today’s consumers the word of mouth recommendation by a friend or relative (59%) remains much highly rated than recommendations by strangers through blogs or chat rooms (10%).

Isn’t it interesting to see that despite of spending a great deal of time online people still prefer recommendations by those we know and trust.

What is the relevance of this information for your charity and your work?

Well, if as consumers people like to recommend products to their friends and relatives then as donors they are probably willing to recommend your charity to them as a great cause to support.

So, what can you do to get your present donors enthusiastic about your cause and turn them into your ambassadors in their local community, church, home group or work place…?

Here are three key questions:

1. What do you think are the best things that donors love about your charity or your cause?
2. How does involvement in your work make them feel?
3. How can you help your most delighted donors to recommend your work to their friends and relatives and enlist support for your cause?

Any suggestions…. I for a start will begin to think how I can spread the word about my favourite causes to my friends and see what happens.. I promise to let you know.

Redina Kolaneci
www.mcconkey-johnston.co.uk

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.