If you think of “word-of-mouth marketing” as a way to get people to tell your story to others, you’re doomed to fail. Copyblogger’s Brian Clark has a great explanation for why that’s true. He points out that people really aren’t that into telling stories your story.
People tell stories about themselves. They even buy things in order to say something about themselves.They don’t give a hoot about your story unless it furthers their own
personal narrative. If it does, your story comes along for the ride.
And this is why providing good, interesting content is so vital to your communications effort. People are willing to talk about the product or service you provide, only insofar as your product or service makes them look good, or makes their lives better. If you can help people become better-informed, or more enthusiastic, you’re encouraging word-of-mouth marketing in a way that’s far more valuable than if you simply “tell your story” to them.
