After a year of brands desperately infiltrating the social space, the consumers have issued a bit of a backlash. The number of people who feel their friends are credible sources of information about a company dropped from 45% in 2008 to 25% today. Before dumping your WOM stock, know that TV news, radio news and newspapers also saw significant drops in trust. It turns out the general public is becoming a fairly distrustful group. WOM marketing relies on the value people put on the opinions of others. In pursuit of more impressions, a saturation point may have been reached. Impressions are significant only when they are made with the right people. To reach them, consider making the opt-in a high priority in any campaign.
Read more about consumers’ changing trust at AdAge