Buzz Builder: Why I'm Willing to Pay for Angie's List & Reliable Word of Mouth Recommendations

November 2009

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Why I'm Willing to Pay for Angie's List & Reliable Word of Mouth Recommendations

I'm willing to pay for quality word of mouth recommendations. I just received a note from Angie's List, one of the country's leading customer review websites of service providers with approximately 600,000 members across 124 U.S. cities, informing me that the free subscription that I've enjoyed for more than a year is ending. If I want to continue using the service, it'll cost me $27/year if I use the promo code LTRPROMO when I signup online or by phone.

I blogged positively about Angie's List last year while I had a free subscription. However, I'm frugal when it comes for paying for online subscriptions since there is so much free information available. Yet, I have been unable to find a free or paid service like Angie's List with such comprehensive listings. More importantly, I've used Angie's List to find a variety of service providers such as electricians, handymen, painters, chimney sweeps, HVAC experts, plumbers, etc. Every single highly-rated service provider that I discovered on Angie's List provided quality service at a fair price. This leads me to believe that Angie's List invests a lot effort in making sure that reviewers are non-biased "real people." I would be curious to know how they do this since I imagine that is tempting for service providers to "stuff the ballot box."

Angie's List has also given me the means to obtain an informed second opinion when friends recommend service providers. It's not like I don't trust people but I enjoy getting an opinion beyond a sample size of one.

What customer review websites with paid or unpaid access do you like? I'm always open to new services and curious to see what else is out there.

January 16, 2008 in Creating Buzz, Customer Service, Managing Buzz, Referrals | Permalink

Comments

We hope our site will provide the service that all homeowners really want. Workpost.com is currently on-line as a free site where people can post work and service providers can find work. As development continues we plan to launch a Workpost Directory where consumers will be able to review registered businesses and read reviews of potential service providers. Our goal is to have a single site where consumers can post, have service providers contact them, utilize the directory to read reviews and help the decision making process, then complete the feedback loop by reviewing the contractor that was used.

Posted by: Foreman | March 23, 2008 at 06:38 PM

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Websites

Galvin Communications
The website for my word of mouth marketing and PR firm. Sign up for The Buzz Bulletin, a free monthly eNewsletter.
WOMMA: Word of Mouth Marketing Association
An outstanding resource for word of mouth marketing information. This respected organization also puts on a variety of well-organized and information-rich events and conferences which are worth attending.

Books

Al Ries: The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR
Credibility is the crucial ingredient in brand building. This book explains why PR should be used to launch a brand while advertising should be used only once major PR opportunities have been realized.
Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Why do major changes in our society so often happen suddenly and unexpectedly? Ideas, behaviour, messages, and products often spread like outbreaks of infectious disease. This book will help you understand how social epidemics take off and reach critical mass.
EMANUEL ROSEN: The Anatomy of Buzz : How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing
Rosen pinpoints the products and services that benefit the most from buzz and offers strategies for creating and sustaining effective word-of-marketing campaigns.
Mark Hughes: Buzzmarketing
This book contains some great stories from an experienced buzz marketer that illustrate the importance of finding angles that make you stand apart from the competition. I loved the story of how getting the town of Halfway, Oregon to change its name to Half.com generated a flood of publicity. You'll learn some great practical tips from this book.
Ben McConnell: Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force
An interesting look at how to develop evangelism marketing strategies and programs that will create communities of influencers who will drive sales for your company.
Fred Reichheld: The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth
Too many companies are addicted to bad profits. These corporate steroids boost short-term earnings but burn out employees and alienate customers. Learn why the answer to one simple question can determine your company's future: Would you recommend us to a friend?
Andy Sernovitz: Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking
This is the perfect book for an entrepreneur looking for a "how-to" on word of mouth marketing rather than a theoretical or academic overview. Andy Sernovitz built the Word of Mouth Marketing Association using many of the intriguing word of mouth marketing tactics he describes. His strategies are practical for both small and large businesses as his interesting case studies demonstrate. You may put this book down a few times while reading it so you can start implementing some of its excellent ideas.
T. J. Walker: Media Training A-Z
Walker, an accomplished media trainer, provides great practical insight into maximizing the value of the media spotlight. By following his simple suggestions, you'll go into interviews much more confident and come out of them with much better results for your business.
Chip Heath: Made to Stick
This is the best business book that I've read since The Tipping Point since it provides a new way at looking at how you try to tell people about your products or services. You'll have lots of new ideas for promoting your business when you've finished reading this book. And, you'll discover that the best way to promote yourself doesn't involve spending money on marketing rather its all about learning how to tell your business stories better.
Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz: Go for No!
A great parable about a salesman who learns that every "no" brings him closer to "yes" - an important lesson for anybody who wants to create buzz.