WOM Advertising: Fad or Future?

I just read Dr. Ivan Misner's short article on word of mouth (WOM) advertising. For those who don't know, Dr. Misner is the founder of BNI (Business Networking International), and has coached and taught members worldwide on this concept. In 2008, BNI celebrated approximately 115,000 members, 5300 chapters, 5.6 million referrals and $2.3 billion in business. Given that's when the recession began, that's a staggering fact! Members give referrals and live by "Givers Gain", the driving philosophy behind BNI's success.

The article reported that WOM is becoming the preferred marketing strategy among professionals. This is not new information to BNI members. My questions tonight are:

1. Do you have a preferred method of marketing that is working for you?

2. Do you believe in WOM?

3. Do you belong to any networking groups for your business?

4. What do you see as the future for marketing a business into success?

Article link: http://networking.entrepreneur.com/2009/09/10/word-of-mouth-a-growing-segment-in-advertising/comment-page-1/#comment-2982

OK. time to get back to work.