The "word of mouth (WOM)" concept (or phenomenon) is considered to be one of the most effective ways to give a brand a prominent position in the mainstream market or in the niche populace that it is catered for. The concept is founded on trust, satisfaction, and commitment and it is also the most cost-effective approaches in advertising. Put simply, it is a kind of "buzz" marketing where customers of a certain product or service amplify the value of that product through excellent reviews and authentic persuasion. It does sound simple, but in reality, success in WOM is extremely difficult to achieve.
Today's marketing world has plenty of advanced tools that marketers can effectively use to improve their product's popularity. There has been a sudden boom of viral videos, a strong growth in social media engagements, and even an upsurge of 'organic' online communities that campaign for the success of a certain entity. The problem here is that it will need an immense amount of creativity and hard work. Only the best minds can go through this battle and end up winning.
Often, marketers target online communities called "forums," which are groups of online users who discuss various topics-from films and music records, to restaurants and online casinos-posted through threads. Web forums are very influential when it comes to informing other users of how excellent or dreadful a certain product is. The discussions are highly organic and come directly from the users' personal experience. Hence, this is the kind of market group that brands would want to foray into and dominate later on.
Internet forums are viable examples of modern WOM. The rise of Web-based communication has made advertising more global and accessible even by the most remote markets. Message boards serve as users' main resource to check whether certain products or services are indeed worthy of their time, efforts, and money. The case is especially true to online betting, in which thousands of casinos compete for the trust and loyalty of customers. With online communities, customers are taught to become more cautious of their decisions when it comes to making memberships. Threads can help a lot in determining which operators are authentic and which ones are bogus. The forums also help users know when to sign up and what to look for (e.g. bonuses, games offered, etc.) in an online gaming or sports betting company.
Internet forums for online gambling are generally divided based on games. Some forums discuss baccarat or poker, others feature slots or blackjack. These divisions are called categories or subcategories. They may be of general sense (such as a discussion on which online casinos are the best), but they can also be very specific (example: a thread that discusses betting options in roulette). In any case, they give players and potential members a good overview on what's in and what out as well as the do's and don'ts.