All about SWOM

Why a "society" for word of mouth?
Why does SWOM exist?
OK, I've joined SWOM. Now what?
Who's behind SWOM?
Who are Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba?
What's the difference between SWOM and WOMMA?
Does SWOM take display ads?
Do I have to be a certain age to join?
What are SWOM's terms of usage?

Why a "society" for word of mouth?
Word of mouth is probably your chief source of attention. But how do you attract that attention? That's why there's the Society for Word of Mouth. SWOM members understand that real word of mouth doesn't come from a one-off campaign, like a viral video. It comes from an organization-wide focused effort and a grassroots-driven community that inspires passion and customer evangelism.

Why does SWOM exist?
SWOM's purpose is two-fold:

1. To be a free social network for the true believers of word of mouth (or the merely curious);
2. To be a premium educational resource for making word of mouth fundamental to the DNA of any organization.

For the second part of the mission, SWOM will host webinars, training opportunities and produce educational materials in the weeks and months ahead. Plus, we'll have in-person events. Fun events!

OK, I've joined SWOM. Now what?
There are several ways to immerse yourself into swomdom:
1. Introduce yourself in the SWOM Lobby;
2. Join or start a discussion in the Forum;
3. Join one or several specialty groups, which are typically organized by location or topic;
4. Invite co-workers or friends to become a swomi, too.

Who's behind SWOM?
Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba opened the doors to SWOM on March 7, 2008. They're SWOM's chief swomies.

Alright then. Who are Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba?
Ben and Jackie are entrepreneurs and authors. They have been researching and writing about word of mouth since 2001. Their first book, "Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force," explained how word of mouth can grow into a powerful engine for company growth. Their second book, "Citizen Marketers: When People are the Message," documented the rise of social media and how citizen-created online content can spread word of mouth exponentially. You can contact them via their SWOM profiles (Ben/Jackie). Ben and Jackie launched their blog, Church of the Customer, in 2003. It's grown into one of the world's most popular business blogs with over 168,000 subscribers.

What's the difference between SWOM and WOMMA?
WOMMA, or the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, is a non-profit trade association representing mostly large companies. It focuses on marketing as the end result of word of mouth. SWOM is a private venture of Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba, who've organized it as a social network and educational resource for individuals. It focuses on word of mouth as an operational belief system, not just a marketing platform. SWOM and WOMMA are not affiliated with one another.

Does SWOM take display ads?
Yes, as ironic as it may seem. Contact Ben to express interest.

Do I have to be a certain age to join?
You have to be at least 13 years old. You can be any height.

What are SWOM's terms of usage (or How Not to be a Turd)
SWOM is predicated on authenticity — real people who share their stories, data and experiences. It’s up to the SWOM community to maintain the highest levels of trust and authenticity, for one cannot exist without the other. To help ensure that, SWOM has established guidelines for all members to abide by. Failure to adhere to the guidelines may cause you to get trebucheted out of SWOM.

1. Give and you'll get more back.
SWOM is about sharing stories, data and experiences, not advertising or promoting your company or services. That doesn't mean you can't talk about your company, but it requires balance. If you see SWOM as a forum for blatantly selling or promoting your products or services, or those of a client, you'll be directed to SWOM's advertising opportunities and any forum or group creation deemed by SWOM to be blantant promotion will be removed. Spamming any part of the community with email messages or links blatantly selling or promoting a company, product or brand is cause for membership revocation. And for your company to be mercilessly mocked. Don't risk the shame.

2. Be real.
Using a fake name, or posing as someone you’re not, can get you arrested by any police department and charged with a crime. Within SWOM, it’ll get you kicked out. Maybe we'll call the police. Who knows. Just Be Real. Fill out your profile. We’re not asking for your most private information, like which high school teacher you secretly had a crush on (although that's a good profile question)... we think our profile questions ask for relevant data that will help illuminate your persona.

3. Don't be a turd or a troll.
Turds (or sh*theads, as others might call them) spread lies or slander. Libeling someone (saying something you know to be untrue and carried out with malicious intent) is cause for immediate expulsion from SWOM. Libelous statements against SWOM members or anyone outside the community may also cause you to get into expensive trouble with lawyers, judges and juries. It's not worth it. Turds also make obviously racist, sexist, and homophobic statements. Those turds will also likely face immediate expulsion.

Trolls are annoying. They do little but consistently criticize and hassle others. They're not skeptics; they're annoying cynics. They offer little or nothing, like Donald Rumsfeld. All SWOM members have a right to their opinion (no matter how strong, or how wrong), but being a consistent troll will probably get you the boot, too, at the discretion of SWOM's admins.

4. Ideas grow in value as they spread.
If you believe in, or advocate a position, the best way to help ensure the adoption of your position is to talk about it. Participate in forum discussions. Join a group. Share the results of a survey. Write a blog post pointing to research, data or a case study. Feel free to lurk, but the real benefit comes from being a 1 percenter.

* Have a question not covered here? Contact Ben.
* Have feedback or a suggestion about SWOM's user guidelines? Post a comment in this forum.
* Have a suggestion on how SWOM could improve? Post it in this forum.