Some advantages of word of mouth marketing are:
- Word of mouth marketing increases product mentions and increases product purchases.
- It shares real product use that others remember when they need to buy the same type of product.
- It creates trust when buyers hear honest feedback from known users regularly.
- It lowers marketing cost when brands rely on unpaid customer sharing across groups.
- It identifies product issues when users openly share negative experiences after use.
- It helps brands improve offerings when feedback highlights specific usage problems clearly.
Some disadvantages of word of mouth marketing are:
- Word of mouth marketing increases customer complaints and increases product returns.
- It shows product failure when items stop working during regular use within a short period after purchase.
- It spreads outdated information when old product experiences are shared repeatedly.
- It creates confusion when different people give mixed opinions about the same product.
- It limits message control when brands cannot manage what people say publicly.
- It reaches fewer people when sharing stays within small personal networks only.