It almost sounds viral. Actually, it is. WOM stands for "word of mouth" and it's a form of viral marketing. It describes what folks do when they enjoy a movie or book and tell their neighbor or family member about it.

And, it works. After hearing good things about the action flick Iron Man, we checked it out yesterday and had fun. WOM got us there.

WOM is one of those non-traditional forms of marketing. It's personal and effective. And, for businesses, it's cost effective too. You may have engaged in WOM without even realizing. We do it every day at both work and home.

In Creating Buzz in the Movies, St. John's Professor Iris Mohr writes that the term WOM is frequently used interchangeably with other forms of marketing, including buzz marketing. Yet, according to Mohr, there's a line that separates the two. In fact, she writes, buzz marketing tends to come in a form that generates excitement and catches the consumer's attention in ways different from a traditional ad. The buzz marketing triggers WOM because it's a conversation starter -- the "wow" factor.

Writes Mohr: Unlike most marketing, advertising, and public relations that follow a push strategy, buzz marketing creates a “pull” by capturing attention of consumers and the media to the point where talking about your brand becomes entertaining, fascinating, and newsworthy.

Mohr uses movies as an example. Buzz marketing, she writes, will help get people to the movies. In the article, she offers several tips on how to make it happen. Obviously, the movie has to be decent, as does any product around which a marketing campaign is built. Otherwise WOM won't happen.

Most importantly, according to Mohr, is "learn how to recognize an opportunity for getting people to start a conversation about the film." That applies to anything that we're trying to sell. The consumers are out there. We just have to find creative ways to earn their attention.

Have a marketing success story of your own? We would love to hear about it.