A global study from Nielsen this month finds that "'Word of Mouth' is the most powerful selling tool," with 78% of respondents completely or somewhat TRUSTing the recommendation of other consumers.

Compared to various flavors of paid (vs. earned) media, the online study of 26,000+ consumers revealed that 63% of respondents trust newspaper ads, 56% trust TV spots and magazine placements, 34% trust search ads and 26% trust banner ads.

If you're seeking to integrate word of mouth (WOM) marketing into your plans, you may also find helpful this summary of the webinar "7 Key Insights for Joining America's Conversation," from the Keller Fay Group. Founded in early 2006 by two long-time senior execs of Roper & NOP World (now GfK), The Keller Fay Group is the first market research outfit to conduct a continuous study of both offline and online word of mouth from a nationally representative sample. Highlights from the session are below -- with our commentary in italics.

1. Decisions are Conversations

• The Average American engages in 105 conversations a week about products and services.
• Consumers talk about many categories...with the two leading categories being Food and Dining and Media and Entertainment.

2. Word of Mouth is Mostly Face-to-Face

• 73% of marketing-related conversations are In-Person vs. by phone (17%) and online (10%).
• For any organization that's not engaging a word of mouth (WOM) research company, look online to gauge word of mouth informally around your brands, competitors and industry. Online talk is a reasonable proxy for what's happening offline. "Talkers" online leave a digital trail that you can find my scanning relevant forums, message boards and by using blog search tools such as Technorati and IceRocket. Here you can find unsolicited opinions and insights that can inform your business.

3. Word of Mouth is Mostly Positive

• Seven times the rate of "mostly negative" references.
• Of course, if a friend tells us they tried a new restaurant, for example, where the food was mediocre and the service lousy, we’re actually less likely to try that restaurant than the person who told us is, to return. So engaging in conversation is important: we can better understand what's working and negative comments can help us improve.

4. Word of Mouth Has Impact

• It's credible, believable (55%) and it fuels others to pass along information to others (49%), purchase (49%) or seek information (34%)

5. Authentic Customer-Based WOM is Most Effective

• People on the "receiving side" of WOM are more impressed by advice given by a true customer of the brand.
• Consistently study after study shows that consumers trust WOM from people like themselves over paid media such as advertising.

6. Marketing & Media Are A Key Part of WOM

• Nearly 1 in 2 brand conversations refer to brand marketing or media
• If two recent reports on the state of TRUST and INFLUENCE of paid media are any indication, maybe it's time to think about reallocating -- or better integrating -- paid media dollars to strategies that produce WOM-worthy outcomes. The reports? A. The global study from Nielsen; and B. A new guide from Magazine Publishers of America that aggregates findings about the role of traditional media in influencing consumer purchase decisions and online behavior. Find key findings about traditional media synergies here.