The Role of Strong & Weak Ties in Business Marketing
When it comes to promoting a new product, businesses have a multitude of options. A popular one is advertising, in which promotional activities (flyers, commercials, etc) are used to draw the attention of a target audience. However, another effective method is known as word-of-mouth marketing, in which current consumers of the brand or product market the product by spreading the word to other people in their social networks.
Word-of-mouth marketing (and marketing in general) is thus very relevant to our discussion of networks — or more specifically, how strong and weak ties in a network can facilitate the spread of information. In class, we learned about Granovetter’s research on the strength of weak ties and the significant role they play in the discovery of novel information. One typically obtains new information through weak ties/acquaintances/local bridges because tightly-knit friend groups (strong ties) tend to be exposed to similar information and interests. A consequence of this is that people tend to acquire new job opportunities through acquaintances rather than close friends (Easley and Kleinberg, 2010).
The same concept theoretically applies to word-of-mouth marketing: Hu et. al (2019) reviewed past research on this topic, and the general consensus is that weak ties are most valuable t0 marketing initiatives because information transmitted through weak ties can lead to the product being more widely known across different audiences. Furthermore, the diversity of information from weak ties helps consumers make a more informed judgement regarding a product or brand.
More interestingly, Hu et. al (2019) then goes on to refute the hypothesis that weak ties are more valuable to word-of-mouth marketing than strong ties. The researchers argue that the contribution of strong ties can be more valuable because “the focus here is … on whether consumers discuss the product and, ultimately, adopt it” (p. 5). Because strong ties tend to be characterized by more frequent interactions, the probability of discussing a new product is higher. Strong ties are often also characterized by trust and interpersonal influence, so spreading information about a product via strong ties can end up helping the product sell better when one purchases it based on a close friend’s recommendation. Similarly, when someone already has a negative perception of a brand or product, a strong tie has a greater likelihood of converting that negative perspective into a positive one.
All in all, Hu et. al (2019)’s hypothesis is a new and valuable one. It ties in with our class discussion on the advantages of deeply embedded edges, where mutual friendships result in greater trust. In the context of word-of-mouth marketing, strong ties thus contribute not only to the reach, but also the sales of a product. This gives businesses a new consideration when it comes to developing marketing strategies.
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Sources:
Hu, H., Wang, L., Jiang, L., & Yang, W. (2019). Strong ties versus weak ties in word-of-mouth marketing. BRQ Business Research Quarterly, 22(4), 245-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brq.2018.10.004
Easley, D., & Kleinberg, J. (2010). Networks, crowds, and markets: Reasoning about a highly connected world. Cambridge University Press.