I just received a link to a great post from Sean Moffit. His diagram on the time it takes for an online word-of-mouth initiative to take off and find footing is spot on. The essence of online word-of-mouth is online customer relationship management; which takes time and commitment. Viral messages, you guessed it, spread fast. But one needs patience and dedication for sustainable word-of-mouth. And I'd like to underscore dedication, as in continuous monitoring, dialogue with influencers, providing networks with valuable information and resources. That's what generates word of mouth and builds brands.