E-WOM marketing refers to positive or negative statements made by customers about products or companies available online. There are higher and lower degrees of marketer control over e-WOM efforts, such as viral marketing which takes advantage of rapid sharing, versus independent customer forums. Common e-WOM techniques include social media marketing to brand communities and profiling customers to target relevant reviews. When done effectively, e-WOM can generate online buzz and promote products, but must feel organic to avoid backlash.