how to turn your customers into free marketing

between 63% and 85% of small businesses report that word of mouth is a primary driver for gaining customers and growing their business.

What would it do for your business if every customer recommended you to someone they know? I’m guessing you would grow pretty quickly. The problem is, it feels awkward to ask for referrals and testimonials. Even if you do pluck up the courage, there’s no guarantee that they’ll remember.

I’m going to share 4 ways you can gain customers through word-of-mouth without ever needing to bring it up with your clients.

If you take action on everything in this article, your customer numbers will start to grow steadily over the next few months.

give people something worth talking about

Think of a time when you were genuinely pleasantly surprised by a business that went the extra mile. How can you give your customers that same feeling? When their friend asks, “How was lunch at that place?” or “What did you think of the new nail salon you tried?” do you want them to say It was good, thanks or You won’t believe what they did!?

The difference is in the details. The cafe with the ridiculously good seasonal drink with a mini candy cane on top; the hairdresser who creates a beautiful little reveal moment with a special spritz of perfume and a selfie station in the salon; the florist that pops a little chocolate in with the beautiful bouquet; the photographer that delivers the photos with a special handwritten note.

ACTION - Ask yourself what you can do that your customers would actually tell someone about.

create something people want to be seen with

If you’re subscribed to my emails, you may have read that Aldi have released a range of ties (yep, the thing you tie round your neck to go to the office) inspired by some of their most popular brands, including Bramwell Baked Beans. The reason I shared this, is that it’s actually a brilliant marketing technique.

Your customer can become a walking advert when your brand gives them something they’re proud to show off. That doesn’t mean you need branded merch, necessarily. A cafe could create an instantly recognisable takeaway cup; a beauty business could have an aesthetic treatment space where customers naturally want to film; a bakery could use beautiful packaging that customers want to take a photo of before opening; a gardener could stamp recycled envelopes with their logo and pop a few seeds inside to give to each customer.

ACTION - Ask yourself how your branding can exist in the physical world.

give customers a story to tell

You don’t need a budget for this one; you can simply make your customers feel like they’re in on something. Let them name your next product. Run a vote between two new desserts. Create a limited edition service based on something your customers shared with you. Create a “secret offer” that customers can share with their friends.

ACTION - Ask yourself what part of your brand story you can involve your customers in.

make recommending you ridiculously easy

Even if your customers love you, and I’m positive they do, they might not spontaneously think, I should tell 3 people about this business. You need to remove any barriers by making it as easy as possible to do so.

Give customers a simple referral code they can forward to their friend in seconds. Create a send to a friend offer which you send out via text or DM. Run competitions for the best selfie with your product for some discount. Make your social handles incredibly easy to find on your packaging.

Action - Ask yourself what’s stopping your customers from recommending you and consider ways to remove the barriers.

92% of consumers trust personal referrals above all other types of advertising

So ask yourself these 5 questions:

What is the most memorable part of my customer experience?

What could I do that would make customers want to tell someone about it?

What could my customers physically see, wear, use or photograph that represents my brand?

What story could I make customers part of that they’d want to repeat?

How easy is it for someone to currently recommend me?

If you’re not sure how to answer those questions, shoot me an email and I’ll help in any way I can. It’s hello@hannahkiddmarketing.co.uk

Love,

Hannah xo