Why word of mouth still wins for local businesses
In 2014 I started a wheelie bin cleaning business with nothing. By the time I sold it, we were doing 2,000 jobs a month.
People sometimes ask what the secret was. There wasn't one. We did a good job, we turned up when we said we would, and people told their neighbours. Then we kept showing up on Facebook, week after week, so when someone heard our name from a neighbour, they'd already seen it somewhere else too.
That's word of mouth. And for most local businesses it's still the thing that brings in the best work.
Why it works so well
A recommendation from someone you trust does something no advert can. It answers the two questions every customer has before they pick up the phone: are they any good, and can I trust them?
When your neighbour says "use them, they were brilliant", both questions are answered before you've even looked the business up.
That's why the plumber everyone in the street uses is often fully booked without spending a penny on adverts. And it's why so many good businesses stay small: they're brilliant, but only the people who've already used them know it.
The problem with word of mouth
Word of mouth is powerful, but it's slow and it's fragile.
It relies on the right conversation happening at the right moment. Someone has to need you, mention it to the right friend, and that friend has to remember your name. Then the new customer goes looking for you, and finds a website that doesn't say much, or no website at all.
The recommendation got them interested. What they find next has to carry it the rest of the way.
Give the recommendation something to point to
This is the bit most small businesses miss. When someone recommends you, what do they send?
Usually it's a phone number, or "just Google them". That's a lot of trust to hand over to a search result.
Now imagine they could send a short clip of you, the owner, explaining what you do and why you do it your way. The new customer hears your voice before they've ever spoken to you. By the time they ring, they already feel like they know you.
That's exactly why I built Get Heard Of. We make short podcast episodes about local businesses, so customers can hear who you are and what makes you different. No microphone, no studio and no editing. You tell us about your business, and we do the rest. You can share it on your website, your socials, your Google profile and WhatsApp.
Three simple things you can do this week
- Ask your best customers to tell one friend. Most happy customers are glad to, they just never think to.
- Make it easy to find you. When someone searches your name, check what they see first.
- Give people something to share. A photo of a finished job, a short video, or a podcast episode about your business. Something a friend can forward in one tap.
Hear yours for free
If you'd like to hear what your business sounds like as a podcast, get a free 45 second sample at getheardof.com. The sample is completely free: no card, no sign up and no contract.
Mark Kelly
Founder, Get Heard Of