As creatives, we know that networking and referrals are crucial to opening doors to groundbreaking career opportunities. If you’ve done an excellent job, you’ve probably earned recommendations for the friends and family of your loyal customers. Winning testimonials or referrals may have also been crucial to reel in top companies in your industry.
Whether you’re a photographer or an illustrator, you understand the importance of utilizing word-of-mouth referrals to get new clients for your business. You can checkout Kristin Wauson illustration work for some inspiration.
Though, what might surprise you is that there are numerous ways you can leverage word-of-mouth marketing as a creative. Here are some tips to help you get started.
1. Engage With Customers
They say you have to ask for what you want to get it, and the same is true for referrals. Approach long-time clients that have a good relationship with your business. Once you’ve managed to earn their trust, reach out to them with a polite email.
Here’s a sample of an email template:
Hello [name of client],
I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue working with your business. I’m currently looking to grow my client base, so I wondered if you know people that could benefit from my services?
Referrals are crucial to my business’s growth, so please let me know if anyone comes to mind.
Thanks,
Marie
Don’t be afraid to reach out to your current clients. Some will recognize your contribution and will happily recommend you to friends or family who need similar services. Regardless of your industry, it’s not unusual to ask for potential leads from people in your network. If they can’t give you a referral, then that’s okay. There’s nothing to lose by asking.
2. Ask For User-Generated Content And Customer Reviews
User-generated content is the key to generating more publicity. It has become increasingly common for businesses to tag their photographers in the caption to credit them for a job well done. Doing so may enable you to grow your followers on social media.
You can also negotiate with clients to tag you upon the publication for your social media posts. Many clients understand that creatives rely on publicity to drum up more business.
For example, this Instagram post by Shoal Bay Country Club credits the photographer of the photoshoot Tara Whiteman (@taramilktea).
Besides photos, remember to ask for customer reviews. 72% of consumers will need to read reviews before they consider making a purchase. Additionally, 70% of customers need to read at least four reviews before they can trust a business. That’s precisely why you must encourage your clients to leave reviews on your business’s relevant public platforms.
For example, Qanvast – a renovation platform that connects interior designers and clients – features reviews on an interior design firm’s profile. Clients understand the time and effort required to conceptualize their desired space and make it a reality. So, they’ll willingly leave comprehensive reviews if they’re satisfied with your work.
3.) Referral Program
Referral programs incentivize clients to make a successful referral in exchange for a reward. These rewards may be in the form of exclusive products, freebies, or discounts for your products or services.
Unlike most marketing campaigns, you will only spend money on a customer once they successfully refer a new customer to your business. So, referral programs are a cost-effective tactic to grow your customer base and reward your loyal customers.
For example, Day Designer – a store for personalized planners – has a referral program that rewards brand advocates with a 15% discount in exchange for a successful referral. Plus, there’s also an opportunity to earn commissions and share affiliate links to snag their beautiful products at discounted prices.
4. Influencer Marketing
There’s no need to be a model to become an influencer. Creatives also can grow their social media following by sharing their work of art on social media. Many social media users are on the lookout for talented artists that showcase their fantastic portfolio. They’re also likely to share their artwork by retweeting, reposting, or sharing a link with their friends.
Background painter Devin Elle Kurtz (@devinellekurtz) shares her illustrations on Instagram. Thanks to her talent, she has accumulated more than 221,000 followers.
Likewise, photographers can also encourage word-of-mouth by sharing their photos on social media. For instance, Mt. Fuji’s stunning photo by photographer Kristina Makeeva has gone viral with more than 53,000 likes.
By sharing her work, she can earn money through traffic and encourage prospects to hire her for her travel photography.
5. Exceptional Customer Service
Finally, the last and most crucial factor to ensure word-of-mouth marketing is exceptional customer service. After all, people will only recommend the business that they patronize.
Put yourself on your client’s shoes. Think about the last time you recommended a restaurant or product. It’s likely that you only promote brands that provided you with a positive consumer experience. It is because we want our friends and family to have good experiences too.
As a result, ensuring client satisfaction is crucial to getting more referrals. We highly recommend asking clients to fill-up a feedback form to determine ways to improve their happiness and improve your services.
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the services that I have provided?
- What are the pros of working with my business?
- Are there any aspects that need improvement?
- Are you likely to recommend my services to other clients?
Asking these questions will help you improve your relationship with your current clients, so they’re more likely to refer your business. Likewise, you can also ask them for potential client referrals in the future.
Leveraging Word-Of-Mouth As A Creative
Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best strategies for promoting your creative services. Many people rely on referrals to find photographers, illustrators, and designers.
The good news is there are a lot of ways to boost word-of-mouth marketing. Engage with customers, post user-generated content, share your work on social media, and provide exceptional customer service.
