My children go to a very cute international school in Valencia, Spain. It is a bit alternative, with small class sizes and a ton of natural space to freely run around in. There are horses! Why the kids wear white shirts with their uniform is beyond me, as they come home filthy most days. But it’s a lovely, nurturing environment, and they are thriving. The thing is, over the past years, the school’s communications strategy became non-existent and numbers were dwindling. Being a creative business coach, I decided to step up and help, and that is when I discovered the ultimate power of word-of mouth marketing. This is how.
The power of word-of-mouth marketing
Online banners, newspaper ads, billboards on the motor way, private schools do anything to promote themselves. Our little private school did none of that. They’re on a small budget and have no marketing team. A typical small business, putting a lot of love and care in what they do, but without much idea of how to promote themselves. Now I don’t have a lot of time for volunteering, but when it comes to my children’s school, I wanted to help.
As a creative business coach, specialised in helping small businesses, I knew exactly what to do. I knew the school’s website was out-of-date, so I grabbed the bull by the horns and spent a week jazzing it up and making it presentable and shareable, improving their messaging and overall branding. This was an essential first step.
Before word-of-mouth marketing, you need somewhere to send potential clients to. Without a good website for our school it was embarrassing to post a link on social media. Where would I sent people to? Where could they get a better feel for the place before booking a visit? How would they feel confident enough to sign up? This is important for anyone with a small business, really. Have your home in order before you invite guests around. So first things, first, the site had to be improved. Then it was time for step two.
Offering help in Facebook groups with ideal clients
For the school, the best place by far to see the power of word-of-mouth marketing at work, is Facebook. Here in Valencia, there are many Facebook groups for expats, and one of the main questions by families is always about schools. “What is the best international school in Valencia?” is a standard question. Now I am not claiming that my kids’ school is ‘the best’ (because what is best for some is worst for others), but I decided to become active in commenting whenever I spotted someone looking for help.
I didn’t recommend the school to everyone, though (know your niche!). I tended to check out people’s profiles to get some idea of who they were. It is hard to get the full picture just from that, but photos, posts and preferences often give you an idea whether someone is your ideal client or not. In this case, whether a family would like our type of school. If I sensed they would, I would comment on their post or sent a DM.
Commenting on questions in posts is called bread crumbing. Leaving a trace of your name and your link (where allowed). If it is your own creative business, you would obviously try and be humble (rather than blatantly advertising yourself), and be of help more than anything. If you were recommending someone else, you can of course be as enthusiastic as you like.
The importance of word-of-mouth marketing and honesty
I recruited at least five new families in the space of a few months. Many more people came to visit and are enrolling their children after Summer. Why? Because I am a parent, and I have my own children at this school. That immediately created a sense of trust. The other thing I did, was be absolutely honest. I didn’t try and make it more amazing or beautiful than it is, and told people about the things needing improvement at the school, too. Because, at the end of the day, the last thing you want is for people to sign up, and then be disappointed.
Honesty is key when using the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Creating trust and a welcoming environment is super important for a client to feel safe to sign up (especially when it comes to a place to send their kids).
Turn happy clients into ambassadors
The school could have gone and spend thousands on advertising, but to have a few happy parents as ambassadors doing the legwork for them, is worth their weight in gold. It works.
What about your business? How can you turn your happy clients into ambassadors? Have you collected testimonials lately? Have you asked your clients to recommend you? Think about this today. Rather than look into spending your money on google ads, perhaps the most powerful marketing tools are right there in your loyal audience.
Need marketing help? I am a business coach for creatives and solopreneurs.
