How To Get Easy Referrals For Your Business

Starting a new business is a scary and exciting time. One challenge that comes along with getting your business successfully up off the ground is acquiring new customers. One major way small businesses get this done is through easy referrals that grow your network through word of mouth from the customers that you do have. It may not seem easy, but getting these referrals isn’t all that hard if you have a plan for how to do it.

The most obvious way to go about getting a referral is simply to ask for it. If you provide a good product or service and your customer is happy they will likely be happy to do it, but not without being prompted. Asking in person is great if you have a store location, but this is still possible for people with online stores.

Have a follow-up email sent that asks your customers if they wouldn’t mind sharing their experience. One great way for this to happen is via social media, as it is so prevalent in everyone’s lives. Make sure you provide easy ways for your customer to share, such as links to your Facebook page to leave a review, or have a pre-written tweet created that they can choose to send out.

Another way to get easy referrals is by providing a simple incentive such as a coupon code to be used on a future order. While you may have very happy customers, they likely lead very busy lives and may feel like they don’t have the time to provide a referral even if they love your business.

By giving them something in return for their time, they are more likely to provide you with what you want. The incentive may seem small on your side, but your customers will greatly appreciate it and it gives them something else to discuss when describing why they like your business.

Keep in mind that there are other ways to ask for referrals without going directly to recent customers. If you send out a newsletter (and if you don’t, you should think about doing so!) make sure to include sharing links at the bottom. Be sure to provide excellent content, and by doing so you are creating an easy referral opportunity that can be sent to your entire customer base.

Something as simple as “if you enjoyed reading this, feel free to share it with a friend” can spark your customers to think about their friends who they think would benefit from your business.

Finally, remember to thank the customers that do take their time to recommend your business. Consider going one step further than sending out an auto-generated email, such as contacting the person directly on social media. Customers today love feeling connected to the businesses that they shop at, and one easy way to do that is with social media.

A quick tweet sent to a customer will not only make them feel good, but also will help establish your business as one with great customer service and great products. By developing a solid plan, you can start to generate easy referrals right away.