Word-of-mouth that works: getting participants to bring friends

You can spend on advertising, but no ad converts like a friend telling a friend 'trust me, you have to come'. For artisans, word-of-mouth is the number one channel: it's free, it's credible, and it lasts. The problem is most leave it to chance. The good news: it can be made systematic, by designing the experience to tell itself.

Make the experience inherently shareable

Word-of-mouth is born when the experience is so good it deserves to be told. Build it thinking of the moments people will share:

• An 'Instagrammable' moment: the finished piece in hand, the convivial table, the beautiful corner of the studio.
• Photos easy to take and receive: capture a nice moment and send it to participants. They'll share it, tagging you.
• A story to tell: the anecdote, the curious technique, the 'I had no idea it was like this'. Give them the words.
• The object that stays: every time they use the mug they made, they tell about you to whoever asks 'where did you get it?'.

Incentivize, but honestly

Spontaneous word-of-mouth can get a gentle push. Honest, never pushy ideas:

1. 'Bring a friend': formats designed for couples or groups, where coming together is nicer (and fills two seats instead of one).
2. A small reward for those who bring someone: a loyalty point, a discount on the next workshop, an extra. On Handsome referral rewards are handled with Handpoints.
3. Ask for the review at the right moment: while it's hot, when they're happy with the piece in hand. A verified review convinces ten strangers.

Verified reviews are word-of-mouth that stays

A review is word-of-mouth that doesn't fade: it stays there convincing anyone who looks at your profile, forever. On Handsome reviews are verified — only those who actually attended can leave them — so they're worth far more than any random comment. And the Handpoints system rewards customers and artisans for word-of-mouth, turning enthusiasm into a concrete mechanism, all at 0% commission.