Word-of-mouth, networking events and other referral channels can be very valuable for any business. However, relying on referrals too much and neglecting your marketing because ‘it’s working well’ could leave you high and dry if times get tough or you’ve exhausted your options.
Diversifying your marketing from referrals and word-of-mouth can help you receive steady leads even during downturns, giving you different options to rely on when other avenues decrease. I recently shared my insights on this very topic with the Gold Coast Leaders. This is what I had to say.
Firstly, what are referrals?
Referrals are like a recommendation from one person to another to use your business. This may be word-of-mouth, recommendations from past clients, networking events and similar. It can also be used to refer to traffic that comes to your website from a third-party, such as referral traffic from social media platforms. With the future of marketing changing frequently it’s important to diversify further than just word of mouth business.
So what’s the risk of over-relying on referral traffic then?
The risk of over-relying on referral traffic is that you’re relying on external factors. If you’re only focusing or relying on referrals, if they slow down, you can find your business quickly drying up. As many marketing strategies can take time to ‘work’ effectively, like search engine optimisation and paid ads, this can leave you in a tricky position.
Ryan says:
“Referrals are great but what happens when you have a quiet patch, or maybe a PR nightmare that causes you to lose that positive goodwill that you’ve built? Well, this may cause your business to look very different.”
How to Diversity Your Marketing Beyond Referrals in 2025
Build a multi-channel digital presence.
A multi-channel digital marketing presence is essential. It not only meets your audience where they are — especially if you’re marketing to younger audiences — but also gives you fallbacks if and when one dips, whether permanent or temporary. This doesn’t just mean using different platforms, like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, for social media, but also different marketing channels themselves, such as organic Google, paid ads, Google Business Profile, Bing, YouTube, email marketing and more.
Think of diversifying your marketing like investing in EFTs, group funds or superannuation. The more diverse your strategy, the less risk. Ryan says the key is meeting your audience where you are, finding the platforms for your target demographics and going from there.
Leverage paid ads for predictable lead generation.
Like referrals, search engine optimisation and social media can be unpredictable. There may be times the algorithms for these platforms mean your rankings take a dip on Google or your views on social media drop a bit. This can take time to build back up again. Paid ads give you control over your pipeline, turning to them when you need more leads, easily scaling back when you’re more in demand.
It’s not just the scalability of ads that makes them ideal for diversifying your marketing, but also the data-driven insights they provide. This data not only tells you exactly how your ads are performing but can be put back into your ads to make them work even better for your business. Those insights on keywords, demographics and even lead times can help you refine your targeting, messaging and budget allocation for better results over time, giving you a better return on investment.
Invest in thought leadership and your personal branding.
As a business owner or leader, you have incredible, potentially untapped, marketing power. Consumers are more likely to connect with a person over a faceless business, so building your personal brand can be highly beneficial. Especially when dealing with the Younger generations, who are searching & buying differently.
It also doesn’t have to be difficult, utilising platforms like LinkedIn, blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, Reels and more to share educational content, engage in industry discussions and connect with your community.
“By sharing your expertise and putting your voice out there, you become the person people think of when they need help in your area of expertise.”
Focus on long-term relationship building through email marketing.
Email marketing is a powerful tool for nurturing long-term relationships with existing or not-yet-to-be customers or clients. While social media and search engine algorithms change (and can disappear), your email list is something you own and control. Utilising that with regular, value-packed emails will help keep your brand at the top of mind.
You can also use automated email funnels to nurture people at the right time. For example, automated emails that welcome people to your subscriber list or when they become a new client or customer, to remind them of an abandoned cart or reminder emails when they’re due for another appointment or product refill, depending on your business. It can all help bring in new customers/clients and encourage repeat business.
Experiment with video and social proof.
Not even that long ago, video content was ‘nice to have’. Now, it’s essential for a business looking to grow and stand out. Whether it’s customer testimonials and case studies, stories and Reels showing behind the scenes, videos of your products or end results, or other relatable content, it all helps build trust and show social proof people can see with their own eyes, especially for younger audiences.
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube also make it easier than ever to make content and use it scale very quickly. You don’t need a professional camera. Any newer model smartphone typically has a great camera, and most headphones will have a microphone that will do the trick if you don’t want to purchase one.
TIP: User-generated Video Content Is Crushing It Online
Video content is becoming increasingly popular, however, this doesn’t mean you need expensive &fancy production. Often user-generated or lower-quality video content feels more genuine or real, and less like an Ad.
Use data to optimise and scale.
During his presentation for Gold Coast Leaders, Ryan stressed the importance of using data to scale any marketing strategy. Tracking key metrics, like conversion rates, cost-per-click and customer acquisition costs, can show you what’s working and levelling up your business, and what’s not. Keep in mind, some marketing activities aren’t directed at lead generation, so it’s important to also keep that in mind, but all data is valuable.
“Data is your best friend. It helps you make smarter decisions and scale what’s working.”
Rather than using guesswork, data-driven marketing gives you the exact information you need to refine your strategies and make the most of your marketing budget.
Remember, SEO is a Long Game, Not a Quick Fix
At Digital Surfer, we are committed and renowned for performance-driven marketing strategies that help businesses level up. It’s how we’ve amassed more than 10 awards, and have been named a ‘masterclass in excellence’ by the judges of the 2025 APAC Search Awards.
Contact us for a free consultation with Ryan and our award-winning digital marketing team.
