PCA Articles

Last week, I watched a local painting contractor transform a building with a rundown front into a bright, welcoming space.

The quality of work was impeccable.

I’m sure a lot more people are likely to visit that building now, or at least admire it from afar.

I thought a contractor with such exceptional skills would be flush with work.

But when I spoke to him, he told me he barely gets enough clients.

How many people asked for his card while he was working on that building?

Zero.

It’s a common story in our industry.

Great work often goes unnoticed by everyone except the current client.

That’s why turning those happy customers into a word-of-mouth marketing engine can make a world of difference.

Why Painters Need Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Word of mouth marketing for painters is the difference between empty inboxes and phones ringing off the hooks.

Here’s why:

88% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know above all other forms of marketing.

Think about it. When someone needs a painter, what’s the first thing they do?

They ask friends, family, or neighbors.

‘Hey, who painted your living room? It looks great!’

That’s word-of-mouth in action. It’s authentic, it’s personal, and it builds trust in a way that no paid advertisement ever can.

For painters, endorsements translate directly into more jobs and steadier growth.

A single positive review or referral can lead to multiple new clients.

All because someone trusted the opinion of a family member, friend, acquaintance, or even a complete stranger online!

Why Word of Mouth Marketing Can Be Tricky

Here’s the catch: traditional word-of-mouth can be slow and unpredictable.

You can’t control when or if a satisfied customer will recommend you.

As a painter, you’re focused on delivering exceptional service.

Knowing when and how to ask for reviews and referrals is unfamiliar territory and added pressure.

You may feel awkward about bringing it up. You may not want to come across as too pushy or salesy.

You’d also want to get the timing right.

In short, you face multiple challenges.

Let’s break down the main considerations:

• Time lag: Great work today might not lead to a referral for months. Clients might forget how they felt when the project was completed or miss valuable details.
• Limited reach: Your happy customers often only tell a handful of people. Without direction, it may never come up unless someone asks them about it.
• Missed opportunities: How often do you follow up with past clients? A lack of organization might lead to untapped networks.
• No control: Apart from when or if recommendations happen, you also can’t control the format that recommendation is made in, or which platforms it is shared on.

​​These challenges are understandably frustrating. More importantly, they’re costing you business.

Building a strong reputation takes time and effort.

It’s not enough to get a few good reviews here and there. You need a steady stream of positive feedback to truly establish your painting business as the go-to choice in your area.

Many painting business marketing strategies fail because they don’t address this core issue.

What Does Automated Word-of-Mouth Marketing Do?

You have two options.

Ask for referrals, collect reviews, and encourage word-of-mouth marketing yourself.

Or switch on an automated system that does all the work.

Here’s the beauty of it:

• Asking and following up: The best time to ask for a review or referral is right after you’ve completed a project, when the client is thrilled with the results. With automation, you can send a review request at the perfect time and follow up when appropriate.
• Fresh reviews: Potential customers are more likely to rely on recent reviews to make decisions. Old reviews have diminishing returns but automation can build a steady stream of recent, positive reviews on multiple platforms.
• Improve your online reputation: According to one survey, 36% of consumers use two review sites, while 41% use three or more when evaluating local businesses. Automation helps you maintain a strong presence across the board.
• Social Proof: An automated system can gather and display your best testimonials on your website and social media, proving your skills to potential customers.
• Referral Incentives: An automated referral program can incentivize happy clients who spread the word – typically without any extra effort on your part.

The best thing about automation? All of this happens while you focus on what you do best: delivering top-notch painting services.

How to Keep Your Word-of-Mouth Marketing Always On

Customer review strategies for painters often focus solely on getting reviews. But that’s just the start.

A truly effective system ties all the following elements together while working 24/7 to boost your reputation and bring in new leads.

Here are the features your ‘always-on’ word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM) engine should have.

Sending Review Requests

The cornerstone of any WOMM system is the ability to request reviews from happy clients.

The ideal solution will automate this process by sending personalized email or text message requests at the perfect time, right after a project is completed.

When it comes to finding and using business reviews, here are the platforms consumers use the most to evaluate local businesses:

• Google (81%)
• Facebook (45%)
• Yelp (44%)
• Tripadvisor (21%)
• Better Business Bureau (20%)

Your WOMM system must be designed to make it incredibly easy for clients to leave reviews on these platforms with just a few clicks.

Also, make sure to optimize your Google Business Profile with up-to-date information, such as your company name, address, and phone number.

This profile brings customer reviews, Q&As, photos, and updates together in one place.

Website and Social Media Publishing

Once you’ve collected glowing testimonials, you must help prospective customers see them!

An automated system shares positive reviews across your website and social media channels. Take a look at how NiceJob clients Finest Painters and Ai Painting Plus have achieved this.

Reviews from happy customers make for compelling content.

Sharing them helps potential clients see the positive experiences others have had with your painting business. It helps build trust and credibility.

Referral Program Management

Turning happy clients into brand advocates doesn’t cost much – but it does require a strategic approach.

Your WOMM system must make it simple to set up and manage a referral program by automating appropriate rewards for both referrers and referees.

It will pick the best painter referral program ideas to incentivize clients and bring in new business.

Review Management

Automated system or not, you need to monitor and respond to all reviews.

Particularly the not-so-great ones.

Why? 88% of consumers are more likely to use a business that replies to all of its reviews.

To do so, you must verify your Google Business Profile. Other platforms have different options and requirements for replies.

If this sounds like a lot, an automated system might be a great idea as it can take care of all the review management work.

Centralized Dashboard & Analytics

Don’t stay in the dark! Understand the impact of your word-of-mouth marketing efforts.

A centralized dashboard allows you to monitor all your WOMM activities in one place, be it tracking reviews, referrals, or social media engagement.

These insights will help you make informed, data-driven decisions to strengthen your painting business marketing strategies.

Automated Word of Mouth Marketing Solutions for Painters

Tools like Typeform and Shopify Email make it easy to collect customer reviews and feedback.

But these tools don’t offer all the benefits that a professional word-of-mouth marketing platform like NiceJob does.

Its comprehensive suite caters to painting businesses by taking care of review, referral, and reputation management.

NiceJob makes it easy to consistently collect reviews and share them.

With NiceJob:

• You generate 4x reviews.
• Your customers become your marketers.
• Your great work automatically generates more orders.
• Your reputation grows with every job you complete.
• You can become a top-rated painting business.

I’ve seen so many skilled painters who aren’t getting as many clients as they should. Most of it is due to weak painting business marketing strategies.

There’s no reason to miss out when there’s an easy and cost-effective fix.

I know I’d rather focus on the work I’m passionate about instead of marketing it.

I’m sure you would too.

Start for free with NiceJob today and watch your painting business quickly bloom!