6 Proven Ways to Get More Word-of-Mouth Referrals for Your Home Care Agency
Published on April 3, 2025 by Dan Wenger
We’ve all heard the well-known saying: ‘If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.’ But if your clients and their families love what you do, you’ll find yourself in a prime position to unlock one of the most powerful ways to grow your home care agency: the word-of-mouth referral.
Referrals from past and current clients/families are one of the best means for driving awareness of your business and generating high-quality leads – and they’re very cost-effective, too!
Studies show that referred clients:
- have a 16% higher lifetime value than non-referred clients
- are 18% less likely to churn
- are up to 25% more profitable per year
In this blog, we discuss what word-of-mouth referrals are, the myriad business benefits they offer, and six proven ways your home care agency can get more word-of-mouth referrals to boost new leads, spread brand awareness, and drive overall success.
What are word-of-mouth referrals?
Word-of-mouth referrals are when satisfied customers positively share a business, product, or service with their friends, family, or peers. These recommendations can be face-to-face or indirect (for example, via positive online reviews) and are one of the most effective ways to build trust and credibility, drive business awareness, and increase sales.
92% of customers say they trust word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising.
There are two key approaches that work well together to harness the full power of word-of-mouth referrals:
Word-of-mouth marketing
Word-of-mouth marketing is an organic or passive approach. In home care, this means that when clients and their families like what you do and have a positive experience with your agency, there’s a good chance they’ll voluntarily mention you to friends and relatives. They do this without any added incentive from your business.
When these unpaid, genuine recommendations are made online, they can be used to great effect in your digital advertising and social media campaigns to reach a wider audience (amplified word-of-mouth marketing) and are a highly effective way to build a credible reputation.
Word-of-mouth marketing is essentially free publicity for your agency, but it’s incredibly unpredictable, making it difficult to control and measure.
Referral marketing
Referral marketing, on the other hand, is a proactive approach to getting word-of-mouth recommendations, where your home care agency introduces incentives or rewards to actively encourage satisfied clients and families to spread the word.
While this approach involves some additional cost (for example, rewards, discounts, or free services), it’s a more effective way to make the outcome more predictable, repeatable, and measurable.
62% of businesses say referral marketing is their most effective marketing strategy in comparison to their other marketing channels.
Investing in a referral marketing strategy as part of your existing marketing programs can deliver numerous benefits.
Let’s take a closer look at how both approaches can propel your agency into the limelight, one satisfied client at a time.
What are the benefits of a great word-of-mouth strategy?
Word-of-mouth referrals are incredibly valuable for any business because they come from trusted sources, making them more credible and persuasive than traditional advertising.
Adopting a strong word-of-mouth strategy can deliver multiple tangible benefits for your home care agency, which include:
- It’s more cost-effective than traditional marketing
- It’s a highly trusted advertising method that builds your brand’s social proof, increasing credibility
- It spreads brand awareness
- It expands client reach to drive more sales
- It delivers targeted, high-quality leads
- It has the highest margin and the best conversion rate
- It nurtures client/family relationships to build a highly engaged community of loyal clients
- It increases retention, generating a higher lifetime value (CLV)
- It can provide valuable insights, for example, by tracking client referrals and engagement
- It can positively impact the results of your other marketing activity
How to get more word-of-mouth referrals for your home care agency
Word-of-mouth referrals can clearly play a crucial role in your home care agency’s growth, helping you build a strong reputation, stand out from the competition, and attract new clients. So, how can you generate more client and family referrals?
Here are six proven ways to get more word-of-mouth referrals for your home care agency:
1. Provide ‘above-and-beyond’ client/family experiences
At the heart of any successful word-of-mouth strategy is an unbeatable client/family experience that exceeds all expectations and leaves a memorable impression worth talking about.
From clear and consistent communication, faultless scheduling, and personalized care plans to excellent client-caregiver matching, family engagement, and more, your home care agency must provide a standout client/family experience if you’re going to get any referrals.
Only happy, satisfied clients and their families – who feel connected with your agency – will be willing to recommend your services (with or without an incentive) to others.
Carrying out regular satisfaction surveys and reviews will help you find out directly from your clients (and caregivers) where you’re doing well and which areas need improvement so you can deliver the ultimate home care experience.
2. Encourage clients and their families to share their care experiences
If you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Satisfied clients and families may not automatically think to refer your care services to friends and relatives or to leave a positive online review unless prompted.
Studies suggest that around 83% of satisfied customers would be happy to send a friend to a company they like. The problem is only 29% of those are actually making referrals.
When asking for referrals, be specific and personal, and be sure to ask at the right moment when your outstanding care services are still fresh in their minds. For example, after a smooth onboarding experience, following positive comments about a specific caregiver, or at key milestones in their care journey with your agency.
Be sure to personally thank the people who refer your agency, whether via a shout-out on your social media channel(s) or in your newsletter, a personal thank you via your client and family portal, or a simple handwritten note. This goes a long way to making clients and family members feel more inclined to endorse your agency again in the future.
You can also consider offering incentives to encourage further referrals… which moves us seamlessly to number 3!
3. Set up referral incentives
You’d probably be surprised at the number of clients, families, and caregivers who would happily refer others to your agency, given some motivation!
Offering incentives, whether as a limited-time promotion for a quick boost or through a structured referral program, can significantly increase word-of-mouth recommendations that will help you easily grow your business.
Businesses with referral programs saw 86% more revenue growth over 2 years than those without.
Get creative and try out different referral incentives over time to determine which works best for encouraging your clients and families. For example:
- Offer service discounts or upgrades
Provide a flat discount on future services, a free upgrade (e.g., limited access to a premium/new care service), or a complementary service like laundry or meal prep for a fixed period.
- Launch a seasonal or holiday referral campaign
Encourage referrals during key times of the year with holiday-themed incentives like a gift basket, subscription box, or meal delivery. You could also tie these in with relevant annual events like National Caregivers Day.
- Try two-sided incentives
Reward both the referrer and the new client (e.g., the existing client gets a service credit, and the new client receives a discount on their first month of care).
- Run limited-time promotions for a quick referral boost
Create urgency with time-sensitive offers like ‘Refer a friend this month and get double rewards!’
- Make charitable donations on behalf of referrers
Not everyone will be motivated by a personal incentive, so try giving clients/families the opportunity to choose a charity where a donation is made in their name as a reward for successful referrals instead.
- Integrate with a client loyalty program
If you have a client loyalty program, set it up so clients can earn loyalty points for making referrals that they can then redeem for services, gifts, or exclusive benefits.
- Host an exclusive referral appreciation event
Invite referrers and new clients to a special lunch or community get-together to thank them in person and further strengthen relationships.
Deciding when incentives will be triggered is also an important consideration. Think about whether you want to reward clients/families at the point of referral, once a new client has signed up, and/or after the referred client has been with your agency for a certain amount of time.
By offering valuable referral incentives and keeping them top of mind, you can quickly turn satisfied clients and their families into your most effective ambassadors.
4. Promote your referral incentives or referral program
Even the best referral incentives or programs won’t deliver optimal results if your clients and families don’t know about them! Be sure to promote them consistently through multiple channels, including:
- Email and newsletters: Send timely emails and newsletters to introduce any new incentives, followed by occasional reminders and success stories to keep referrals front of mind.
- In-app or SMS messaging: If you have a caregiver mobile app or client and family portal, use in-app notifications to regularly highlight your referral incentives or promote your referral program.
- During care consultations and check-ins: Train office staff and caregivers to mention any referral programs and incentives when speaking with clients and families, as appropriate.
- Flyers and business cards: Include printed referral program details/links on your welcome packs, invoices, and business cards.
- Social media and website banners: Regularly share referral program posts and updates on your social media channels, like Facebook and Instagram, as well as on your website.
Any referral links you provide should ideally be given unique codes so they can be tracked.
5. Make it easy for people to refer your agency
Clients and families are more likely to refer your care services if you make the process simple and seamless. By making it easy for both the referrer and the referree, you can quickly increase referrals and build trust within your community.
For example:
- Provide referral cards or brochures: Give clients something physical they can hand to friends or relatives, like a business card or brochure, including key service details and a simple way to get in touch.
- Create a dedicated referral page: Set up an easy-to-share webpage with information on your services and a quick way for referrals to contact you. If you’re offering incentives, make sure these are clearly visible, up-to-date, and coded – with clear instructions on how to claim them.
- Offer a simple online referral form: A short, user-friendly form on your website makes it easy for clients to submit a referral in just a few clicks.
- Send a follow-up message with referral details: After a positive interaction, send clients a thank-you message that includes a quick way to refer someone, such as a link or a pre-written message they can forward.
- Set up one-click sharing to social media or messaging apps so they don’t even need to type! Provide pre-written messages or shareable social media posts that clients can easily copy and send to their network with just a click.
- Send automated referral emails: Set up an email campaign that periodically reminds clients about your referral program or time-limited incentives. Include a voucher code or special offer they can claim and/or forward to friends and family.
6. Engage with your local community
In this article, we’ve focused on personal referrals that come from your past and existing clients, but it’s also worth considering professional referrals from outside your business. In this case, your agency will need to cast a wider net in the community to reach these new referral sources.
Forging relationships with professional referrers may require extra effort and investment but can deliver significant benefits.
Read our recent blog to learn more about building and strengthening professional referral partnerships to increase your client pipeline.
Tracking word-of-mouth referrals
Whichever tools and tactics you choose to use to drive word-of-mouth referrals make sure you’re tracking them in some way. This is essential to understanding which approaches are working well and delivering results and which are a waste of your time.
This can be as basic as using a spreadsheet to log referral sources, dates, and outcomes, helping you spot trends over time. Note which methods, such as referral cards, emails, or incentives, generate the most leads and adjust your strategy accordingly.
For a more cost- and time-efficient approach, consider using a CRM platform like Aaniie Care’s, which will automate referral tracking and provide real-time insights. Aaniie Care’s embedded CRM can streamline data collection, track referral conversions, and even send automated follow-ups, saving your team time while optimizing your referral strategy.
Word-of-mouth referrals are among the most powerful and cost-effective ways to grow your home care agency. By combining organic referrals with structured strategies that include incentives, you can quickly maximize your reach and attract more clients.
Ready to take your referral program to the next level? Aaniie Care’s CRM makes tracking, managing, and optimizing your referrals effortlessly easy. Contact us today or book a demo to learn how Aaniie Care can help you grow through smarter referral marketing.