'How did you hear about us?' Asking the question properly

Key takeaways

'How did you hear about us?' is the cheapest tracking tool a small business has, and the only one that covers social media and traditional advertising alike. It works when everyone asks it, at the same moment, and writes the answer down.

• Ask every enquirer, not only those who buy.
• Ask early in the first conversation.
• Offer 6 to 8 answers, plus 'other'.
• Review the answers once a month.

Why ask at all?

Ask because software cannot see offline life. Analytics can show that someone arrived from a search. It cannot show that they searched because a neighbour recommended you, or because they pass your van every morning. The customer is the only person who knows.

• Social media marketing vs traditional advertising: what works better for SMEs?
• How to track offline advertising: six methods that work

How should you word the question?

Ask 'Where did you first hear about us?' in a friendly, ordinary voice. 'First' matters, because people often name the last place they saw you. On a form, give a short list of choices instead of an empty box, because empty boxes collect answers such as 'online'.

• Recommendation from someone.
• Google search or maps.
• Facebook or Instagram.
• Leaflet through the door.
• Saw our van or sign.
• Local magazine or paper.
• Other, please say.

When and where should you ask?

Ask at first contact, while memory is fresh, and in every place enquiries arrive: on the phone, on the website form, in messages and at the counter. Asking only customers who buy hides the channels that bring enquiries which do not convert.

• Contact form best practices for more enquiries

How do you record the answers?

Record answers in one log with the date, the source and what happened next. Use the same category names every time, or 'FB', 'Facebook' and 'social' will become three sources. Add a second column for anything else mentioned, since many people name two places.

• Cost per lead by channel: comparing social media and offline

How reliable are the answers?

The answers are reliable in aggregate and unreliable one by one. People forget, guess or name the most recent thing. Over 50 enquiries, the pattern is still informative. Treat it as one source of evidence beside codes, dedicated numbers and platform reports.

• Marketing attribution for small businesses, kept simple
• Call tracking for small businesses: which advert made it ring?

What do you do with 'Google'?

Follow 'Google' with one more question: 'What made you search for us?' Search is often the last step, not the first. The honest answer may be a leaflet, a post or a recommendation. Without the follow-up, search takes the credit for every other channel.

• Branded search: proof your social media is working
• Word of mouth vs social media: can referrals be scaled?

How does this change spending decisions?

A month of answers shows which channels are named and which never are. Divide each channel's cost by the enquiries that named it. Paid social starts at £300–£500 a month and a leaflet drop at £300 to £750, so even a small shift guided by real answers is worth having.

• How to compare advertising ROI across online and offline
• How to split a marketing budget between traditional and digital

What are the data protection points?

The answer to this question is ordinary business information, and recording it against an enquiry is normally covered by the same lawful basis as handling the enquiry. Keep it with the customer record, do not collect more than you need and mention marketing analysis in your privacy information.

• GDPR and social media marketing in the UK

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see when the question is introduced: for the first fortnight, half the team forget to ask. Adding it as a required field on the job sheet or enquiry form fixes that. By the second month the firm has its first real picture of where work comes from.

• See client work
• Social Media Marketing for UK businesses

Checklist

• One wording, used by everyone.
• A fixed list of sources.
• Asked at first contact, on every route.
• Logged the same day.
• Reviewed monthly against spend.

Next step

Add 'Where did you first hear about us?' to your enquiry form and phone script today, with a fixed list of answers.