Word-of-mouth is the most effective way to recruit learners.  However, there are a lot of other strategies to get the word out:

Share your success. (Success breeds success.)

• Encourage your learners to tell others about your program.
• Ask learners, volunteers and supporters to follow you on social media.
• Share successes on social media, the radio and in the newspaper. 
• Use your learners’ words to describe programs.

Build name recognition.

• Visit other community agencies and service providers to build referrals. 
• Invite a program participant to come with you when you present.
• Attend local events, so community members learn about your agency. 
• Ask partners to link to your website.
• Promise only what you can deliver.

Invite people to see your space.

• Invite community members to see your programs in action.
• Host an event (a book giveaway, health workshop, etc.).

Plan for ongoing recruitment.

• Distribute flyers throughout the community.
• Follow up with anyone who expresses an interest in the program. 
• Assign a staff or volunteer to recruitment activities. 

Evaluate your recruitment efforts.

• Ask learners how they learned about your agency; track their answers.
   

Resources:
“Recruitment and Retention of Students for Literacy Programs” from the NCFL Comprehensive Recruitment and Retention Toolkit.
http://www.floridaliteracy.org/toolkitfiles/AdultLearnersOverview.pdf