Introduction
Keeping customers engaged and interested in your referral program is key to the success of your program. These guidelines will help to boost your referral program performance.
Overview
Step 1: Reward Senders and Receivers equally
The best referral programs reward both new and returning customers for participating. However, a referral program that doesn't reward both sides equally is more likely to suffer poor engagement rates.
By rewarding your Senders and Receivers in the same way (such as $10 off for each person), you not only make your referral program easier to understand but also increase the sense of shared value. This makes it more attractive to new customers and encourages existing customers to help spread the word about your program.
📝 Smile Pro Tip: update your referral rewards and monitor in Smile Analytics to see the change in Completed Referrals.
Step 2: Use a branded referral message
Your referral message is a fantastic way to expand your marketing reach, especially if you brand it properly. Customized messaging not only increases the trust new customers have in your referral link, but also improves the odds of customers engaging with it.
You can easily brand your referral messages in a number of ways:
Include your logo in the share image
Use images that show what you sell
Tell the Receiver what's in it for them
Use words like "I" and "My"
Keep it current
Each of these small changes can have a huge impact on a customer's desire to share your referral message.
Every brand impression matters, so make sure that each referral your customers share keeps the focus on your business.
📝 Smile Pro Tip: a well crafted referral message has a big impact, so give it the attention it deserves! ✨
Step 3: Make sure your most loyal customers know about it
No one's more qualified to use your referral program than your best customers. With an interest in your brand, your most loyal customers are already your best advocates. That means you should be mobilizing them with your referral program!
You can promote your referral program with emails by:
Designing a campaign that targets your best customers
Describing how your program works
Letting customers know how they can participate
Showing customers what they can earn by participating.
Each of these emails will get them excited about earning more rewards and give them the knowledge they need to start spreading the word.
You can supplement referral email campaigns with:
On-site calls-to-action
A dedicated program page
Social media marketing
📝 Smile Pro Tip: If you're on Shopify/BigCommerce and are on the Starter plan or above, you can easily put together an amazing referral marketing campaign by linking your existing email service provider with Smile Apps.
📋 Note: app integrations are not currently available for the Wix platform.
What's next?
Is my rewards program set up correctly?
Learn more