A referral program cannot promote itself, it “only” promotes your company and raises awareness of your brand.
The truth is: you need to focus on program promotion to maximize referrals.
The task of standing out from the crowd of marketing communication messages and enticing people to join another referral program is not easy. Choosing from a variety of options is really just half the battle. Attracting active participants to your referral program is the real goal that referral enthusiasts strive towards.
Customer referral programs are indeed very powerful, but they will only work if they are promoted effectively. For this reason, we have prepared a few ideas for you about how to encourage your loyal customers to participate in your referral marketing program. We sincerely hope they will simplify things for you.
How to provide an excellent referral marketing program?
You must make sure that your referral program is flawless before you begin promoting it. How to do this, though? What is the best way to design a high-quality program?
#1 You need a tool
Customer referral programs can be made much easier with the right tool.
Our recommendation of EarlyParrot would be incomplete if we didn’t mention that it is an excellent choice for both new providers and referral professionals. Our referral software allows you to create any type of referral program and support it with an email campaign. EarlyParrot assists you with the whole process, e.g. selection of the program type, referral rewards, and designing the communication. In addition to branding your referral links, this software also supports SEO and helps increase awareness of your business. After opening Google Analytics, you will be able to see the difference.
#2 You need incentives
For your referral program to be successful, you need to focus on your target market and provide them with compelling incentives.
You will not make much profit if you do not provide sufficient motivation for your existing customers to share referral links or encourage referred clients to click on them and take the desired action, such as making a purchase.
#3 You need knowledge
Of course, you may not have it at first.
Here’s a guide for those of you who are just creating your first referral campaign. Following the tips in this article, you will be able to gain a better understanding of referral marketing.
The best ways to promote your referral campaign
The key to a successful referral campaign is to analyze your users’ behavioral patterns and buying habits, as well as to understand the preferences of your current and potential customers. This may sound simple, but it isn’t.
What marketing methods can you use for your referral campaign?
#1 Use existing resources
If your content attracts users’ attention, then follow their lead. Let’s say that people are visiting your landing page in increasing numbers as your website gets more popular. Promote your program on this page by taking advantage of the attention it attracts. Banner ads or pop-ups can be used to encourage users to visit the program’s dedicated page. Make sure your call to action buttons are visible, as they can bring even greater conversions!
On product pages, referral promotions can also make a difference. You can get two things done at once by placing banners near the customer reviews section. With a customer referral program (thus discount), you can encourage your potential customers to purchase, while references (i.e. social proof) will seal the deal. A combination like this may help you achieve your ultimate goal: conversion.
It is also a good idea to include your social media bio links. The power of these channels makes them worth using. In this case, we are referring to both organic and paid activities.
#2 Build a dedicated subpage and place it well
Following this, we need to figure out how to create a perfect referral page. For starters with, your referral campaign must include all of the most important details, such as:
- type of rewards system
- rewards you offer
- timelines
- terms & conditions (aka regulations)
- and the most important aspect – why it is worth joining the program
All customers, new and old, should be able to take advantage of your program. There should be a clear description of all terms and an attractive reward offering.
To test it out in practice, you may want to ask yourself: would you personally participate in such a referral program if it were promoted to you?
#3 Improve your content marketing strategy
Using content marketing requires adherence to one rule: content is king, but it has to be of high quality. Focus on providing value when writing a blog post for your company blog or social media post. Give instructions on how to register for your program or mention it casually in a post as a gentle reminder, but ALWAYS make the post worth reading. A dedicated page may also be linked and only a hint about it given in order to entice people to visit. Regardless of the type of content you choose, it must be highly engaging and relevant to your audience.
Content marketing works – year after year, the traffic driven by these channels is growing. Providing high-quality content is the key for you to benefit from it. This means it is crucial to deliver content that is helpful and educational.
That’s not all, though – take into account SEO guidelines as well. It is important that you optimize pieces of content so that they are found by Google easily. Otherwise, it will be difficult to reach a wide audience and the content will be less effective, despite being an asset for your referral program.
#4 Merge referral marketing with affiliate marketing
Is it true that affiliates or influencers can only promote products or services? Actually, they can also focus their attention on your referral program, which is quite an effective strategy. To select the best affiliates and influencers for your business, you must pick those who fit with your niche. It is also important to focus on the channels you are planning to employ and their reach.
While it may not appear so at a first glance, social media networks cater to various types of audiences.
In order to target IT professionals, you must first choose influencers and channels related to tech. YouTube creators are a good option if you need to demonstrate how your program works or how to join. If you are into beauty or fashion, Instagram may work wonders for you and your referral program. Conversely, LinkedIn posts will be sufficient if your objective is just to promote and arouse interest in the topic, provided a given affiliate or influencer has a decent following.
You can also generate social proof by posting online reviews from affiliates and influencers. This allows potential customers to see that your brand is worth following and the program is worthwhile.
People may think that if their favorite influencers are participating in the program and benefiting from it, why shouldn’t they?
#5 It’s all about deals
People are often encouraged by promotions, as it goes without saying. If you want to be noticed in a crowded market and increase referral sales (thus referral rate) you must stand out from the competition. Special deals, offers, and exclusive discounts can all make joining your referral program extremely tempting.
An early-launch program may include a $200 coupon for the first 50 people who make a successful referral. This might not just bring you referrals and attention, but also generate some buzz around your brand. It’s up to you how you play it!
Additionally, you could offer a contest and special rewards to the most active referrers. You can boost commitment with a dose of competition, and it may help you gain new customers along the way too.
Do not forget to inform every user of your website when a special offer is about to begin. You can also reach out to previous clients. That will serve as a good reminder and an enticing incentive for them to come back… and perhaps be rewarded for doing so.
#6 Email marketing still rocks
Despite social media networks being filled with posts and users’ messages, emails are still a great way to communicate. It is projected that by 2023, there will be more than 4 billion email users.
If you’re running a referral program then it’s a good idea to use an email campaign to get the word out. Your customer base can be invited via email messages (EarlyParrot automates this process). In addition, a referral newsletter is a great, underestimated option. In addition to keeping your loyal customers informed of the program, you can also announce referral contest winners.
You can also use periodic transactional emails if you don’t like the idea of launching another campaign. In what way? Make use of email signatures. Place a call to action in every email you send and provide information about your referral program. Your program can be promoted more effectively by using daily communication. In addition, you will reach people who have not subscribed to your newsletter, registered, or simply do not stay in touch.
It’s not just about the offer. Ensure you pay attention to your email title, headers, and copy. A single trigger word may cause the email to be rejected. Email inboxes are often rather full these days, so the subject line needs to be catchy.
#7 Give people a chance to share it
It can be a game-changer to add share buttons to your website. Place them at the bottom of your blog posts or in banner ads. As a general rule, you can include them wherever referral-related information is published to increase your chance of success. Your happy customers can tell their friends about your program and encourage them to join. The most popular social media platforms are likely to be used by your target audience, so be sure to include all of them in your plan.
Rather than just providing a referral code or referral link, you could send a banner saying, for example, “Give $5, grab $10”, and include share buttons. With just a click, the recipients will be able to share the information with their social media followers, and if they use the link, then they will benefit from the offer too.
Wrapping up
Both time and creativity are required for referral marketing strategies. Marketing programs need to be promoted loudly if you are to achieve your marketing objectives, such as reducing customer acquisition costs and boosting ROI. It is our hope that the tips in this article will help you accomplish your goals!