Everything that makes launch day work is decided before it. This section covers the pre-launch groundwork: choosing the channels you will announce on and budgeting for them, drafting the in-product and email messages, and building the landing pages and shareable assets your referrers and referees will land on.
Plan the right channels and budget for referral GTM.Plan the right channels and budget
In-product messages
Utilize in-product messages and banners to seamlessly integrate the referral program into the user experience. Targeting users directly within your product can drive awareness and encourage participation at critical engagement points, such as after a successful transaction or achieving a milestone.
JOIN keeps its referral prompt at the edge of the dashboard, visible during normal work rather than interrupting it.New users onboarding
Incorporate the referral program into your new user onboarding flow as a final step. This ensures every new user is aware of the opportunity to earn rewards. By introducing the program at the end of the onboarding process, you can seamlessly highlight its benefits and encourage immediate participation, setting users up for success from the start.
Incorporate your sales & customer success team
Empower your sales and customer success teams to introduce the referral program during client interactions, ensuring they are well-equipped with key messaging and incentives. This approach allows for personalized outreach, tapping into the team's relationships to boost program participation and build trust.
Updating profiles and signatures
Adding referral messages to bios and email signatures is an easy way to amplify visibility. It leverages existing channels like LinkedIn and email to passively promote the program, reaching professional networks with minimal effort.
Prepare email campaigns
Leverage email outreach to address existing users with personalized invitations to join the referral program. Highlight the benefits and rewards clearly while maintaining a sense of urgency to boost participation rates and keep the program top of mind.
Run newsletters
Incorporate the referral program launch into your newsletter strategy (for existing and potential new customers). You can even include it as a continuous call-to-action to inform users of the program's benefits. This keeps awareness high.
Prepare website landing page
Enhance visibility by creating a dedicated landing page for your referral program (see details below). This will not only attract attention from potential leads but could also appeal to affiliates and influencers, making it easier for them to engage with and promote your program.
Promote the referral program on social platforms like X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or Snapchat. It really depends on where you can locate your target audience (e.g., vertical SaaS for hairdressers who would rather use Instagram or TikTok) to reach the right audience and tap into your users' networks. Create compelling content that showcases success stories, user testimonials, and clear calls to action to amplify the program’s visibility and appeal.
Depending on your company size and stage, $5–10k ad spend is reasonable to promote and kick-start the go-live of your referral program.
Communities and forums (Slack / Reddit)
Engage with relevant communities and forums, such as Slack groups or Reddit threads, to foster organic conversations about the referral program. Encourage users to share their experiences and benefits, leveraging community trust to drive program credibility and adoption.
Influencers and partners
Partner with influencers and partners who resonate with your target audience to amplify the reach of your referral program. Leverage their credibility and established trust within their communities to create authentic content highlighting the benefits and rewards of participating in the program.
Plan and draft the right messages
In-app messages are used to build trust in the referral program, create fear of missing out and provide social proof.
Make them short and crisp with a concise headline that clearly explains the reward to the referrer. Briefly describe the reward details in the smaller text. Make them appear when a new user logs-in or after crucial moments of delight (first transaction, upgraded to a higher paid plan, high NPS score).
Add email notifications to nudge referrals and increase engagement outside your product. A well-written referral email should be clear, concise, and personalized. It should directly address the recipient and explain the benefits of the referral program. Include a strong call to action, a unique referral link, and visual elements to grab attention.
There are several types of referral email templates you could choose from:
| Email type | Purpose |
|---|
| Invitation Emails | Introduce the referral program to customers and invite them to participate. |
| Notification Emails | Inform customers when someone they referred has taken an action, such as signing up or making a purchase. |
| Thank You/Re-engagement Emails | Show appreciation to customers for their referrals and encourage them to continue participating. |
| Reminder Emails | Remind customers about the referral program and any pending rewards they can earn. |
| Mass Emails | Reach a larger audience quickly, offering a compelling reason to join the referral program. |
To create an engaging go-live post for X and LinkedIn announcing your user referral program, start with a compelling hook that grabs attention, such as "Exciting news! Our Referral Program is now LIVE!"
Clearly outline the steps for participating and highlight the reward, whether it's discounts, monetary payouts, or exclusive perks.
Use a carousel or a cheatsheet visual to detail each step and showcase the benefits. This makes it easy for users to understand how to join and what they can gain. Encourage followers to refer today and amplify your message with a strong call to action.
Don’t forget to make your employees spread the news as well.
Blockpit's go-live post states both sides of the reward in the first line, which is what makes a launch post scannable in a feed.Prepare the landing page of your new program for ambassadors
A dedicated landing page on your website is crucial for any referral program. This page should clearly outline the program's benefits, structure, reward system, and payout terms (such as referral-based, one-time, or lifetime rewards). An excellent example of this is Fellow's ambassador program page. Make sure your landing page includes:
- An easy-to-understand value proposition.
- Visualize what’s in it for the referrer.
- Describe the referral process.
- Include a clear CTA to get started.
- Maintain a FAQ.
- Provide assets for sharing (message templates, media kit), see below.
Typeform's referral page covers the value proposition, the reward and the CTA above the fold, which is the minimum a landing page has to do.Prepare assets for referrers and influencers
Empower your referrers with user-friendly resources: Provide customizable templates that highlight your product's key benefits, focusing on how it solves specific problems. Incorporate compelling social proof, such as user testimonials or case studies, to showcase the real-world impact. Don't forget to include a strong, clear call to action to guide potential customers.
Referral resource example (inspired by tl;dv):
- Customizable email templates.
- Social media post suggestions.
- Shareable infographics showcasing product benefits.
- Short video tutorials for quick demonstrations.
- FAQ document addressing common prospect questions.
Equip your users with clear, concise messaging that effectively communicates your product's value proposition. Provide them with easy-to-use templates highlighting key benefits and unique selling points. For example, Butter offers a template for users to easily share the product's value.
Utilize your product's features to create organic referral opportunities. When users generate shareable content through your platform, such as presentations in Pitch or AI-generated meeting summaries with tl;dv, it naturally showcases your product's capabilities to potential new users.
Offer pre-written social media posts for effortless sharing. Here's an example from Gmelius:
Pre-written posts remove the hardest part of referring: Gmelius gives referrers the words and leaves only the link to drop in.To ensure you attract the right leads, provide clear guidelines on your ideal user profile. This helps potential referrers understand who would benefit most from your product. Some companies take this a step further by implementing smart referral systems. For example, certain platforms can analyze your contacts and suggest potential leads based on factors like email domains, ensuring a higher likelihood of finding well-matched customers.
Prepare the landing page for referees
The principles that apply to referrers also hold true for referees. Boost signup conversions by designing a personalized referral landing page that caters to the specific needs and expectations of new users, while leveraging social proof.
Superhuman names the person who referred you on the page itself, which is the personalization that moves referee conversion.Naming the referrer on that page is what makes it work. The seven elements a referee landing page needs, and the conversion lift behind them, sit in .
Plan a gradual roll-out
Consider an initial rollout with power users or influencers first. These users are often more forgiving and provide valuable feedback to help improve subsequent launches.
When implementing your referral program, consider a phased rollout approach. Start by identifying your target audience: this could be all users, a specific segment, or influential customers. A gradual launch strategy is often beneficial. Begin with your power users: they're typically more understanding and can provide invaluable insights to refine the program before a wider release. This approach allows you to gather feedback, make necessary adjustments, and ensure a smoother full-scale launch.
Power user targeting leads to higher activation of 16% per message, which lets you get valuable feedback on your program before rolling it out across your user base. You can simply target them with in-app messages.
Activate internal teams for success
To ensure the success of your referral program, activate internal teams by aligning with your sales and customer success teams. Provide them with key messaging, program details, and incentives to share with customers during their regular interactions. Empower these teams to become program advocates by equipping them with training and resources, like scripts and email templates, so they can confidently promote the referral program and encourage participation.
Ideally, you also set referral lead generation goals for the sales team, which they will be measured against. Incorporating these goals into their compensation plans is recommended.
Identify key metrics to track
Be prepared to track key performance indicators (KPIs) from the start to measure your program's impact and enable continuous improvement.
There are various approaches to optimizing your referral program. While you can focus on increasing activation and sharing rates at the top of the funnel, we recommend starting with the bottom. Try to optimize conversion at the end of the funnel before pushing hard on activation. This strategy often yields better results.