Lack of promotion is the biggest reason programs fail. If you never launch or don't actively promote your program then no one will share and it will just sit there forgotten.
To keep momentum, consistently invite new people to share and engage existing members to continue sharing.
See Messaging and Brand Assets best practices for designing your promotion campaigns.
Launch Promotion
Launching your program is the first step in asking people to start sharing your business.
There are many places you should promote your program but for your initial launch, the primary two are your Announcement Campaign and Marketing Website.
Announcement Campaign
All programs should start with a launch email campaign introducing the program to your potential members. A good launch campaign:
Follows messaging and brand asset best practices (+ check out these examples)
Includes 2-3 initial emails (main announcement + follow up reminders)
If you already use an email marketing tool then you can build a one click access link so any recipients of your launch emails can join and start sharing immediately (skips the need to register).
Alternatively, you can import members and send an email campaign from Referral Rock.
Marketing Website
We also highly recommend including a link to your Program Landing Page on your marketing website (either in the site navigation or somewhere else people commonly see). This is a great (and easy) way to create awareness of your program in a location that people commonly visit.
You can find your link using the Program Link Builder.
Ongoing Promotion
After launching your program you want to explore other channels and touchpoints where you regularly interact with potential members to see where else you can promote the referral program.
Your Launch Page includes some great promotion options to get started. See our Integration Docs for more advanced methods or contact us to discuss possible strategies.
1. Use direct promotion
Direct promotion focuses on asking someone to join and share your business.
The entire message centers around asking someone to share. It doesn't include any other content or distracting messaging.
When creating your direct promotion strategy:
Identify key moments to reach out
Determine the best channels
Create a compelling message
Direct promotion tactics:
Have a reason to reach out (usually after a key moment when they're likely to share)
Personalize your message
Be specific about who's a good referral fit (i.e., the characteristics of an ideal referral)
Keep the message easy to understand
Offer an exciting reward that will grab their attention (more on that here)
Here are some direct promotion channels to consider:
Emails to new customers
Website pop-ups
Thank you pages
Social media posts (about joining the program)
Seasonal campaigns
Train sales reps/service people to ask
Direct promotion requires active outreach, so aim for:
4-5 initial touch points (don't forget to invite new people to join and share)
Quarterly re-engagement campaigns (as appropriate for your audience)
2. Use indirect promotion
Indirect promotion is more subtle. Think of this as passively asking for a referral. The goal is to ensure members are aware of your program so they can share when they’re ready.
Look for opportunities where you’re already connecting with customers, unrelated to your program. Use these moments to mention your program so it stays top of mind, without distracting from the original communication.
Here are some indirect promotion methods to consider:
Email newsletters
Website (banners, site navigation, CTA buttons, etc.)
Customer portal or behind a login (in-app)
Checkout pages
Mobile app
Account notifications
Transactional emails
Business cards, postcards, or other printed material
In-store signage
Email signatures
Indirect promotion focuses on creating awareness, so you can add as many channels that make sense for your audience (there is no limit here).
3. Use referral event notifications
Event notifications remind people to share after a relevant referral program event. You're asking people to share during moments when they see value in your referral program.
Event-based referral notifications include:
Monthly summary email
Referral status emails
Reward and payout emails
4. Run seasonal campaigns
Find a reason to run seasonal (limited-time) campaigns to mix things up:
Run contest/special promotion
Focus on a special event or holiday that creates some buzz
Change up the reward structure
It's important to find these seasonal moments for your business and use them as a reason for reaching out and asking for people to share.
5. Ask multiple times
A good promotion strategy includes a mix of both direct and indirect promotion channels.
People are busy or might not know someone to share with when you first ask. Or maybe they missed your message, Regardless, you need an ongoing promotion strategy that regularly reminds them of your referral program and asks them to share.
Aim for:
4-5 initial touch points (direct promotion)
Quarterly re-engagement campaigns (direct promotion)
Ongoing indirect promotion across multiple channels