The promotional strategy for your referral program is arguably one of the most important aspects of launching and maintaining a successful referral program. Building a pipeline of new members joining your referral program will

This article will provide you with tips for promoting your referral program.

Regardless of your organization, there are a few universal rules that all referral programs should follow in order to maximize the number of people who are aware of your referral program and hopefully, decide to enroll.

A common mistake that we see with launching a referral program is when one or two email campaigns are sent to promote the new program, and then promotion abruptly stops.

Not only is it important to continue to promote your referral program (so that you can continue to attract new members), but you should also seek to promote in all customer touch points where your customers are engaging with your brand or your employees.

Below, is a list of common marketing channels that most companies already have in existence. Perform an audit of how many channels you are already promoting the referral program, as well as the frequency of promotion, and see how this could be improved.

While you are building a promotional strategy across all of your existing marketing channels, it is recommended to have a healthy mixture of both direct and indirect promotion.

Direct promotion is a direct ask for someone to join the referral program. Think of an email launch campaign specifically for the referral program or a Support Rep telling a customer about it over chat. The purpose and goal of direct promotion is to get the person to join the program immediately.

Indirect promotion is more about awareness of the referral program. A great example is including a link for the referral program at the bottom of a company newsletter, or in an email signature. These subtle reminders take little to no effort and make a big impact.

Below, are tips and guidance for promoting your referral program through the most popular marketing channels.

Keep the subject line between 6-10 words, or 28-38 characters, to be specific (especially if you’re focusing on a mobile referral program).

Adding the recipient’s name into the referral email subject line results in 29% higher open rates than non-personalized subject lines. Even better if you can tie into a personal event, like their recent purchase or first year of membership.

Digits get our attention, and are proven to increase click-throughs by 36%. Plus, numbers are a great way to break up text and easy to take in at a glance.

Emojis can increase email open rates by 29%. They also add personality, save space, and fit well with a lot of modern brand identities. Use wisely.

The referral program should be baked into your social media strategy with regular posts (once a quarter, at a minimum) asking your audience to join/participate.

Social Media is a great example for how to promote both actively and passively. Actively promote the referral program through a dedicated post on your newsfeed.

Passively promote the referral program on social media by placing the registration link in the bio of your organization's profile.

Social Media is the perfect place to test out a new trend or speak to your audience in a (more) casual tone. Brands that have the most success with social media are the ones that know their audience best and find fun and innovative ways to stand out on a crowded newsfeed.

Take advantage of the traffic that your website is already getting and add a link to your referral program in the navigation. Phrases like "Refer and Earn" or ones that highlight the incentive such as "Give $20, Get $20". When selected, this link should lead to a landing page with the referral program embedded or a link to the registration page.

A great way to attract new members of your referral program is by inviting them immediately after making a purchase. You can assume that someone making a purchase is a fan of your brand and a happy customer, so we recommend putting the referral program front and center on the Thank You page or order confirmation email.

Located on your Program Emails page, turn on the the Monthly Summary email. This is an automated email that is sent from Referral Rock at the beginning of each month. It reminds members of the program, gives them updates on their referrals & rewards, and provides them quick access to share directly from the email.

Referral Rock offers the capability to automatically invite potential members by connecting your external systems. Maybe they just made a purchase, were entered into your CRM, or they just became an approved referral. Configure your Automated Invitations and no stress about promotion.