Messaging and brand assets are the text copy and imagery people see when engaging with your program. Strong messaging puts the audience first. The key audiences you are writing for:
The member (happy customer or affiliate sharing your program) - Has to capture their attention so they share with friends
The referral (referred friend learning about the business for the first time) - Has to make them care so they quickly understand the benefit to them
The best messaging speaks to the targeted audience based on where they are in the Referral Funnel and leads with “what’s in it for them” (often the rewards and key benefits).
The most common ones include:
Member Portal + Share Widget - the individual portal that members access to share, check their stats, and otherwise engage with your program
Member Emails - any emails you send to promote or engage your members
Share Messages - the templated communications that members share with their referred friends (i.e., social posts, emails, link previews)
Referral Page - the landing pages that referrals see when they click on a shared referral link or engage with a social post
Referral Banner - pop-up notification that displays to referrals when redirecting them to your website
Member Messaging
Members are the people participating in your referral program.
Don't forget: Members already know about your business. Don't waste their attention by explaining what your business does.
Member Portal + Share Widget
The Member Portal is the central hub where your referral program members can share and access all the information they need about their referrals, rewards, and account settings.
Here are some tips to keep members active and motivated:
Keep messaging simple: Don't overwhelm with complicated instructions or details (link out to those if you have them)
Lead with the benefits: Give people a reason to share and engage with your referral program (be sure to mention any rewards upfront)
Show what the friend gets, too: Members want to know what they're giving to their friends or connections, not just what they can earn for themselves.
Customize the branding: Add your logo and brand colors to make the portal feel cohesive with your brand.
Design an informative dashboard: Provide an at-a-glance overview of the referral program, sharing options, and key stats to keep members engaged
Learn more about setting up your Member Portal.
Member Emails
This includes invite emails, promotion emails, event-based emails, check-in emails, or re-engagement emails.
Edit program emails, create invite emails and email campaigns, or build integrated login links for sending emails outside of Referral Rock.
The goal is to get your members to open and engage with your emails (and to complete any CTA the email is trying to drive).
Here are a few tips for your member emails:
Craft an engaging subject line: This could be a question, a number, an included emoji, or a playful statement that hooks the member to open the email (use an email subject line tester such as Send Check It to test your subject lines)
Highlight the benefits of being a member: Always show what the member can give and get by participating in your program (referral rewards, member rewards, and benefits of sharing with friends)
Add a clear CTA: Make sure the CTA is prominent and obvious
Make it personal: Each email is different, but look for ways to add personalization to make the emails more interesting and relevant for the member
Learn more about program emails, email campaigns, or integrated login links. For inspiration check out these examples.
Referral Messaging
Referrals are being sent by your member. Messaging to them is very different vs the messages the member sees.
Don't forget: Referrals don't know your brand and have never heard of you, so explain who you are (and why they should care).
Share Message
A share message is a pre-written message shared with friends from the referral program. Members can share via social media, email, SMS, or copy and paste a link.
The goal is to get their friends to take action and convert (i.e. complete whatever action your program tries to drive).
Here are a few tips for your share messages:
Keep it personal and informal: These messages are coming from the member, not your business. So, don't talk like a business. These messages come from the member's point of view (think of you sharing something with a neighbor or good friend).
Highlight the benefits: Referrals still need a reason to engage, so make sure any shared messages clearly shows why they should care.
Mention any rewards: Include any rewards, discounts, or exclusive perks the friends can gain by participating.
Add a clear CTA: Make the next step obvious (use the link to get the reward and learn more).
If this message isn't good, they'll never click on to the Referral Page or reach the webpage you want to send them to.
Learn more about customizing the share experience.
Referral Page
The referral page is where referred people go when they click on the share message or referral link. This page plays a critical role in converting referrals into new leads or customers.
Here are some tips for optimizing your referral page:
Mention the sharer's name: The friend trusts their peer, so remind them who recommended you.
Consistent journey from share to conversion: Remember how referrals hear about you, and make sure the journey from share message to referral page is clear and consistent
Show the benefits (above the fold): Referrals likely don't know your business, so show them why they should care (beyond any rewards)
Highlight the reward: If you're giving a referral reward such as a discount or premium offer, you want it to be easily visible
Show what's next: Don't leave the referral in the dark. Explain what will happen here, including any next steps the referral needs to take to get the reward.
Clear CTA with active language: Use action-oriented language to drive people to complete your call-to-action
Keep it simple: Avoid overwhelming visitors. Focus on the core message/benefits, and keep that benefits explanation to one short paragraph or a few bullet points.
Learn more about configuring your referral page.
Referral Banner
If you don’t have the time or resources to create a new referral page, then add a pop-up notification giving the referral more context (this creates a better experience instead of just dropping them on your website)
The Referral Banner is a great place to make sure you remind the referral they were sent by a special link from their friend. Include information about their reward and the friend's name in the message.