Overview
Messaging and brand assets are the text copy and images people see across your program. Strong messaging puts the audience first and leads with "what's in it for them" (the rewards and key benefits).
You are writing for two key audiences:
The member: a happy customer or affiliate who shares your program). Your messaging has to capture their attention so they share with friends.
The referral: the referred friend learning about your business for the first time. Your messaging has to make them care so they quickly understand the benefits to them (both the referral reward and the intrinsic benefits of your business).
What we'll cover in this article:
Member Messaging
Referral Messaging
Before you start
Identify which audience you are writing for in each messaging area. Members and referrals need very different messages.
Review the Referral Funnel to understand where each audience is in their journey, so your messaging speaks to the right stage.
Get images ready – your logo, an image for the Member Landing Page/Member Dashboard, and an image that the member will share with the referral. Find best practices for these in our Design Specs article.
Member Messaging
Members are the people who share your brand via the referral program.
Note: Members already know about your business. Don't waste their time explaining what your business does.
Tips to keep members active and motivated using your messaging:
Keep messaging simple: Avoid overwhelming members 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, and mention any rewards upfront.
Show what the friend gets, too: Members want to know what they're giving their friends, not only what they can earn for themselves.
Customize the portal and email branding: Add your logo and brand colors so the portal and emails feel cohesive with your brand.
Member Portal
The Member Portal is the central hub where members share from. It’s divided into two parts: the Member Landing Page, where members who aren’t yet in the program can sign up, and the Member Dashboard, where they can share their link and access the information they need about their referrals, rewards, and account settings.
Edit your Member Portal using the Portal tab.
Your goal: get members to share using the portal.
The Member Landing Page and Member Dashboard need the following messaging:
Headline
The bold, large text members will see first on both pages.
Should be around one line or less
Clearly advertise at least the member reward (add the referral reward too if there’s room; if not, put the referral reward in the share widget)
Create a sense of value and opportunity
Landing Page Text
Briefly explains how the program works – the referral reward, the member reward, and how they’re earned.
Keep this under 151 characters
1-3 short sentences maximum
Mention the opportunity to give rewards/benefits to referral
Tease that both member and referral rewards are on offer. You can, but you don’t have to, state the exact values of the rewards.
Dashboard Text
Explains how the program works – the referral reward, the member reward, and how they’re earned. You can go into more detail than on the landing page.
Succinctly outline the referral and member rewards
Lead with what the member will give, as members are more inclined to share when they can give something to friends!
Example: “Your friend gets $25 off, and you get a $25 gift card when your friend purchases" (formatting and text can vary)
Specify the exact reward amounts and types, plus conditions for earning
Mention that rewards are available for every referral (unless you have a rewards cap)
Stay under 400 characters
Use the second-person perspective ("you")
You’ll also need a 1200 x 628 px image for your landing page and member dashboard. Find best practices for that image in our Design Specs article.
Learn more about setting up your Member Portal.
Share Widget
You can also customize the text that appears at the top of your Share Widget in the Share tab (Share Widget > Edit > Customize Widget > Widget Title).
We recommend using the widget title to advertise the referral reward that members can share with their friends.
Member Emails
Member emails in Referral Rock include:
Invite Emails (for members you’ve added)
Confirmation and Reminder Emails (for members who sign up themselves)
Monthly Summaries (reminders of the program, which include a personalized section with a member’s sharing activity)
Referral status update emails (lets a member know when a referral was added, qualified, or approved)
Reward emails (lets the member know they’ve earned a reward)
You can also send emails outside of Referral Rock, using our Integrated Login Links (One Click Access).
The goal of any member email is to get members to open it, engage with it, and complete the call-to-action (CTA).
Follow these best practices when writing any member email:
Craft an engaging subject line: Use a question, a number, an emoji, or a playful statement that hooks the member to open the email.
Highlight the benefits of being a member: Show what the member can give and get by participating (referral rewards, member rewards, and the benefits of sharing).
Add a clear CTA: Make the CTA prominent and obvious.
Make it personal: Look for ways to add personalization so each email feels relevant to the member.
Learn more about program emails, invite emails, and integrated login links.
Referral Messaging
Referrals are the friends your members send. The message they see is very different from the message the member sees.
Note: Referrals don't know your brand and have never heard of you, so explain who you are and why they should care, and sweeten your proposition with a referral reward.
Share Message
A share message is a pre-written message that members share with friends, written from the member’s point of view. Members can share it through social media, email, SMS, or by copying and pasting a link. The goal is to get their friends to take action and convert.
There are two main types of referral message in Referral Rock – the Social/Mobile Message and the Email Message.
Tips for both your share messages:
Keep them personal and informal: These messages come from the member, not your business, so write them from the member's perspective (think of sharing something with a neighbor or good friend). They should be casual and conversational, and should use first person (I/me), plus some second person (you) to speak to the friend.
Highlight the benefits: Referrals still need a reason to engage, so show why they should care.
Mention any rewards: Include any rewards, discounts, or exclusive perks the friend can gain by participating.
Add a clear CTA: Make the next step obvious (use the link to get the reward and learn more).
Note: If the share message isn't strong, referrals will never click through to the Referral Page or reach the page you want to send them to.
Learn more about customizing the share experience.
Social/Mobile Message
Edit this under Share > Social & Mobile Messages > Edit
There are four parts of the Social/Mobile Message. Keep all the parts authentic and conversational, as this message is from the member to their friends.
Personal Message
Displays above the share image.
2-4 lines
Character count MUST be under 280 to fit in Referral Rock)
Share the referral reward
Share benefits of the brand, from the member’s perspective (why the member loves the brand)
Invite the referral to check out the brand, and get the reward, with the link
Share Image
Landscape-size image (1200x628).
See best practices for this in our Design Specs article
Link Preview Headline
Prominent, bold text below the image.
Keep under 70 characters
Mention the exact referral reward
Create curiosity and urgency, but avoid clickbait
Link Description
Short summary of the referral offer below the headline.
Keep to two lines or less
Stay under 140 characters to avoid truncation
Share one short reason why the member loves the brand
Reinforce that the referral reward is available when the referral uses the link
Email Message
Edit this under Share > Email Message > Edit
This is a plain text email from the member’s perspective, that is sent right to the referral. It should be casual and conversational, with the tone of a friend talking to a friend.
Start with a short, warm greeting
Show why the member loves the brand (authentic personal endorsement) with 1-2 short benefits
Share key benefits of the brand, or problems the brand solves, that would help the referral (in casual language)
Invite the friend to use the link and get the reward (referral reward and call-to-action are prominently featured)
Include the shortcode {MEMBER_REFERRAL_URL} as that will automatically insert the unique link the member is sharing
Close with a friendly, personal sign-off and include {MEMBER_FIRST_NAME}
Use white space and formatting for scannability
Keep paragraphs to 1-3 sentences maximum
Referral Page
Edit this under Share > Referral Form > Customize Page (current referral page)
OR
Share > Referral Destination > Edit Landing Page (older referral page)
The referral page is where referred people land when they click the share message or referral link. This page plays a critical role in converting referrals into new leads or customers.
This page is mostly written from your brand’s perspective, but shows that the member is recommending your brand.
The main parts of a referral page are:
Testimonial from the member
Referral offer
Form with CTA button
About Us section
Tips for optimizing your referral page:
Mention the sharer's name: The friend trusts their peer, so remind them who recommended you. A testimonial from the member is the clearest way to accomplish this. But you can also use the Referrer Name / {MEMBER_FIRST_NAME} merge tag in other places to emphasize this.
Keep a consistent journey: Make the path from share message to referral page clear and consistent.
Highlight the reward: Make the referral reward easy to see by featuring it in the headline and CTA button.
Show what's next: Explain any next steps the referral needs to take to get the reward. On the current referral page, the Confirmation subheader is designed for this explanation.
Explain the benefits, but keep it simple: Referrals likely don't know your business, so show why they should care (beyond the reward). Keep that intro to your business short, at one paragraph max.
Learn more about setting up your referral form page.
Referral Confirmation Email
This message is another way to let the referral know their contact info has been received. It needs to reinforce what happens next (will your brand be contacting them to set up an appointment or consultation? When?) and share what the referral needs to do to receive their reward.
You never want a referral to send their contact information into the void and not know what will happen next.
Edit the Referral Confirmation Email under Emails > Referral emails > Confirmation Email > Edit
Referral Banner
The Referral Banner is a pop-up notification that displays when referrals are redirected to your website. It gives the referral more context instead of dropping them onto your website with no explanation.
Remind them they were referred: Reinforce that a friend sent them a special link.
Include the key details: Add information about their reward and the friend's name in the message.
Learn more about the Referral Banner.
What's Next?
Review the Launch Checklist
Confirm your program is ready to go live. See the Launch Checklist for the full list of steps.
Understand the Referral Funnel
Learn how members and referrals move through your program so your messaging matches each stage. See Referral Funnel Explained.