Your business is doing well; customers visit your website often and sales are high. You may think you don’t need to make any changes, but not so fast! Anyone who doesn’t make changes actually moves backwards. Even if your business is currently doing, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be doing even better.

Have you ever considered referral marketing? It doesn’t require much input, yet can be more profitable than any other marketing strategy. The largest players on the market have referral programs. You are probably familiar with those run by Uber, Amazon, or the recent star Clubhouse. If referral marketing wasn’t profitable, none of these providers would be investing in it. And yet, thanks to recommendations, Uber is already present in 85 countries worldwide and provides 40 million rides each month in the US alone. This probably wouldn’t be possible without word-of-mouth marketing, as referrals are sometimes known.. 

Did we catch your attention with these numbers? Hopefully. Now let’s talk about some situations when you should start your own referral program immediately. 

When you need a referral program 

Here are three situations that may indicate a need for action. And by action, we mean starting a referral marketing program. Bear in mind that you might already be facing one of these situations now in your business.

If your clients ask about it 

Clients are a good source of inspiration, and they often suggest a great solution themselves. Social media comment sections can be a major help if you’re active on them. When many customers find one solution or one provider’s page and like it, they will ask others for the same. So if your customers ever mention referral marketing to you, then go for it. No wonder they are interested; after all, referral marketing is all about the rewards that they can earn for active participation.

Asking for feedback is also a very good move. You can ask clients directly if they have heard of referral programs, if they ever participated in any, and what their conclusions are. Find out whether or not they’d like to participate in yours, if it were to be created. Customers can be a really good starting point for arranging new marketing activities, so keep in touch with them.

If your sales are not great 

Suppose you have noticed that sales are falling, and business is not as good as it once was. Or you are at the beginning of your company’s journey, and it is difficult for you to break through against the competition. Then it is worth thinking about a solution that can bring a lot of results, yet is relatively cheap.

By creating a successful referral program, you will be able to stimulate sales not only by encouraging your current customers to make purchases but also by attracting new ones. How? You have to set up all the metrics and rewards, plus create the communication and referral links. Then you can invite clients to participate and allow them to share their unique links with friends and family. And that’s all.

If you’re not gaining many new customers

If you notice that you’re not acquiring many new customers, it’s time to act. Perhaps other marketing channels are failing, or your CTAs are not convincing enough. Even the most loyal customers won’t always remember to recommend your website, so it is worth reminding them. You can send emails for this purpose once every few months. A “thank you” to clients for participating in the program should also be included in the message. It’s also worth reminding those who have clicked on a referral link if their purchases have not yet been completed.

Additionally, the mere fact that a referral link exists will spur referrals. After all, clients being able to earn rewards is often a strong enough motivation by itself. 

Now you know when it might be necessary to set up a referral program. Let’s talk about 6 reasons why you might like to introduce such a solution to your business.

Building a community

Referral marketing is a great way to increase team spirit among your customers. The feeling of unity is an excellent way to make your customers friends of your brand. Year after year, the importance of belonging is increasing. New companies appearing on the market only stimulates the competition. Clients have to pick companies that are the best choice for them. This is where building a sense of belonging comes in handy. People by nature like to belong somewhere – usually in a family, a class at school, or a work organization, for example.

A 2016 study found that 85% of marketers and community builders believe that the presence of a branded online community can improve both the customer’s experience and their level of trust. A community can mean a Facebook group, a loyalty program, or a referral program, etc. Thanks to participation in one, clients are not only rewarded but also stay in touch with the brand. It is therefore a good idea to expand your communication to something more than just notifications about referral rewards.

It’s worth mentioning here, that thanks to sharing referral links, your clients can feel like influencers or even like a part of your company. This builds attachment to your brand even more, and encourages customers to not only recommend your website but also come back to it more often themselves.

Decreasing costs

Usually, new marketing activities are associated with new expenses, like paying for ads on Facebook or Google. But referral marketing is different. Your customers are the driving force here. You don’t have to pay them, so your only cost is for the rewards you offer. These aren’t much compared to the results they can generate.

A well-designed referral program can bring you up to 5 times the conversions as without. Conversions mean profits for your business, and all this just for the price of offering discounts to participants, for example. Isn’t it a win-win situation?

What’s more, those clients who came to your page thanks to referrals tend to stay longer. From day one, they will have a positive attitude towards your business and be more willing to trust you. Such customers have an average lifetime value of up to 16% longer than others. This allows you to create a separate funnel and thus maximize your ROI.

By analyzing the costs of such an investment, you should find that they are disproportionately small compared to the profit. One of the costs that you will have to consider is the cost of a referral program software. EarlyParrot offers a free demo, however, a small investment is needed if you want to go all out and run a few campaigns. Don’t worry though, as the costs won’t burn a hole in your pocket. When creating a program, remember about having an appropriate reward system, e.g. collecting points to earn a given reward. The better tailored to your audience, the better the results will be. Keep an eye on and test which solutions have the best impact on sales and which rewards will maximize ROI.

Monitoring results automatically

Installing referral software will allow you to track all your campaigns. No matter how many programs you run, you can see how many active users there are, how many new users came from referrals, and how many referrals led to purchases. By having all the data at hand, you can eliminate bottlenecks. It’s also easier to spot your stars – the referees who make the most hype about your brand. 

By installing referral software, you can better focus on analyzing traffic and improving communication. Automating the program also saves time, as most of the processes are basically completed by themselves. You just need to design it properly at the very beginning. If you choose the right platform, it will be a piece of cake. Installing EarlyParrot and integrating it with your landing page takes less than a quarter of an hour, and it doesn’t require any specific knowledge. What’s also great about this platform is that it works with most external platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento. It also supports PrestaShop, WordPress, AWeber, and many more. It also comes in handy to support list building, since it works with MailChimp, for example.

Increasing brand awareness

If your customers start talking about you and sharing their opinions,more and more people will be aware of your presence on the market. Consequently, increasingly more people can choose to visit your website when there is a need that you can fulfill. The more people know about you, the better. This is how referral marketing works. If you offer a discount not only for the referrer but also for the referee, it will work even more effectively!  You will be remembered as a site that has not only a specific and excellent offer, but also where one can make cheaper purchases. The more satisfied customers are, the better.

Importantly, if people hear about you from a friend, they will be trusted more than an advertising spot on TV. It is proof of authenticity, and about 86% of customers believe that is the key to their hearts. The more authentic a company is, the more people want to support it. And the more supporters, the better sales results.

Growing your reach 

It seems quite obvious that your clients recommend your friends; these friends become clients, and they then recommend you to their friends. And so the news is spread out into the world. Word of mouth works in your favor (if people talk positively about you, of course). Referral marketing is a well-oiled machine that drives itself and increases the number of people interested in your offer. It will really pay off when it allows you to reach even the most difficult segments. After all, even the most demanding customers have friends with whom they exchange insights and news. 

Even if your initial customer base isn’t too big, it’s still a good start. A few are better than none anyway. Even in the case of a low entry-level, the snowball effect will work, and you will be on the lips of many potential customers in no time. And all this thanks to a brief moment spent on creating the program.

Reminding clients why they have chosen you 

Let’s assume that a given customer recommends your store, for example. Your regular client praises the wide range of products available, fast order fulfillment, and high level of after sales service. This reminds the client themselves why they like visiting you so much. And perhaps they’ll come back and make some more purchases too. It is essential that regular clients not only attract new ones, but also visit your page to make their own purchases.

As a result of discussions on this topic, customers will not only remember that they probably need something from your website, but may also be reminded that they have a discount to use or have just gained one because of a referral.  So they may visit your store and make even bigger purchases since they have a coupon. 

What’s next?

You have already learnt about the reasons why you should become interested in referral programs. Perhaps you are even ready to create your own. So what’s next? You need to install the appropriate software. As previously mentioned, EarlyParrot might be just your cup of tea. It is quick and easy to install, has many integrations that work for SaaS businesses and eCommerce stores, plus it can help with building email lists. 

What’s more, the process of creating the program is a piece of cake. The program tells you what to do and when, as well as highlighting which aspects need to be corrected. You can customize the appearance of emails and share pages. And don’t worry, the EarlyParrot logo is nowhere to be seen, so customers will have no doubts from the branding that this is your program.

If you want to check it out first, you can get a demo and test the platform. If you want to find more information about this tool, you can read the knowledge base or take a look at the EarlyParrot blog. You can also schedule a meeting with an EarlyParrot rep to dispel any possible doubts.

Over to you

You now have the background knowledge about why it’s worth investing in referral marketing and what to do if you have already made the decision to proceed with it. Now it’s all up to you. If you need more tips on how to start a referral program then read our post. You can find some tips and tricks for beginner referral marketers there, which should help with planning the implementation of your referral marketing strategy. So now it’s time for nothing but action.
Get the demo and start your referral program today!

Invitation exclusively via membership, only for owners of hardware with iOS software. Visual and text elements kept to a minimum. Voice as the main means of communication. What are we talking about? Of course, it’s the Clubhouse application that has recently exploded in popularity. How does it work and what should you know about it? You’ll find the answers in this article.

What is Clubhouse? 

Clubhouse is a young social network that was founded in March 2020. It is based on live voice calls, and all activities on this platform take place around them. App owners describe it as a new type of voice-based social product that allows people to chat, tell stories, develop ideas, deepen friendships, and meet interesting people from around the World. Messages, pictures, and videos can’t be sent in the app, however you can create your own profile, add a description in the bio, make friends, observe other users, and participate in conversations. 

It can be compared to an interactive radio or podcast. Its users also influence the popularity of the platform. Currently, you can find popular journalists, the richest people in the world, as well as the most important names in marketing and Big Tech as users. In addition, you can find A-list stars and celebrities using the app.

How to register for Clubhouse? 

Clubhouse is not open to everyone. To register, you must receive an invitation from an active user sent to your phone number. Each user receives a number of invitations to give away – the amount number varies. The quality of new users who are referred influences the algorithm’s perception of the given invitations. Importantly, Clubhouse is currently only available on iPhones.

This exclusive approach to membership is not the first such on the market. In the beginning, Instagram, which was designed only for iPhone users, and Quora, which was only open to invitees, worked similarly. Neither app was perceived negatively, but the exclusivity rather worked to the advantage of their image.

Why is it a great referral marketing case?

Despite only being a year old, Clubhouse has attracted 2,000,000 users. It is applying a strategy called Velvet Rope. Exclusivity is created through a combination of invite-only memberships and strategic hype. A person who wants in must be either a VIP or receive an invitation from someone who is.

Once you’re in, you become a “VIP” too, being an exclusive member.  It’s hard to acquire anything behind a velvet rope, and therefore what’s behind it seems more desirable. As Clubhouse’s app is exclusive, more people are likely to want membership due to its invitation-only approach.

Clubhouse is a large topic of conversation on social media. As a result, there is a lot of demand for relatively little supply. In this way, people beg their friends for an invite, while those with invites have to show a lot of kindness and consideration to those without. You might think that limiting access to your service to invite-only would hurt your chances, but it can actually do the opposite.

Those invites take care of any trust issues because a friend has already tested out the service. The enrollment itself is a gladly taken action. Besides finding initial users, it does not require any financial cost. Also, the scales work incredibly well. 

A few brands are fortunate enough to have two of their customers refer two of their friends. You can scale in a massive way if you make the process simple (as Clubhouse has done). Clubhouse’s invite-only model also stands to benefit members. The start might be a little low, but when everyone recommends two more then it develops into an exponentially growing machine.

How does Clubhouse work? 

After you receive an invitation and create an account, you can join a room where voice calls are held. At the moment there are three types of rooms in Clubhouse:

• Open, which is one that anyone can join, 
• Social, a room that is available to people who follow the user that organizes a specific conversation – it works great for building your community, 
• Closed, a room available only to those who receive an invitation to it.

When creating a room, you can give it a theme that is displayed in invitations and its description. In addition, you can add regulations to your room.

You can participate in conversations passively and just listen to them like a radio or podcast. The second option is to actively participate in discussions. If you are not the moderator or conversation organizer for a particular room, then you must “raise your hand” to let them know you want to actively join in the conversation. In addition, if you want or need to leave a discussion then you can “leave quietly”. You can also invite people who are not already in the room – ping.

If you want to set up your own conversation, just click Start a room. Anyone can join the room, but it is up to you to decide whether or not to join the discussion as a speaker and if you want to appoint someone else as the moderator.

To look for conversations that interest you, you can use the search option. In addition, you can search for specific people as well as users related to a topic you are interested in. Another useful option is the ability to create a room that is setup in advance. People from your and co-hosts’ networks can see such an event.

You will also see emotes and additional colors on photos when in a room. What do they mean? The moderator of the meeting is marked with an asterisk in a green circle, the crossed out microphone is of course information about muted audio, confetti shows us new users who have been on Clubhouse for less than a week, while the gray pulsating border around a photo indicates the person who is currently speaking.

After setting up your first three rooms, an additional option to apply for the establishment of your own club appears. This is the equivalent of Facebook groups. At this point, you have to wait even several weeks to establish such a club.

Who needs Clubhouse and why? 

The main advantage of Clubhouse is the possibility of learning. It gives you direct access to people who are high-level experts that want to share their knowledge. Communication with them is easy and, by participating in discussions with them, you can ask questions that may have been bothering you for a long time. 

Another important aspect is that it is a source of acquiring new followers or engaging existing ones. Often, even if someone follows your profile on Facebook or Instagram, they do not see your content as often as they would like to.

Clubhouse is a brilliant way to remind them of your existence. It’s also great for maintaining relationships with people you rarely meet and are not at the stage of your relationship when it’s appropriate to talk on the phone or write on Messenger.

Get ready for Clubhouse

Prepare a good quality profile and bio 

Once you have access to Clubhouse, it’s time to complete your profile with your name, photo, and bio. This is the only place where you can write something, so it’s essential. What is worth including in it?

• information about who you are, what you do professionally, and why it is worth contacting you, 
• what topics of industry and private talks interest you,
• an email and/or website address, 
• information about organized rooms and meetings, 
• links to your Instagram and/or Twitter accounts.

Make sure your profile picture properly represents you and is of good quality. Your photo is displayed in all rooms that you join, hence its importance. 

Expand your friend network 

The networks you build can be divided into two main categories: those with whom you have social interactions (social graph) and those you do not know personally but share our interests (interest graph). The latter category definitely prevails in Clubhouse, as you share common areas of professional and private interests with the members of a given network. Appropriate selection of the people you want to observe shapes the approach of algorithms towards you and impacts upon further suggestions of people to follow.

To add a specific person to your watchlist, just click Follow. And if you want to receive notifications about any rooms organized by them, you should click the bell next to the Follow button (or Following, if you are already doing so).

Cross-promote with other social media

Clubhouse will certainly not dominate Facebook or Twitter, as it is a medium on which a different type of communication is used. However, it is definitely worth investing time in joining activities on Clubhouse. The greatest involvement among an audience is driven by improvised messages aimed at an immersed viewer. This makes Clubhouse generate engaged communication. Therefore, the key to the activities of marketers and other people conducting online activities is to extend their activities to Clubhouse, thanks to which they will have a chance to reach new followers and meet the needs of current users.

On the other hand, Clubhouse allows you to conduct live shows and interviews without the need to prepare an entire studio, lighting, or professional cameras. It allows content that doesn’t really need images to be shared in a format that suits it best. In addition, it allows users to follow in the background just like when listening to podcasts on streaming services or radio.

A few words of summary

A few years ago, the end of the voice era was announced. After podcasting, Clubhouse is further proof that this is not actually the case. It satisfies another area of ​​communication that has not yet been developed by popular platforms like Facebook or other social media. The requirements for using Clubhouse are greater than other platforms due to the need to be invited and have an iPhone, which gives the user a sense of uniqueness. But use of the application itself is very easy, allowing you to join conversations in just a few clicks. We don’t know if Clubhouse will develop further and last for a long time or if it will rather share a similar fate to Snapchat, which shone for a while until it was made obsolete by Instagram. Perhaps one of the big players will want to take it over, but we don’t know about that for sure. However, it’s definitely worth watching Clubhouse and taking action right now, because doing so will allow you to stay one step ahead.

Referral marketing can be a very effective solution. If you’re still at the beginning of your referral adventure then the results may not be hugely significant right away, but fortunately there are ways to change that. It could also be that your results are a little underwhelming after your program has been running for a while. Perhaps your customers are no longer as engaged as they once were or as interested in the incentives. So what can you do to increase their engagement?

To increase your referrals you should reorganize your strategies. Markets change and so your marketing actions should too. If you are wondering what you should do, we have gathered some marketing strategies that may be helpful if you want to get more referrals. But let’s start from the beginning: what is a good marketing strategy?

What is a good marketing strategy?

Your marketing strategy is the plan that should determine your actions; what, when, and to whom. A well-designed strategy will improve the performance of your marketing activities. In order to plan correctly, you should first think about your target.

Marketers often design strategies that are very good in theory, but in practice they do not bring many benefits. Why? A particular strategy might be creative and innovative, but if it is not perfectly matched to the target then it will not be effective. So if you are looking for a good strategy, you should tailor it to your customers first. You need to analyze who your customers really are, what they expect, and what their habits are. If you need to change your strategy because the current one is underperforming, analyze who your target was before and who it is now. Consumers are always changing, and maybe your offer is too. You have to align your strategy with these changes if you want to stay in the game. 

A good marketing strategy clearly communicates the company’s USP. But to express it well you need to know what it actually is first. Think about your strengths and what makes customers choose you. What unique propositions do you have to offer them? If you can identify the qualities that make you stand out from the crowd, you should emphasize them in your strategy. They will be a catch that your existing customers can throw in order to attract new referrals.

The strategies below address both of these aspects. Remember to adopt any strategy you choose to the specifics of your industry and your program.

How to create a good marketing strategy?

Find the right tool

Half the battle is using a good tool, thanks to which you will be able to create a program that is well-tailored to you and your customers’ needs. Why is it so important to choose the right platform before you start building your program?

First, you’ll be able to fine-tune everything individually to your business. EarlyParrot has a very good option for novices that shows which aspects of your referral program still need to be improved. Thanks to such hints you can be sure that your program will be well constructed, and avoid a situation when, for example, new users are not notified about the possibility of joining your program.

What is more, it is quite important that such a tool can be easily integrated with your existing platforms. How to create a referral program if the tool is not compatible with your eCommerce platform? Simply put, It will be hard or even impossible. That is why the referral platform you choose should have plenty of available integrations, like EarlyParrot does. 

Improve the customer experience

Going the extra mile in terms of customer experience is generally always profitable. First and foremost, you can improve contact with your customers. Almost half of all companies understand that their customer experience is the basis of success, and you need to be one of them. Wondering how this will affect your referrals? Clients will not recommend to their friends a company that, for example, cannot be contacted or has poor after-sales services. So what to do?

First, answer any questions that are asked. If a customer sends a query it should be addressed. Even the simplest ones can be answered, for example, with a link to FAQs. Don’t leave any customers unanswered or you may lose existing ones and they will not be encouraged to make new referrals either..

Remember about a high level of communication. Not only should you inform clients about every level they reach towards a referral reward (here you will need a suitable tool), but also about any changes in the referral program, new ones, or different rewards. A good way is to remind clients about yourself – send emails to any who have not made referrals for a long time or that are close to earning a reward.

Also, be sure to be regular, diligent, and honest in your communication. If you provide your users with, e.g., weekly industry news, do it conscientiously and deliver good quality. If there are any issues, whether they are your fault or not, let your clients know. Better to apologize for the inconvenience than hide a problem.

Personalize interactions

Personalization is also an important aspect of your marketing activities. About 70% of millennials may feel a little upset when receiving bulk emails from a brand rather than a personalized message. You probably (hopefully!) refer to your customers by name in your messages already, but it’s worth going a step further. 

Ask for feedback about a reward that a client has recently won, or whether the referee was satisfied with the recommendation and your offer.

You can also link, for example, to the profiles of people who created accounts using the referral link of a particular client when you send them notifications about rewards to show some appreciation.

Remember that enough may be enough, though. If a person recommended by a client has not made a purchase for a long time, for example, do not send them a message with the title “why is your friend no longer buying from us?” This is out of place and your client may feel embarrassed. If you want to find out, write to the referee instead and encourage them to visit your web and do some shopping.

Another good solution is sending birthday wishes (of course, if the client has shared the date with you) or gifts on the anniversary of their participation in the referral program. Shortly before this date, you should ask the customer if they want a gift for the occasion and if they would like it to be sent to the address they provided when setting up their account. The gift could be a small item like a T-shirt, eco bag, or a mug with your logo, if not a bestseller from your offer. Also, don’t forget to include a “Thank You” card for participating in your program. Showing your gratitude for their support will surely result in an even better cooperation.

Build relationships with customers

As already stated above, customer experience is a matter of either being there or not. Building relationships is an important part of this. The closer the bond, the better the customer experience. If you know the basics of referral marketing, you probably know that relationships are its foundation. How can you take care of this aspect even more? Loyalty programs are a good option. You may ask how many programs you can provide to your customers, and the answer is as many as it takes. Referral programs, loyalty programs, or whatever your customers need. 

Why not build a relationship based on loyalty by engaging customers with a loyalty program and additionally rewarding them for spreading the word about you? It follows that the more attached clients feel, the more likely they will be to encourage others because they will want to create a community. So take care about communication and your customers’ well-being.

Share case studies 

A case study can be valuable material for your audience. First of all, depending on the topic, they can prove that what your business is a good choice. Case studies can also show that your business is popular among your customers, and that they love it. Secondly, you will build authority by sharing knowledge. Such content could be interesting facts to share with friends or family. And this is the core of referral marketing. If someone talks about you well and attracts others as a result, it is worth investing in. Even if the referral doesn’t convert right away, they may be interested in what your business does and make a purchase in the future.

It’s a good idea to publish case studies around your USP. Most likely, no one has created similar content before. As such, this will arouse interest not only in the data itself, but also in what you have to offer. Two benefits for the price of one!

Be focused

The more you specialize in a given field, the easier it will be for you to attract potential customers. Sometimes it is better to focus on a narrow range of services or products. If you perfect one aspect of your listing, the recommendations will more-or-less generate themselves. 

Do you remember about the USP? Create on this basis. Now that you know what makes you stand out from the competition, take advantage of it. Build a unique offer around this aspect only for your customers. Remember that everyone wants to feel special, so provide them with that experience. Communicate not only what makes you stand out, but also what you can offer in connection with it. The more special and unique, the better.

It is also a good solution from a practical point of view. Focusing on one aspect of your offer allows you to perfect it. It will be much easier for you to handle one referral program based on your niche and USP than a few that cover half of your offer. But don’t be mistaken – just because you should be focusing on one segment when building a referral program doesn’t mean forgetting about the rest. Learn how to grow affiliate marketing using project management techniques. If you don’t know how to get started, read up on the various styles of project management.

Which marketing strategy is the best for you?

Building a referral program seems relatively simple. In practice, it is, but it takes some effort to break out or maintain a winning streak. Despite the fact that your customers are the driving force behind referral marketing, a lot depends on you. too. Yes, clients recommend your company, but you must give them a reason to share their positive perceptions about you with their friends. 

We hope that you like the above suggestions and ideas and will try at least one of them out. Every good strategy is focused on the target, and when implementing it is worth highlighting your USP. Whichever choice seems best for you, be sure to keep these two aspects of a good strategy in mind.

Virtual events are trendy right now. The year 2020 has forced us to move many aspects of life to digital. Conferences, meetings, and events are all taking place online. The number of organizations planning virtual events has doubled compared to the previous years.  

Organizing such an event differs from managing an offline version. It may seem to be simpler because you do not need to organize a location, staff, or caterings, etc. However, this is not entirely true. 

One of the main problems with organizing online events is promotion. During a time of pandemic, it is difficult to publicize anything offline as the activities of many places have been limited, and many potential participants just stay at home. Therefore, in order for an online event to be well publicised, its promotion should be based on digital activities. 

In this article, we will cover this topic and help you with managing virtual event-related issues. 

What should you do before organizing such an event?

Before we discuss some tips and tricks to support organizing online events, let’s speak about preparation. Below you will find a list of the most important aspects to consider before organizing an online event. 

1. The first thing you should do is carry out research. You need to know whether similar topics have already been discussed, whether such events took place recently, what the ticket prices were, who was invited, and what the agenda was. You must also keep in mind the importance of the date, which can’t clash with similar industry events. It is also not worth organizing events around Christmas or other holidays, since people have other things on their minds at those times.

2. Focus on your target audience. Consider who will attend the event. How can you encourage them, and what agenda will suit your target audience best. Moreover, you should consider the price. Your target group may not always be able to afford expensive tickets, while for some people a too low price can mean poor quality and they may also not be willing to purchase. Also remember about the method of communication and the channels intended for it. If your target group are professionals then LinkedIn will be the right place, but if you are targeting students then Facebook or Twitter are much better channels to use.

3. Take care of the technical aspects. Consider which platform will be best for this purpose. You, as a host, should also have the right equipment -a laptop, webcam, and microphone. Moreover, you need to have a reliable internet connection. If it fails, the newest laptop on the market will be of no avail.

Once you figure these things out, you can start organizing the event. To make it run flawlessly and well publicised, you should follow the steps below. We will show you how to promote your event efficiently without a huge budget. One of the best methods to promote such events is referral marketing, so let’s begin with it. 

A referral program to gain more attendees

This is a great solution to encourage your early attendees to spread the news. Referral marketing is a low-cost solution so it won’t burn a hole in your pocket, and, what is more, tracking its performance is easy. What you need to focus on is your target audience, whose shoes you should step for a moment. This way, your referral marketing journey has the potential to be a successful one. 

This method of marketing encourages people to talk about you, and your event could go viral as a result. Word of mouth marketing, as it is also known, uses people’s interests to benefit a company. Your attendees can share their opinions about your event after it has taken place and encourage others to participate in future ones or just familiarize themselves with your brand. 

What you need to do first is think about incentives. They can help to expand your brand reach and also build trust. The incentive doesn’t have to be money, but it could be a discount coupon for a future purchase or a gift from your company. Such examples of these are T-shirts or eco-bags with your branding on them. Think about what would work best for your target audience. You can even ask them for feedback about your ideas if you have enough time to do so. 

Referral program – how to run it well?

After deciding on incentives, you should start implementing the program. The best way to do this seamlessly is to choose a platform that will handle the process and automate the whole program. We can recommend using EarlyParrot for this.

It is a referral marketing platform that will help generate a buzz around your upcoming events. How? First things first, you need to install it on your landing page. If you want to connect these actions with an email list then you need to integrate the platform with your CRM or autoresponder. Installation is a piece of cake, so you do not need any IT teams to support the process. After successful installation, you can start creating a referral program. 

Referrals may be shared in two ways. Each of your attendees could buy a ticket to your event and then receive a referral link via email, thanks to which they can invite their friends or family. These future customers can then register via this referral link and the existing customer who referred them will receive a reward. 

The second method is to use emails. Once your attendees register for the event, they could receive a referral link to start sharing with others for doing so. This could also be an option exclusively for those who sign themselves up for your newsletter when registering for the event. 

Remember to set all criteria for your rewards – will they be available for anyone who shares the link successfully, or will multiple shares be required? It’s up to you. 

EarlyParrot also allows you to communicate with your clients and build bonds with them. And no worries, you can customize all your communication channels as you wish, without EarlyParrot branding. All notifications are sent automatically, so you don’t have to worry about anything apart from organizing the event. 

What else can you do to support your events?

There are obviously more ways to support your events, and we have some ideas for you. Let’s start with a very low-cost one, which is your participation at another conference or event.

Share your knowledge

If you perform at another event sharing your thoughts or knowledge, you can become an ambassador of your own brand. If you are introduced as the owner or representative of your business, the conference participants will find out who you are, what your company does, and maybe follow social media to learn more.

If listeners are interested in your speech, it’s very likely that they’ll want to attend your events in search of more knowledge. It’s entirely up to you whether to offer discounts for your event to attendees of the current one. Of course, you should discuss with the event’s organizers before offering such deals. It’s like taking part in your own referral program, except that new attendees are the reward.

Make your speakers ambassadors

Who said that your event’s guests can’t spread the word. Of course they can, and even should. The guests or speakers you invite are authority figures among your audience, which is a crucial aspect that you should take advantage of. Let your guests invite their followers to your event. Apart from hearing the expert, a very good incentive would be discount codes for tickets that your speaker can share using referral links. It’s the perfect way to see how many new visitors a given client attracts, so you would know who people most want to hear and watch.

Thanks to the involvement of your guests in promoting your event, invitees will also start to associate them with your brand. Establishing permanent cooperation when organizing an annual event is a good idea. Invite the same speakers once every so often, but of course with a different speech and presentation. 

Do some previews

In this case, the best solution is a video recording. After all, this is how your event will be watched. Record the highlights of speeches and opinions about the outline or the idea itself. You could ask speakers or even participants of previous events for them and promote this material on social media and on your website. You may think that creating such material is tedious and time-consuming and It is, but not as much as the event itself. And believe us, it will definitely pay off in the long run. Did you know that that video is the number one form of media used in content strategies? So grab a camera and make a film!

Remember that content is king

It’s not without reason that this saying is so well known. What you publish and how you publish are very important. The form, language, and design of your communication is crucial. Moreover, this does not only apply to posts promoting your event but to any communication channel. 

If the description on your event page is not clear, no one will want to buy a ticket. It’s not a great situation when the buying process is not transparent, as people want to know what happens when they click a given button. The same goes for the details of your referral program too, so its conditions and prizes must be clearly defined. If not, no one will use the program and you won’t the recommendations that you’re after.

Virtual events – are you ready to master them?

So you have read about different ways to support online events. The biggest support for such a venture is decent promotion. As you can see, referral marketing is a big dose of help and it comes in many forms. The power of referrals could be significant and it won’t blow your budget. It is definitely worth trying the above tips, especially now that almost all events are virtual. If you combine the power of referral marketing with other types of promotion (especially the ones we mentioned), the effect of synergy may be breathtaking.

We have shown you some tips, tricks, and the aspects of preparation for such an event that are crucial in order to run it well. Now it’s your turn to enter the virtual events market.

Digital marketing comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with new trends, let alone apply them to your marketing strategy. However, before you throw yourself into a whirlwind of the latest virals and trends on social media, it’s worth going back to basics. 

Referral marketing and affiliate marketing. These two types are often confused and their names are often used interchangeably. Big mistake! There are some similarities, but also quite a few differences. Once you understand them, you will be able to implement either type into your strategy more effectively. Does that sound interesting to you?

In this article, you will find out the characteristics of both these types of marketing and the significant differences between them. We will also suggest what to do in order to make both referral marketing and affiliate marketing as effective as possible. So without any further ado, let’s dive in!

What is referral marketing? 

Relationships are the foundation of referral marketing. Starting from those between your brand and its current customers, to those between them and their friends or family, i.e., your potential customers. After all, referral marketing is often known as word of mouth marketing. In this case, much depends on the buyers of your products, because they are the ones promoting your brand. Did you know that the average U.S. citizen names different brands about 60 times per week? Let them speak about you and benefit from this type of marketing.

But how to encourage customers and keep them motivated to recommend your brand? It is for this purpose that referral programs were created. They work a bit like loyalty programs, but customers get rewards for recommendations rather than purchases. When creating such a program, you must consider what rewards will most motivate your clients to share positive opinions about you with others.

Referral marketing with EarlyParrot

To make it work, you need to offer a referral marketing program. If you are wondering how to manage such a program, there are tools to help you with doing so. One of the best available on the market is EarlyParrot. Don’t worry, you don’t need an IT specialist to implement this tool on your website. The installation process is a quick and straightforward, step by step self-guide. You can customize the program and choose all criteria according to your own preferences. How does EarlyParrot work in practice? Your customers share their recommendations about your brand using referral links and receive rewards when they meet the criteria set by you. Moreover, this service also works for those clients who are already in your database. You can simply import these clients and invite them to join your program. No worries if you operate globally – EarlyParrot can provide campaigns in English, French, German, Spanish, Greek, and Italian.

How does referral marketing work?

In general, this type of marketing works as follows. Each member of the referral program will receive, for example, a referral link or code that they can share with others. Each new member who uses this link/code when creating an account will get, e.g., a 5% discount on their first order. Meanwhile the referral provider moves one step closer to or achieves earning their reward. By sharing such a code or link, your current clients might feel like famous influencers for a moment! This can be a significant added value for some people.

Enabling clients to act as ambassadors of your brand is really not so difficult and can be very profitable. After all, their good opinions are social proof. Consumers need to hear about a brand up to five times before they become convinced. So the more social proof, the better. And it is definitely worth the effort – referral marketing can generate as much as five times more conversion than other marketing channels.

How to make the most of it?

When implementing a referral program, remember about targeting. You should provide various types of reward for each segment. After all, teens generally enjoy different things to young women, for instance. Content is also essential. Take care over the style of your communication with the participants of your program. Everything needs to be understandable and presented in a nice, aesthetic form. After a while, you can perform A/B tests to see which types of reward work best.

Now let’s take a closer look at affiliate marketing.  

What is affiliate marketing?

Long story short, it’s all about collaborating with your affiliates. These are people who promote your brand on their marketing channels; bloggers, vloggers, or YouTubers, etc. You can choose whoever you want, but there should be a relation to your industry in order to reach your target audience. You could hire multiple affiliates and run various campaigns for specific product categories, or rather focus on one affiliate program. 

According to Business Insider, about 15% of revenue in the digital media sector comes from affiliate marketing. So as you can see, it is quite a popular solution. But enough of the theory, how does it work in practice?

How does affiliate marketing work?

We have decided to identify the three pillars of affiliate marketing. Let’s start from the very beginning – who will be promoting what. 

First, you have to decide which products will be promoted by your partners. The next step is to find the right affiliates. As we have already mentioned, it’s best to look for those who have a relationship with your industry. If your business operates locally, there’s no point in spending money on national or even global celebrities. Local ones have power too, and it’s worth using in that case.

The next aspect of establishing an affiliate program is setting its terms. That is, how affiliates will promote your products – whether it will be a blog entry or a series of posts on Instagram, etc. Another issue is payment, as there are many models to choose from. For example, you could choose to pay affiliates either after gaining some leads or after each successful sale. Choose the method that suits you best and suggest it to your affiliates.

Now the final issue, which is choosing the best affiliates. There are dozens of such programs, so affiliates can participate in many in a short time and you need to remember to choose wisely. Suppose a given affiliate promoted a competitor’s products a few months ago, and now they’re about to publish your new blog post. In that case, it wouldn’t be trustworthy content and consumers wouldn’t believe such a person. As a result of this, you probably wouldn’t meet the expected goals. 

How to make the most of affiliate marketing?

Think about your target first, then start looking for partners. You can ask people in the industry about recommendable affiliates. Then analyze their audience and see if it matches yours. If it does, then now you know what to do. Also, find out what rates are offered by other companies of a similar size in your field. You must have a starting point when negotiating affiliate payments. 

Efficient communication is also crucial when working with affiliates, so choose the best channel to facilitate this aspect. Also, remember to inform partners about any upcoming news with sufficient advance notice. They need sufficient warning for promotional content to be of high quality and prepared on time.

Referral marketing vs affiliate marketing – what’s the difference?

So now you know what the drill is about referral marketing and affiliate marketing, let’s cover a few important points for the success of marketing strategies in both dimensions.

Both types work in a similar fashion. They rely on people to promote your brand and offer a reward for their work. Also, for both types, trust is an important factor of success. What else?

Reward type

Referral marketing is all about incentives. The reward could be discounts, free products, or even cashback if both you and your customer prefer. It’s up to you to choose how to encourage clients to participate in a referral marketing program. 

Affiliate marketing has a few payment methods to choose from. You need to make an agreement with affiliates, but the reward here is primarily money. Sometimes it could also be bartered, i.e. they get to own products they promote.

Relationship with the target audience

In referral marketing relationships are significant. Your customers know the people they recommend your products to. Trust levels are therefore high, and word-of-mouth marketing is quite effective. In this case, it’s more likely that new customers will stay with you longer.

Affiliate marketing relies on relationships with the audience. Affiliates do not know their followers personally. Nevertheless, since people are following them, they had to build some kind of bond and inspire confidence. But without a doubt, the level of trust is lower here compared to  referral marketing.

Costs 

Referral marketing is a low-cost solution. You don’t need to invest much money into creating programs or rewards. Looking at other types of digital marketing, this one costs pennies in relative terms.

Affiliate marketing is called a low-cost and low-risk type of marketing, and it’s true. Compared to other popular solutions, providing affiliate programs won’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Medium

In the case of referral marketing, one person shares a referral link via (mostly) social media platforms and others can use it to, e.g., register on your site and shop with a discount.

An affiliate shares their opinion about your products via a dedicated platform. It could be a blog, YouTube channel, or a social media platform. 

Which one to choose?

It all depends on your goals, product offer, company size, and the market it operates in. Sometimes it might be hard to find a reliable affiliate partner with many followers in each industry. Moreover, you need to provide in-depth research about your future partners; their trustworthiness, if cooperation and communication with them will be seamless, their quality and speed of their work, etc. Plus, in order to get things done nice and quick, you should also provide some promotional materials for your affiliates to use.

When it comes to referral marketing, all you need to do is to encourage your customers to participate in your referral program. So the main effort is to create good incentives and rewards. Once that’s been taken care of, you can start the program and automate the process with EarlyParrot. Easy-peasy!