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Fresh Referral Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Business

If you’re looking for new and inventive ways to generate more referrals for your business, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, we will discuss a few fresh referral marketing ideas that you can start using today! We will also provide tips on how to make the most of each strategy. So what are you waiting for? Start reading and put these ideas into action!

What Are The Benefits Of Referral Marketing?

Referral marketing is a business referral strategy that rewards individuals for introducing their friends, colleagues or customers to a business. Referred customers are more likely to be satisfied with their purchase and are more likely to refer friends and family. There are many benefits to referral marketing, including increased revenue, increased customer loyalty and increased brand awareness. Referral marketing can be used in businesses of all sizes and industries. 

Referral marketing is one of the most effective ways to increase ROI for your business. It’s a process of rewarding customers for referring others to your business. There are many different referral marketing strategies you can use – today, we’ll cover some of them!

How To Implement A Referral Marketing Strategy In Your Business?

Reward your top referring agents with exclusive discounts, free products or other incentives.

Referral marketing is the process of earning business through referrals from happy customers. Referred customers are often rewarded for their involvement in the referral process by receiving a discount, free product or other incentive.

There are several ways to reward your top referring agents. One approach is to give them exclusive discounts on products or services. Another option is to provide them with free products or services in addition to their normal rewards program. You can also give them preferential treatment when it comes to scheduling and availability for training sessions or customer meetings.

Whatever approach you choose, be sure to communicate it clearly to your referral agents and make sure they understand the benefits they will receive for their involvement. 

Use social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter to promote rewards for referrals.

When it comes to referral marketing, there are a number of different ways to go about it. One way is to use social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter to promote rewards for referrals. This can be done in a number of ways, such as through direct messages or by posting a reward out on the social media platform itself. By doing this, you’ll encourage people who are referred by friends or family members to join your business and help you increase your ROI.

Set up referral programs that give participants rewards based on the number of referrals they generate.

There are many different referral marketing programs out there, but all of them have one common goal: to generate more business by encouraging people to refer their friends and colleagues.

The best referral marketing programs offer a variety of rewards, from free products or services to cash bonuses or exclusive deals.

Depending on the program, you may also be able to track referral activity and measure ROI (return on investment) in terms of increased sales or market share.

Whatever your program’s specific features, make sure that it offers incentive enough for people to refer their friends and colleagues. Otherwise, you’ll just end up with more referrals than you know what to do with!

Host a referral contest

Referral marketing is a great way to increase ROI for your business. By hosting a referral contest, you can incent your customers and employees to refer new business to you. You can also reward participants for referring new customers, which will encourage them to continue promoting your company. Consider incorporating different types of referral contests into your marketing strategy in order to find the most effective way to incentivize referrals.

Send targeted email marketing campaigns

Of course,  referral marketing isn’t just about giving out rewards. It’s also about sending targeted email marketing campaigns to people who have been referred to you by a satisfied customer.

The best way to do this is to segment your list of referrals based on their interests and needs. That way, you can send them personalized emails that are more likely to convert into sales.

By sending targeted email marketing campaigns, you can increase the chances that people who are referred to you will actually become customers. Campaign tracking is essential in order to measure the impact of such campaigns.

When you send well-targeted emails, you can generate a lot of referrals quickly. By using email marketing to promote your referral program, you can attract new customers and motivate current customers to refer their friends and colleagues. For instance, if you are sending an email invite for your upcoming event or webinars, you can  incent participants by offering them rewards for referring new customers.

One easy way to promote your referral program is to add a “Refer a Friend” link to your email signature. This will allow people who receive emails from you to easily refer their friends and colleagues to your business. Furthermore,  it helps to create a sense of urgency and encourage people to take action.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to  add a “Refer a Friend” link to your email signature, but it can be an effective way to promote your referral program and generate more referrals.

Create a blog

If you have a blog, make sure to include links to your referral program in the sidebar or footer. This will help people find out more about the program and refer their friends and colleagues. You can also promote your referral program on your blog using short, compelling ads.

Blogs can be useful  for referral marketing in a number of ways. By including links to your referral program in the sidebar or footer, you can make it easy for people to find out more about the program. You can also use short, compelling ads to promote your referral program on your blog.

If you have a blog, make sure to take advantage of it by promoting your referral program.

By doing this, you can increase the visibility of your referral program and attract more referrals.

Offer free products or services

By giving away free products or services as part of your referral program, you’ll encourage people to refer their friends and colleagues. You can also offer incentives for referrals, such as discounts or cash bonuses.

Make sure that the products or services you offer are high quality and relevant to your target market. Otherwise, you’ll just be giving away free stuff that nobody wants.

By offering free products or services, you can encourage people to refer their friends and colleagues to your business. You can also offer incentives for referrals, such as discounts or cash bonuses.

Make sure that the products or services you offer are high quality and relevant to your target market in order to get the most out of your referral program.

Design a  beautiful and engaging referral program landing page

When people see a beautiful and engaging referral program landing page, they’re more likely to want to participate. Include images, videos, or infographics on your landing page to make it more visually appealing. Make sure you always follow landing page design best practices to increase your chances of conversion.

Include a clear call-to-action on your landing page so that people know what they need to do in order to refer their friends.

Make sure your landing page is mobile-friendly so that people can refer their friends even when they’re on the go. Some landing page builders, for example Unbounce, have a mobile view of your new landing page where you can see how your new landing page will look when viewed on mobile. Priceless feature!

By designing a beautiful and engaging referral program landing page, you can increase the likelihood that people will want to participate in your program. Include images, videos, or infographics to make your landing page more visually appealing.

Include a clear call-to-action so that people know what they need to do in order to refer their friends.

Make sure your landing page is mobile-friendly so that people can refer their friends even when they’re on the go, too!

Develop relationships with other businesses in complementary industries and cross-promote each other’s services

By partnering with other businesses in complementary industries, you can reach a wider audience and generate more referrals. For example, if you’re a web designer, you could partner with a web hosting company.

You can cross-promote each other’s services by including links to each other’s businesses on your websites and social media accounts. You can also collaborate on blog posts, podcasts, or webinars.

Collaboration is a great way to build relationships with other businesses while also growing your referral network.

Do some research and find out who the influencers are in your industry

An influencer is somebody who has a large following on social media or is considered an expert in their field. Collaborating with an influencer can help your referral marketing programme be really successful.

You can find out who the influencers are in your industry by doing a quick Google search or using a tool like BuzzSumo or any of influencer marketing databases.. Once you’ve found some influencers, reach out to them and see if they’re interested in collaborating. Of course, it  doesn’t hurt to offer them something in return, like a discount on your services.

Conclusion

Referral marketing is a great way to increase ROI for your business. It’s a process of rewarding customers for referring others to your business. There are many different referral marketing strategies you can use, and each has its own set of benefits. Choose the strategy that best suits your needs and start seeing results today!

12 Benefits of IT Referral Marketing

Referral marketing is a great way to drive business to your IT company. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of how referral marketing can be used to grow your IT business.

How does referral marketing work?

Referral marketing is a type of marketing where businesses encourage customers or clients to refer new business to them. This can be done through word-of-mouth, online reviews, or other marketing channels.

To get started with referral marketing for your IT business, you’ll need to identify your target market and reach out to them. Once you’ve established a relationship, you can then start to promote your IT products or services and encourage customers to refer new business to you.

Benefits of IT referral marketing

1. Cost-effective way to acquire new customers

Referral marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies available. This is because you are not spending money on advertising or other marketing initiatives. Instead, you are relying on your existing customers or clients to spread the word about your IT business.

2. Reach a wider audience

If you are only relying on traditional marketing methods, you are limited to the number of people you can reach. However, with referral marketing, your IT business can be exposed to a much wider audience as a result of your existing customers sharing information about your business with their friends, family, and colleagues.

3. Helps build trust and credibility

When potential customers or clients see that your IT business is being recommended by people they know and trust, it helps to build trust and credibility. This can be a deciding factor for customers who are considering doing business with you.

4. Creates brand advocates

Referral marketing not only brings in new customers, but it also creates brand advocates. These are people who are passionate about your IT business and are more likely to refer others. Brand advocates can also help to promote your business through online reviews and social media, as well as create user-generated content that you can share on your own channels.

5. Improves customer retention

Customers who have been referred by a friend or family member are more likely to be satisfied with your products or services and are more likely to be loyal to your IT business. This can lead to improved customer retention and repeat business.

6. Generates more leads

When customers refer new business to you, they are providing you with qualified leads that are more likely to convert into sales. Referral marketing is therefore an effective way to acquire more high-quality prospects for your IT business.

7. Stand out from the competition

In today’s competitive IT landscape, it is important to differentiate your business from the competition. Referral marketing can help you do this by showcasing the positive experiences that your customers or clients have had with your IT business.

8. Accelerate business growth

By implementing a referral marketing program, you can accelerate the growth of your IT business. This is because referred customers tend to be high-quality leads that are more likely to convert into sales. Additionally, referral marketing can help you to reach a wider audience and build trust and credibility for your IT business

9. Reduce costs

Referral marketing is a cost-effective way to acquire new customers and generate more leads. Additionally, it can help you improve your existing relationships and therefore reduce customer churn, which is another costly problem for IT businesses.

10. Enhance your brand image

A well-executed referral marketing program can help to enhance your IT business’ brand image. This is because satisfied customers are likely to leave positive comments and reviews (look at these on the Computers in the City website to see what we’re talking about), which can help to improve your IT business’ online reputation.

11. Be seen as an expert in your field

When you are recommended by others, it helps to establish your IT business as an expert in your field. This can be beneficial when competing for business against other IT companies, as your business will be regarded as a voice of authority over others.

12. Get introduced to new markets

Referral marketing can help you to tap into new markets that you may not have had access to before. This is because your customers or clients may know people in different industries or sectors who could benefit from your IT products or services.

Conclusion

Referral marketing is a powerful tool that can be used by any IT company for business growth and customer relationships. The benefits listed in this article are just a few of the many advantages that IT referral marketing can provide. So if you haven’t already, be sure to implement a referral marketing program for your IT business today.

How Great Customer Service Leads to Referrals: 8 Ultimate Ways

Customer service is crucial to retaining your customers. But can customer service leads to referrals and hence grow your business?

You want to grow your business through referrals but are doing right to achieve that goal?

It’s often easier said than done. You might think that the only way to get referrals is to hope.

Wrong!

In fact, there are a few tricks for getting your customers to refer new clients.

Today, we’ll discuss 8 easy ways how spotless customer service leads to referrals, fueling growth, and growing your business from the bottom line.

Here we go!

#1 Make your customers feel like they’re the most important people in the world

When it comes to customer service, the little things mean a lot.

If you can make your customers feel special and important, they’re more likely to refer their friends.

Here are some simple ways to do this include:

  • greeting them by name,
  • remembering their preferences, and
  • going above and beyond to help them out.

If you can show that you genuinely care about your customers, they’ll be more likely to refer you.

TIP: Make sure you have customer service software in place for tracking customer data so that you can personalize the experience. For example, you can use tools like CloudTalk to facilitate your customer service, too.

#2 Be honest with them and always provide great customer service

At times, it might seem to be easier to lie about:

  • Issues;
  • Problems;
  • Robustness of your solution

All in all, think that you’ll avoid criticism.

However, telling the truth pays off.

Eventually, you’ll find that most of the time people will appreciate it! They often return for more purchases in the future and are much more likely to refer you.

For example, if a customer asks for an item that is out of stock, be honest with them about it! Most people will understand and appreciate your honesty.

Making things right when a mistake happens also goes a long way in winning over customers. Customers might have been upset at first however they can tell when you are being honest with them.

For instance, if there are problems with an order, address it as quickly as possible.

Make sure that your customers receive what they paid for.

If you cannot deliver, provide a full refund right away.

Alternatively, you can offer to credit their next purchase or give them something else of value.

#3 Provide excellent product knowledge to help customers make decisions

If you can help your customers find the right products for them, they’ll be more likely to recommend you to their friends.

Why?

Simply because people often refer others when they’re confident that those people will receive excellent service and get exactly what they need.

So product knowledge is crucial in this regard as it ensures that your customers are getting the best product for their needs.

When you’re able to provide good product knowledge, it also helps customers feel confident in their purchase.

In this case, they know that they can rely on you to give them accurate information and that they’re making the right decision. This often leads to referrals down the road.

TIP: Make sure your employees are well-trained in product knowledge so that they can help customers make the right decisions.

#4 Offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee or money back policy, no questions asked 

Stand by your products and services, offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee or money back policy. This type of policy reassures customers that they’re making the right decision by choosing your company.

They know they can always get their money back if they’re not happy with what they receive. So it shows them that you’re quite confident in your products or services.

Remember that above all, they have the peace of mind they’ll be able to reach you if any problems arise.

TIP: Make sure the policy is clearly stated on all promotional material so customers know exactly what to expect!

#5 If you can’t find what they want, find it for them 

If a customer asks for something that you don’t carry in your store, try to find it for them.

This shows that you’re willing to go the extra mile within your customer service to help out your customers and that you’re not just interested in making a sale.

It also builds trust between you and the customer, which often leads to referrals in the end.

TIP: Make sure your employees always go the extra mile for customers, even if it means spending time away from their friends and family. It’s worth it in the long run!

#6 Answer their questions quickly and thoroughly so they get an answer as quickly as possible

People rely on referrals from their friends and family.

Why?

The reason is that they know – those people will receive great service.

If you can answer questions quickly, without making customers wait for an answer or ask to speak to your manager, they’ll be more likely to recommend you!

This is especially important when it comes to online sales through platforms like Amazon where customers often rely on reviews to find out more about the product they’re considering.

In this case, people want to feel like their questions are being answered promptly and that you aren’t trying to make it difficult for them, even if things do go wrong.

TIP: Make sure your employees know how important their role is in this process so that customers got answers quickly!

#7 Send “Thank you” notes or emails after every purchase – even if it’s just a “thank you” email! 

People love to feel appreciated and valued. Especially when they’re spending money with you.

So sending a thank-you note or email after every purchase is a great way to show your customers that the sale wasn’t just about making a quick buck – but it was also about building relationships.

TIP: Make sure all of your employees know how important this is so that they can send thank-you notes after every purchase!

#8 Ask for referrals from happy customers

People love to get discounts, especially when it comes from their friends!

So you can ask for referrals from happy customers by providing an incentive such as 10% off the next purchase when referred by someone else (or something similar).

If you’re looking for new leads, offering an incentive such as this is a great way to encourage them to share your product with someone they know.

TIP: Make sure all of your employees are aware of the referral process so that both parties feel confident in what’s going on. Use pulse surveys to check the levels of it.

Also, make sure you’re monitoring the process, including when referrals are made and who they were referred by so that everyone is getting credit for the sale!

Final words: What to remember?

If you want to connect with your customers and provide them with an experience that they will love, then one of the best ways is by providing great customer service.

Above all, great customer service leads to referrals for your business because people talk about their positive experiences all the time.

So whether it be through word-of-mouth or on social media, recommending good businesses becomes part of our culture today.

So hopefully, the above-mentioned tips will help you provide better customer service so you could reap those rewards down the line!

Good luck! 😉 

Referral program gifts, ideas, tips and recommendations

What are the best referral programs tips that you can follow? Which referral program gifts should be given out and when?

Referral Program marketing is desirable for many reasons.  

Firstly, it’s cost-effective and doesn’t involve any huge upfront investments.

Secondly, it can drive customer acquisition at a rapid pace when executed correctly.

All in all, referral leads outperform other leads by 16% in terms of lifetime value.

What you should know about referral marketing? 

Referral marketing has benefits for your business, some of which are:

  • Statistically, you get 9 referred customers for every happy customer.
  • 92% of customers trust referrals more than traditional advertising. 
  • 86% of businesses that implement structured referral programs see revenue growth within the first 2 years. 

When customers are incentivized to refer others, they’re more likely to trust your brand increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases.

This is all great!

But how can you have your referral program? How can you get your audience to engage with your referral program? How can you achieve a good referral rate?

5 Best Referral program tips on how to make it better

To get the best Return on Investment from your referral program, you need to lay down a referral strategy. Such a strategy should have as little friction as possible for your existing customers to refer others.

Here are the top referral program tips we recommend you follow.

Tip N1. Identify your goal

A clear roadmap is always a good place to start. 

For example, if your goal is to increase traffic, then you may want to offer discounts for referrals that convert into paying customers. 

You can also use the referral marketing channel for various reasons:

  • to grow your sales,
  • increase the lifespan of your customers,
  • or even improve the quality of your product.

Whatever you choose, just make sure you always have it in the back of your head. 

Tip 2. Use reliable referral marketing platform

Once you know what your objectives for your referral program are, it’s time to think about automating referral tracking and referral program gift distribution.

You will need a system to manage your referrals and let people know about the opportunity you’re giving them. 

When choosing a referral program software there are several considerations that you have to keep in mind.

Powerful referral marketing software is likely to allow you to perform actions like: 

  • brand pages and emails 
  • import and invite customers 
  • stack up various referral program gifts for your referrers
  • integrate it with your already existing software stack
  • offer a detailed analysis of what is going in your referral program

It should also be able to help you integrate referral links into all of your communication channels (email, social media, etc.), track clicks on those links, and find out which of them work the best. 

Overall, with a good referral marketing platform, you will keep an eye on the performance of your campaigns and make adjustments as needed to increase conversion rates.

Tip N3. Explore the location of your audience

One of the most important considerations when implementing referral marketing is to be where your audience is. 

It’s crucial that you are where your potential customers are, for example on our blog, so that we know how and when to reach them. 

Other examples of where you could find your existing customers most of the time include: 

You can’t just put a referral campaign on your site and expect that customers will come. You need to be where your customers are and use their preferred channels and devices in order to get them interested in what you have to offer.

Otherwise, all your efforts may go to waste. 

Tip N4. Always be grateful 

In order to make the customer journey a positive one, it’s important to make sure that ‘thank you’ messages are sent out to customers who have finished a purchase or interacted with your company. 

There are many different ways that these messages can be sent out, but what is important is when they are sent. 

To ensure that these messages are being sent in a timely manner, it is a good idea for companies to set up an automated system.

All in all, such systems can send appreciation notes to your customers once they complete certain actions, e.g. make a purchase. 

This way, there will be no delay in the customer receiving the message and they will be able to leave feedback about their shopping experience straight away. 

Most importantly, they will want to give that feedback to you because you’ve just thanked them and showed your gratitude. 

Another reason for paying attention to showing your thankfulness is because it can significantly improve relationships with your customers. Happy customers who feel appreciated will be more likely to participate in your referral program. 

Tip N5. Pick valuable referral program gifts

Speaking about making your customers interested and feel appreciated, our next tip for you is to choose the referral incentive. 

The use of desirable referral gifts is essential to improve the success of your referral marketing campaign. 

When marketers offer something that attracts prospects, they’re more likely to make a purchase with you.

Research shows that up to 79% of Facebook users will like a product page or brand to get discounts and other perks.

Which are some of the best referral program gifts that you can give out? 

5 Best referral program gifts to keep in mind

While referral programs are one of the most effective ways to grow your customer base, it can be hard to find incentives that will resonate with your customers.

Picking the best referral gift can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be if you follow the tips below.

There are many options to choose from and we’re here to inspire you with some of them.

Gift N1. Free gifts from your partners

Number one on our list is freebies. People love receiving free stuff, especially when they come to them for very little effort. 

Remember that giving out your products for free doesn’t have to be unprofitable or costly for you. You can start with as little as product samples, which usually aren’t for sale anyway. 

If possible try to source these freebies through your business partners, giving them extra exposure and freeing you from having to fork out a referral gift.

Gift N2. Product or service upgrade

If you run a SaaS or a membership program, a great and highly cost-effective referral program gift to incentivize your referrers is to give them a temporary upgrade for their current subscription plans. 

The reality is that it probably won’t cost you much. Looking from the perspective of your customers though will give them the motivation to refer your business to as many people as possible.

Subscription plans are a genius way to use the power of referral marketing on potential customers too.

When someone new signs up for your service, you can offer them an upgrade to a higher tier of service for free or at a discounted rate. 

In such a scenario everyone is happy: you, your current customers, and your new customers. 

This is a real-life example of a win-win situation. 

Gift N3. Charity donations as a referral gift

People don’t like businesses that exploit their customers or that are simply greedy. 

For this reason, many companies turn towards charity donations in their efforts to make referral marketing work.

When it comes to charity donations, people may be hesitant about taking advantage of this incentive. 

We can think of two reasons for this. 

One, people may not want to give money away without knowing how the donation would be used – fair enough. Two, they may feel uncomfortable with the idea that their donation could be used by an organization to generate funds without having any contact with the beneficiaries – understandable. 

Luckily, it’s not a problem without a solution. 

As long as you’re completely transparent about your actions, everything should be fine. Try to use your communication channels as a way to provide proof of your donations.

Doing this will dispel any doubts. Moreover, it will add that extra bit of confidence and motivation to your customers that will be profitable for you in the end. 

Gift N4. Discounts as a referral gift

Moving on, you can’t go wrong with offering discounts or vouchers. 

Research shows that consumers are 4 to 5 times more likely to purchase from you when you offer free shipping as an example.

One is certain, though. Customers do love the words ‘discount’ and ‘voucher’. So, don’t miss out on this fact and take advantage of it. 

Gift N5. Double-sided referral gifts 

Finally, we have already indirectly mentioned yet another type of incentive earlier – double-sided gifts. 

Double-sided gifts are a form of gifts that provides both sides of the referral with a gift. 

In such scenarios, both your existing customer and your potential customer get something. 

The basic idea behind double-sided gifts is that when you give something to your referring customer, the person who they promote you to gets something as well. 

It’s a great tactic that promotes building good relationships with not just 1 person, but also with everyone to who they refer your business

This’s a rapid customer base expansion waiting to happen. 

So how to start your referral program? 

If you know what your goals are, the first step for referral marketing that we recommend is to choose a tool that will help you manage your referrals. 

Referrals are an excellent way to generate leads and revenue if you know how to execute and manage them correctly.

A great piece of software is EarlyParrot – an extremely easy to integrate and fully brandable referral marketing solution for SaaS companies, courses, webinars, email lists, E-commerce stores, and more. 

Summary

Referral marketing is a highly effective marketing strategy for businesses. It’s a way to generate leads and revenue not only from existing customers but also from those who have never been exposed to your business before. 

It’s also one of the best types of marketing strategies because it comes from people who have already been exposed to your brand.

So chances are they trust it enough to make recommendations about it to their friends and family. 

How to Become a Brand Ambassador

Wondering how to become a brand ambassador? Here’s your step-by-step guide on getting hired and representing any brand effectively!

If you’re passionate about a particular brand, and you want to share your enthusiasm for it with the world, then becoming a brand ambassador might be right up your alley.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to become a brand ambassador.

In particular, we’ll talk about how it works, what are some of the benefits of being one, and how you can get started on this journey today.

All in all, we’ll try to talk about every single detail one can face on the way to becoming an ambassador for a brand.

But first, let’s discuss some important aspects.

So What is a Brand Ambassador?

A brand ambassador is someone who represents a company, product, or service and is promoting them in the best possible way.

All in all, to become a great brand ambassador you should know how the company works and how the ambassador should fit into the big picture. You should understand if you really can increase awareness of a brand by publicly illustrating the company or its products/services.

For example, brand ambassadors act as spokespeople, doing their best to influence a targeted audience to buy a company’s product or service. 

That’s it!

What are the Benefits of Being a Brand Ambassador?

When you become an ambassador of a company, there are various benefits you can get.

Most often, you may get discounts on some products or even get them for free.

In some cases, you might even be sent on special trips and events where you can meet other brand ambassadors from all over the world.

Cool, isn’t that?

Here’s how a brand ambassador can grow your business:

Is Being a Brand Ambassador Time-Consuming?

In general, you don’t need to have tons of time on your hands to become a brand ambassador.

However, it’s definitely something worth keeping in mind as various opportunities can pop up at any time.

Also, the time you should dedicate to the brand will depend on your role.

For example, it depends on if you’re helping to promote a brand at events, or you’re doing other activities.

Does it require much time? Or are you doing more behind-the-scenes work like writing blog posts, SEO or creating social media content for the company?

This is where most of your time might be spent on.

Also, some companies might require most of your time.

So if you’re too busy with other activities, all the efforts would be just a waste of time.

How to Become a Brand Ambassador in 6 Steps

Step N1: Consider Your Skills & Interests

If you want to become a brand ambassador, pay attention to showing your skills and interests.

Before you start applying for opportunities as a brand ambassador, think about how they will fit into your potential success.

For example, if marketing isn’t something that excites or intrigues you then being a brand ambassador might not be the right opportunity for you.

When you’ve identified your skills are a good fit, think about how they will be able to utilize them through their brand ambassador program. Show them the benefits of hiring you.

So try not to make assumptions and go into detail about how you can help them.

Step N2: Research Companies That Need Brand Ambassadors

One of the first steps on becoming a brand ambassador is seeking if there’s such a position fitting you, right?

If you don’t have experience in working with them, investigating them is always the best thing you can do.

But how or whom reach out to?

This is where the research process is that crucial. You would need to identify the right contact person, find and verify their email address, and finally reach out.

For example, a fashion company may be looking for an ambassador who likes to wear stylish and be fashionable, has comprehensive experience in promoting or working with them.

What you can also do is explore their social media presence.

If you don’t have experience in working with them at all, you always see what other brand representatives do. So you can explore the current influencers to see what the brand is exactly looking for in a brand ambassador.

Step N3: Create a Resume Highlighting Your Experience 

After you’ve done the research, start creating your resume.

Generally, brand ambassadorships are best for people who have already been hired by companies and worked with them. Which is also mentioned in their CVs.

Or, for example, those people are influencers in the sectors where a brand is operating in.

When you create a resume, make sure that the experience and skills sections highlight how your past work helped companies to achieve their goals.

This is how they’ll be able to see how valuable you might be in working for them as a brand ambassador.

Also, don’t forget to mention how it will benefit their company to achieve growth.

To get it done clearly, do your homework properly!

For instance, you can take a look at some other resume examples to know how you should format your CV when applying for brand ambassador opportunities.

If you show consistency, eventually you will create an easy-to-read document highlighting your required experience and skills.

Step N4: Submit Resumes to Relevant Companies 

After finding relevant companies and creating your CV – what’s the next step?

Before you start applying for opportunities as a brand ambassador, think about how it will fit into your personality.

If marketing isn’t something that excites or intrigues you then being a brand ambassador might not be the right opportunity for you, as we mentioned above.

For example, if there are brands seeking ambassadors in the cosmetics industry, ask yourself a question – “Do I have those skills?”

If you don’t have those skills, simply don’t apply!

Seriously! Don’t waste your time on that.

Instead, submit your CV to the most relevant companies. Once companies know how much your work might benefit them, there’s plenty of room to grow!

And that’s where the opportunity of becoming a brand ambassador lies.

Why?

The reason is there are various companies that need exactly your skills and experience. Go in the right direction.

That’s it!

Step N5: Get More Followers on Social Media 

Let’s suppose you’ve already applied to become an ambassador.

All in all, one of the top reasons why brands hire people to present them publicly is the volume of their existing audience.

And that’s the reason why Hugo Boss started to work with TikTok Star Khaby Lame, Dolce & Gabbana and Victoria’s Secret started to work with Kendall Jenner, etc.

Don’t have a large audience?

That’s not an issue! Start increasing your number of subscribers and followers on social media like Instagram, TikTok, or others. To some of them, you can send a gift message on Instagram.

Also, to make the process even faster you can meet and make connections with other influencers as well. That will help you grow your network and hugely increase your chances to get hired.

Don’t forget – the more followers you have, the more money and people you can lead to the brand you’re representing.

Step N6: Be Persistent – NEVER Give Up!

Working a career as an ambassador in a top brand requires some time. So keep in mind, get relaxed, and know it might take some time to get to the finish line.

What would you do when you love a person but get a rejection one time.

Got broken?

Definitely NOT! You continue to fight for them, right?

Exactly! The same is here!

Call them, contact them, write to them. Show endurance! It will show some initiative on your part and would mean you’re interested in growing with the company.

But Are There Any Challenges for Brand Ambassadors?

Undoubtedly there is!

Here are some of them.

1. Lack of Customer Interaction

If you’re a newbie in the world of influencers, this might be quite tough for you!

Why?

Simply because this is not just showing up and visiting various events.

One of the key things here is communication with potential customers.

All in all, there are numerous things to consider – taste, way of walking, speech, etc.

So keep in mind that when you become a brand ambassador, you’re being in the center of everyone’s attention.

Are you sure you want this kind of life?

Worth thinking about, isn’t it?

2. Difficulties in Meeting Deadlines

As mentioned above, being in the center of attention is not a dream job.

In addition, there’s also a specification here – meeting deadlines.

Imagine you should learn your speech, dress properly, go to the fitness center, and do other activities to present a brand in the best possible way.

What’s more important – everything should be done within strict deadlines. So long hours and demanding schedules will become a part of your life.

If you’re exceeding the deadlines, it might negatively impact the marketing efforts and spoil every single strategy.

So this is also unacceptable!

3. Risk of Getting Sick From Interacting With Customers 

If you’re working as a brand ambassador, there is always a risk of getting sick from interacting with your customers.

Especially today, after COVID-19 people started to take more precautions when communicating with each other. It’s even tougher in the case of celebrities, sports stars, influencers, and brand ambassadors.

So there’s always a risk of getting sick from interacting with customers. Be careful!

Conclusion

Remember that the hardest part is getting the first opportunity. It might take some time until you get one. Even when you get your first chance, you can still work in your free time, after work or on weekends like many people.

Once you get your first successful campaign, you’ll get more opportunities worth taking. Every successful brand ambassador has started their career with a small salary but tremendous dedication.

Nothing is forever! Start small, tackle obstacles, and you’ll become one of the most successful brand ambassadors!

Good luck!

Webinar Marketing: How to Grow Your Business Effectively

In webinars, marketers can present their products and services to a wider audience. Webinars are effective marketing tools because they allow you to show your product in an engaging manner that is also interactive. Here we will discuss how webinar marketing increases business growth and what you need to do to implement webinar marketing for your company effectively.

What are webinars?

Webinars are online seminars that can be used to attract new customers, get leads and increase sales.

What makes webinar marketing effective?

Webinars present an opportunity for people who may not know about your brand or understand how it could benefit them. It’s a great way of demonstrating the benefits of what you sell without the client having to buy.

It helps you to create a relationship with your audience, opening the door for future sales and increasing revenue through their loyalty towards your brand. This is especially effective when webinars are used in conjunction with other marketing strategies, creating multiple touchpoints between yourself and potential customers.

They provide an interactive web presence, which will be attractive to web users who are looking for information and solutions.

Webinars have a personal touch that other online marketing strategies don’t offer – they allow you to communicate directly with your audience through a virtual meeting space. This can help create better customer relationships as people feel more involved in the webinar content being shared.

Webinars allow businesses to build trust, credibility and authority in their niche. This is because webinar marketing allows you to demonstrate your knowledge of your industry by sharing your expertise with others through web conferencing software.

How to set up a Webinar Marketing Plan

Find a webinar platform that will make webinars easy for you to set up, either one that is already integrated into your webinar service or a third-party webinar platform.

Determine how much time should be spent on each element of the webinar (i.e., introduction, presentation and Q&A). Allow enough time for people to ask questions and make sure webinar participants know ahead of time when the Q&A session will be taking place.

Ensure you plan your webinars in advance, which should include creating a list of topics that you want to discuss or information you would like to share with webinar attendees. Then create an outline for each webinar including the main messages that you want webinar participants to remember.

Promote your webinars through social media, email marketing and offline channels as well as any other web promotional tools that are available for use on the webinar platform or third-party service you have chosen. It’s also a good idea to create shareable content such as infographics or blog posts to promote webinars on social media. You can also create Facebook ads using an online Facebook ad creator tool where you can customize templates easily and run ads to promote your webinar.

Test webinar software and equipment before the webinar begins so that you can correct any technical issues as they arise, which will save time when it comes to webinar day. Ensure your internet connection is strong enough for a video call and check in advance what format (i.e., PowerPoint or webinar software) your webinars will need to be in.

During the webinar, ensure you are speaking clearly and not too fast or slowly so that attendees can follow along with what is being shared on-screen while also hearing what you have to say. Try recording one of your webinars for future reference if possible.

Allow webinar attendees to give you feedback on your webinars by asking for their input at the end of every session. This will help build rapport with webinar participants and provide valuable insight into how people are responding to your webinars so that they can be improved in future sessions

What should I know about webinar marketing?

Webinars are a great way to establish your authority in your industry, increase brand recognition and boost online presence.

Webinar marketing can be interactive when webinars are used with other strategies such as social media monitoring or offline events like conferences to build customer relationships.

Webinar marketing allows you to give expert advice about what you know best to webinar attendees, which can help establish trust and authority in your niche.

The benefits of webinar marketing

Webinars can help create better customer relationships as people feel more involved in the webinar content being shared. People are also able to ask questions online during webinars, which can give webinar hosts useful feedback about what webinar attendees are interested in learning more about.

Webinars are a great way to increase online presence because people will be able to find your webinars through search engines like Google or Bing by searching for relevant keywords related to the topic of the webinar. This will help webinars rank well in search engine results and create more visibility for your brand.

Webinar marketing is an effective way to build up a strong community of followers who can be marketed to repeatedly through webinars, which will increase customer retention rates over time.

What are some tips for webinar promo?

Try using webinars to market your products and services by sharing webinar replays on social media, which can create exposure for whatever you’re trying to sell.

Webinars are a great way to generate leads in an interactive setting that allows webinar hosts and webinar attendees to connect with each other live over the internet. Create landing pages where webinar attendees can input their name and email in order to receive webinars for free.

Webinars are popular because they allow webinar hosts and webinar participants to connect with each other in real-time online, which is why using a video call service will improve the quality of your webinars even more.

Webinars are a great way to improve your brand visibility online because webinar replays can be uploaded to video sharing sites like YouTube where people will find them through search engines like Google or Bing when they’re looking for more information about whatever you webinar is focused on. This helps with SEO rankings and improves web presence in general.

How can webinars help you grow your business?

Webinars are an effective way to establish authority in your industry or niche by demonstrating what you know best through web conferencing software like Skype, Google Hangouts etc. Hosting webinars will make people see you as a leader and expert in your field.

Webinars are a great way to improve customer relationships because webinar hosts and webinar participants can connect with each other in real-time online. People will be more likely to buy from you if they feel like they know, like and trust you after following your webinars over time.

Webinars allow people an opportunity to ask webinar hosts questions about what they’re teaching webinar attendees. This gives webinar hosts more information on how to improve webinars in the future. Webinars are an effective way of getting feedback from your target audience and improving customer retention rates over time.

Webinars allow you to increase your online presence because people will be able to find webinars through search engines like Google or Bing by searching for relevant keywords related to the topic of your webinar. This helps webinars rank well in search engine results and generate more visibility for your brand over time.

Webinar marketing is a great way to build up a strong community of followers who can be marketed to repeatedly through webinars, which will increase customer retention rates over time.

Webinar marketing is an effective way to establish authority in your industry or niche because web conference hosts can demonstrate what they know best and host web conferences live online. As a webinar host, it’s important that you’re knowledgeable about the topic you’re hosting webinars on.

Webinars are a great way to generate leads because webinar hosts can create landing pages where webinar attendees can input their name and email in order to receive webinars for free; the more emails you have on your list, the better chances of converting webinar participants into customers.

Webinars make it possible to efficiently market your webinars to webinar registrants through email, which is an effective way of converting webinar attendees into customers.

Webinar marketing mistakes you should avoid

Webinars can be an effective way to grow your business, but you have to make sure that the webinar covers a topic in the webinar participants will find useful or interesting so they’ll continue watching. If people don’t watch it’s unlikely they’ll sign up for future webinars from your company.

When hosting webinars, webinar hosts often expect attendees to visit their website and sign up for the webinar. However, webinar participants may not have time or feel comfortable doing that while watching a live webinar. In order to solve this problem you can set an autoresponder email send out as soon as someone subscribes during your webinar. In webinar marketing, one way to use webinars is as a means of driving traffic from your webinar back to your website.

Another mistake webinar hosts make during the webinar itself is repeating information multiple times and trying to include too much content into it. Make sure you have an outline about what topics will be covered in webinars in webinar marketing.

Webinars are often put together very quickly with little thought given to their overall presentation, which can come across as unprofessional and cause people not to trust the information they’re being presented with. If you want webinar participants to take your webinars seriously then it’s important that they have a professional webinar marketing webinar look and feel.

Webinars should be a combination of presentation slides, web demonstrations or other video content, and the webinar host speaking over it. If someone’s using their webcam to present from home they can even include their own face on PowerPoint slides as part of the overall webinar design for increased engagement in webinar marketing.

Webinars are typically recorded so webinar hosts can use the recordings for their own webinar marketing efforts later on, but many web hosts will charge you extra to record your webcasts in webinar marketing. This is something you’ll want to check up on before choosing a particular web host that offers this service at an additional cost.

You have to ensure that your webinars cover topics that the webinar participants will find useful or interesting so they’ll continue watching. If people don’t watch it’s unlikely they’ll sign up for future webinars from your company. Another mistake webinar hosts make during webinars is repeating information multiple times or trying to cover too much content. Make sure you have an outline about what topics will be covered in webinar marketing so your webinars don’t come across as unprofessional.

Webinars can also be a great way to drive traffic from your webinar back to your website. Another webinar marketing tip is to set an autoresponder email to send out as soon as someone subscribes during your webinar, which will add more value for webinar participants and incentivize them to sign up for future webinars from you in webinar marketing. Webinars are typically recorded so webinar hosts can use the recordings for their own webinar marketing efforts later on, but many web hosts will charge you extra to record your webcasts. This is something you’ll want to check up on before choosing a particular web host that offers this service at an additional cost in webinar marketing.

How to use referral marketing for webinar marketing?

The best way to use referral marketing in webinar marketing is by including a slide on your dashboard with a top of funnel call to action. This top of funnel call to action will lead the potential customer through several slides and videos before landing them on the thank you page for signing up for your webinar. It’s also helpful if that same top of funnel call-to-action appears on the registration form, where they prove that their email addresses are correct.

Once we’ve captured their email address, we can send them an email with an invitation for this specific webinar and at the same time ask him/her if they would like us follow up with him or her after our live event. We could say something like: “We would like to invite you for our webinar on (date and time). Would you like us to follow up with a recap of the webinar?”

This is where referral marketing comes into play. We want them to share this webinar invitation email with their friends, family, or coworkers. If we make it easy for them to share the webinar invitation email with their network, they will be more than glad to do so.

Every webinar has a unique URL that leads them directly into your webinar room where you are presenting live. This webinar specific link is what we want all of our attendees to promote in order for us to get referral traffic and new qualified webinar leads.

We will then send them webinar follow-up emails that include webinar recording and webinar slides, while at the same time promoting our next webinars. This is a great way to keep your audience engaged with each other by sharing their experiences of the webinars they have attended so far. If you do this properly, webinar follow-up emails can generate a significant ROI for your webinar marketing campaigns.

Lastly, we will include an email sequence that is sent immediately after the webinars have ended and this email should also be promoting webinars in the future as well as other content on our website. This way they keep engaged with us and we will make sure to follow up with them for webinar marketing.

By following these simple webinar marketing steps, it is guaranteed that you will see a great return on your webinar investment and webinars can be an effective channel in growing your business.

Referral Marketing for small business. Benefits and Best Tips 

Is referral marketing for small businesses viable? Can a small business benefit from referral marketing? Or is it only for the big guns?

Referral marketing is one of the best advertising strategies ever created. Businesses from numerous sectors utilize this form of advertising to promote their services to other people. Here are some stats to back this up.

  • 82% of B2B sales leaders are convinced that referral marketing generates the best leads.
  • Every 1 happy customer can refer your services to up to 9 people.
  • 92% of customers trust referrals more than advertising.
  • People trust referrals from friends seven times more than any other advertising method.
  • Referred customers tend to spend up to 16% more money with your company.

It is estimated that around 2.4 billion conversations occurring daily in the United States are brand-related. 

How can you make as many of these conversations as possible about your brand? 

In this article, we focus on the main benefits of referral marketing and the tips to make it your most effective marketing channel. 

If you’re curious to know what they are, you’re welcome to join us for this interesting read!

What does referral mean? 

While the term marketing probably doesn’t need a lot of explanation, it can be problematic to accurately describe the meaning of ‘referral’ in the advertising context. 

The ‘referral marketing’ expression often gets thrown around in business conversations. 

But do you understand the meaning of it completely? What does a referral mean by itself?

A referral is an act of promoting or endorsing a product, company, or service to others. 

Referrals are done by people with authority and credibility – in your case: by your customers. A referral can also be a person endorsing one company’s services to their friends, family and so on.

Marketing experts use the word referral in the context of marketing to express the act of gaining new customers through recommendations. It is often used in terms of acquiring new customers thanks to your already existing ones. 

So, what’s in it for you?

Referral Marketing for small Business – Benefits

Every marketing method has its own benefits – some have fewer, some have more. The benefits of referral marketing are varied and can directly impact your brand reputation, bottom line and customer base. 

Improved customer retention rate

Are you tired of customers coming and going from your business? Do you want them to stay and prosper with you? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, you must give referral marketing a try. 

One of the many benefits of this marketing strategy is that it can have a tremendous effect on your customer retention rate. Of course, a positive effect. 

Referrals are considered one of the most powerful tools when it comes to building customer relationships. They create more customer intimacy and deepen brand loyalty, which directly impacts the retention rate. 

When customers refer their friends, they are more likely to stay loyal through the duration of their relationship with your business too.

Increased brand awareness

When you have a lot of people talking about your brand to other people, your recognition in the market increases. 

A well-known brand is one that is referred to by many people, is often mentioned and easily recognisable. 

The people who recommend your products and/or services to others are thought of as credible, trustworthy, and knowledgeable within their environments.

When a lot of people are creating buzz around your name, it’s natural for new people to show interest in your company. 

This contributes to your brand awareness rising within your market and, essentially, exposes you to more potential customers. 

Now, you surely can’t go past a benefit like this, can you?

Decreased customer acquisition cost

As we move forward, let’s look at how referral marketing can reduce customer acquisition costs. 

A company may reduce its CAC by targeting customers that are more likely to buy their product or service. 

For example, a company that sells luxury goods may want to target affluent customers who can afford their products. This type of promotion would be more expensive than promoting the product on TV to reach as many people as possible.

Advertising might also cost less if it is targeted instead of mass-marketed. This is exactly when referral marketing turns out to be very handy. 

When referrals refer your business to other people, in hope to get some attractive incentive in return, they will make every effort to ensure they’re sending their referral links to the right people. After all, it’s within their interest as well to have a good referral rate and bring new people to your company. 

Thanks to the fact that referrals work as your brand ambassadors who earn incentives for increasing your customer base, your CAC can be significantly decreased. 

You only reward your customer when they perform a valuable action from your perspective. For example, it could be encouraging a friend to purchase products from your company. This way, the cost of acquiring a new customer is lower and also paid only when successful. 

High ROI

Together with decreased customer acquisition cost, you can expect to enjoy a pretty good Return on Investment with your referral marketing efforts

This marketing technique can be really beneficial to increase your Return on Investment

While the exact numbers vary by industry and markets, referral marketing can generate a ROI of even more than 15x, compared to the cost of the original investment.

source

Little effort needed

Finally, referral marketing is a great way for small and medium-sized businesses to expand their client base and grow their customer base. This is especially important when they don’t have a lot of time to manage it.

Effective solutions that require minimal input are usually liked by businesses and referral marketing is one of them.

When a referral system is up and running, it requires very little effort to maintain it. A business only needs to set up the referral marketing system and keep track of the referrals generated. 

Once this is done, they can enjoy all the benefits of having a well-oiled promotional machine in place.

Referral marketing for small business – Best Tips 

All these benefits of referral marketing seem very attractive, there’s no doubt about it. But just like with any other advertising strategy, you need to know how to get things started at the right speed. Otherwise, you may find yourself missing out on these great perks.

Make the process easy with a reliable referral marketing tool

To begin, it’s important that you make your referral marketing process easy for you, as well as for your customers. Picking an effective platform to manage your referrals is vital to ensure this.

Keeping things as simple as possible together with using some powerful software will definitely benefit you. 

First of all, you will be able to quickly get used to your tool and learn all its features. This will allow you to use the referral program to its full potential. 

Second of all, you should keep in mind the convenience of use from your customers’ perspective. Try to make things easy. The easier it is for them to refer you, the better results you can expect from your efforts.

And the more people are using referral marketing to promote your products or services, the more people you’ll be able to reach. 

All of this will go a long way in increasing your sales and customer satisfaction. Isn’t it great?

Take advantage of influencers 

Another good tip is to take advantage of influencers and the power they hold. If you’re lucky enough to have some influential individuals within your customer base, it’s time to put this fact into use. 

While there are some differences between influencer and referral marketing, there also are some similarities that are worth looking at.

Influencers are becoming increasingly popular in the marketing world, with many brands seeking them to help promote their product. 

In fact, influencer marketing is worth 13.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. If you want to create a persuasive marketing campaign, influencers are the way forward.

source

Influencers are able to provide customized content for your brand that is considered more authentic and trustworthy by consumers than traditional advertising campaigns. They also have an established following of people who will listen to what they have to say. 

An effective referral marketing strategy isn’t complete without influencer outreach, so do keep this in mind.

Use interesting incentives 

Moving on, let’s not forget that referral marketing isn’t just about how many people you reach or how big your customer base becomes. 

Without attractive benefits for your potential referrals, you won’t go a long way with your strategy. 

Customers are more likely to refer your business to other people if they feel appreciated or have some type of incentive that is valuable to them. 

It does not have to be a monetary reward. It could be an experience or an intangible prize. This is your time to get creative.

For example, customers can get a 10% off coupon for each friend referred up until the fifth referral. 

They will still want to share with their friends because of the discount, but not for personal gain which can lead them to be less proud of referring to their friends in comparison.

Pay attention to customer engagement

Referral marketing is all about building trust and advocacy. 

The more you can do to keep your customers happy, the higher your chances are of them sharing their positive experiences with friends, family, and followers.

Showing that you care is very simple. It can be something as little as a single email to your customer with some nice words. 

While the possibilities are endless, one thing to remember is to always show interest and engage with your customers regularly.

Monitor, monitor, monitor

Finally, let’s focus on the importance of analysing your efforts. 

To understand what you do correctly in referral marketing (or not, and how to change it), you should regularly track your performance.

This includes paying attention to things like the number of visitors, subscribers, customers, referrals and social media mentions.

to name a few examples. 

Without it, even the best tool and the most wonderful customers won’t be able to make your referral marketing strategy successful. It’s all about looking for patterns and things to improve. 

And this is only possible when you track your performance. 

Referral marketing for small business – how to get started?

We recommend you begin with picking your platform first. 

Knowing what type of tool you’re going to use has various benefits:

  • know what features you can use later on
  • can plan your referral strategy in line with the tool and its capabilities
  • get time to get familiar with it before customers begin using it 
  • get a chance to see if the interface will be easy to navigate for your customers

and more.

From our side, we can add that EarlyParrot is a great solution. Whether you’re a SaaS or an e-Commerce business, this tool will exceed your most sophisticated demands and wishes.

EarlyParrot is for coaches, course creators, event hosts to grow through referrals and fill upcoming launches, webinars, or email list.

You may also want to choose from benefits like custom theming, original rewards, advanced fraud detection, translations and more. 

Check it out today and start your referral marketing journey effectively with EarlyParrot.

Over to you

We hope you enjoyed this short but insightful article. 

Referral marketing, when done right, can boost your business on many levels. 

Whether it’s through an increased ROI or an improved customer retention rate, many companies can find ways to benefit from this marketing strategy. 

If you want to deepen your knowledge around the topic of referral marketing, make sure you check our blog out. The rumour has it that it’s really interesting.

Other than that, good luck with referral marketing. And in case you forget how great it can be, you know where to find this article!

Boosting Referral Conversions with a better User Onboarding process

What makes you recommend your friends and family a product or service? First impressions or user onboarding is definitely the top reason!

When you like a product or service so much, you want your friends and family to benefit from them, and this is one of the most crucial reasons that make you recommend a product or service.

And, there may be a ton of reasons that you like a product or service. 

From its price to its quality or the smiling face of the employee who helped you benefit from that product or service, you consider some criteria when recommending a product or service to other people.

And, an excellent user onboarding experience is definitely one reason that makes someone be satisfied with a product and recommend it to their friends and family.

63% of customers said that they think user onboarding is a crucial aspect of their buying decisions.

Another reason you recommend a product or service to your friends and family is that you are encouraged by a referral reward that you can get by recommending a product or service. 

That is to say, referral marketing can be run both organically and through campaigns that encourage customers to recommend your product to their peers.

If you want your referral marketing strategy to grow organically, the best thing that you can do is to provide a quality product or service that provides value to your customers. Since the goal is to provide value to customers, you need to have an all-around onboarding process that helps customers find the value in your product.

In line with your efforts to run your referral marketing strategy successfully, you can use onboarding tools and referral marketing tools that can boost referral conversions.

Now let’s figure out what user onboarding is and how it can help you increase referral conversions.

What exactly is User Onboarding?

User onboarding is an ongoing process that starts with a user’s first interaction with your company and goes on by helping them find value in your product. User onboarding starts with attracting users to your product by clearly explaining how your product can solve their problem, then goes on with guiding first-time users to the value in the product and helping existing users keep finding the value.

Onboarding is often narrowed down to a product tour. And it is a huge mistake!

Yes, a product tour is a part of onboarding your customers. However, a satisfying user onboarding experience requires much more than product tours. 

Here are some fundamental aspects of a successful user onboarding: 

  • In the very first moment when a user finds out about your product, you should clearly and briefly explain to them what value they can expect from it.
  • Make it easy for users to sign-up. Do not ask for too much information. Only stick to what is necessary. You can always ask for further details down the road.

Short sign-up forms help you increase your conversion rates.

  • Send short and informative onboarding emails that are well designed with images or other visuals.
  • Provide an interactive product tour (product walkthrough) and make it optional for users to take it or not. (because some users may have already gone through the process).
  • Provide onboarding checklists and progress bars to help users better manage their time and know where they are on their journey.
  • Use in-app messaging and push notifications at the right moment to engage with your users.
  • Help users find answers to their questions through resource centers.
  • Finally, personalize each and every step for users. Personalization helps users better relate to the process and build a bond with your product.

When you take these into consideration when onboarding users, you will successfully increase acquisition and retention, therefore, your product adoption rates.

How can User Onboarding help boost conversion rates when doing referral marketing?

Let’s talk about two striking statistics:

55% of users said they had returned a product before because they didn’t know how to use it. 

This is striking because it shows what may happen when you can’t get your users past through the most crucial part. 

Another important statistic is that research by Nielsen shows that 83% of consumers suggested that they trust the recommendations from their family and friends when making their buying decisions.

Now, you should ask yourself whether you would recommend a product that you don’t know how to use to your friends and family or not.

I believe the answer is NO.

User onboarding helps you increase conversion rates when doing referral marketing because it is the ultimate way of convincing users that your product is the one that can provide value to them and solve their problems.

When you are able to help users find what they are looking for through a well-prepared onboarding flow, they will naturally recommend it to people around them.

User Onboarding practices you can apply today to boost referral conversions 

#1 Everything starts with an easy sign-up process

As I said earlier in the article, you will lose many users right at the beginning if your sign-up process is complex. So it is truly a crucial part of onboarding because you wouldn’t want to lose users without even having them get started in your product.

Integrating Google Sign-Up provides excellent convenience to users.

Users don’t want to deal with too much work when signing up. In this regard, you should only be asking for necessary information rather than aggressively asking for every detail.

If someone’s going to refer your product to other people, it’s going to be at the end of their onboarding process, and best onboarding processes start with smooth signups

#2 Offer Freemium/ Free Trial

One of the oldest and most powerful desires we have is to try a product out and compare it with another. It is a crucial criterion that people take into consideration when making their buying decisions.

Referral conversions may come to a dead-end when users are not able to see the value of your product with their own eyes, even if the referral is coming to someone very close to them.

Freemiums can help you increase referral conversions by simply convincing users further about the value of your product.

#3 Identify who your new users are

If a user signed up from a referral, it’s a good practice to understand who they are, how they’re related to the person who referred them to the product, etc.

This can help you clearly identify your referral marketing campaigns’ audience and optimize your efforts accordingly.

After an easy sign-up process, you should get to know your users by asking the necessary questions so that you can provide them with a better experience. 

Following these questions, you should constantly analyze product data and collect feedback. The more you know about your users individually, the better unique experiences you can provide them with. 

#4 Personalize the user onboarding process to maximize engagement

Personalization makes it ten times better!

It helps you encourage users to take action. 

When you educate yourself through product data and personalize your processes, your users will better relate to your product and find value in it.

Personalized welcome messages make your users feel at home. Using product data analysis, segmenting users, and examining user behavior, you will be able to create processes that each user uniquely relates to.

Here is a good example from ClickUp:

Personalization is a strong supplementary step for your referral campaign and plays an important role in increasing conversions.

#5 Remind the user about the referral campaign just a little after their Aha Moment

The Aha moment will be where your users find value in your product and think to themselves that their friends and family should know about it too.

This is why user onboarding should lead to an Aha, maybe even a wow moment that will amaze users with the value of your product. Making sure that they’re encouraged after the wow and Aha process will boost their chances of creating yet another virality campaign for you.

Conclusion 

To put it in a nutshell, the best way to increase referral conversions is to provide value to users and help them find that value. 

In line with this effort, you should educate yourself through product data and customer feedback and provide an excellent onboarding experience. 

Following this primary drive (finding value) that makes people suggest a product to their friends and family, you should benefit from referral marketing tools, which makes it a lot easier for you to increase conversions.

BIO

This is a guest post written by our friends at UserGuiding

20+ Factors to Consider When Choosing Referral Program Software

When it comes to the greatest referral marketing software tools , there are a lot of factors you need to consider. You might be wondering what they all are and how they can help you make the right decision. The referral program software market is changing and evolving every day, which means that there is no one referral program software that will work perfectly for everyone. In this blog post we will discuss 11 factors that you should take into consideration when choosing the best referral marketing software for your business!

What is a referral program software?

Referral Program Software is a web application that helps you maintain and promote referral marketing programs. When it comes to referral marketing, businesses have different objectives, which means they need customized campaigns. Referral Program Software allows users to create their own referral software from scratch or by using one of its many predefined templates.

Some of the best referral program software enable companies to track the success of each campaign as well as set specific targets such as increasing brand awareness among certain demographics. In addition, there are tools that allow users keep an eye on referrals in real time and send automated emails announcing rewards upon reaching milestones within a particular campaign .

Some of the most reliable referral marketing software tools will allow for easy integration with social media networks, email marketing service providers as well as other referral tools. In addition, the most reliable customer referral programs provide users with a suite of data analytics that measure the success and impact of referral software over time.

Referral Program Software makes it easier to build successful campaigns by providing features such as:

– campaign management tools;

– automated reward distribution and milestone tracking;

– ability to send rewards via email or text message;

– built in landing page creator and hosting capabilities;

– ability to measure referral rate

– integrations into existing customer databases, live chat tools, CRMs systems and more. By using these resources, you can create an unparalleled experience for your customers increasing revenue through increased referrals & word of mouth.

Benefits of using a referral program software

1. Referral program software allows you to reward your existing customers for their referrals

That is one of the biggest benefits. When you are using referral marketing solutions, it is automatically rewarding your existing customers when they refer someone and bring new customers to your company.

You don’t have to worry about adding up all the referrals yourself and deciding how much each referral was worth.

Your own referral marketing program will do this for you!

It also allows companies to give points or coupons that can be used on their website or anywhere in their store. This is a great way of showing how valuable customer referrals really are, which will encourage more people to make referrals in general. A referral incentive strategy should always include giving out coupon codes with every referral because it creates opportunity for both the person inviting others as well as the referred friend receiving discounts after signing up through an invite code from their friends/family members/colleagues.

2. The referral program can be customized so that it fits with your company’s branding and values

If you are using one of the best referral program software, then it will be completely customizable to your company’s values and goals.

This is especially beneficial if your own referral program is associated with a larger marketing campaign or brand awareness effort that requires specific messages or promotions.

Avoid the type of customer referral program that cannot be customized to your company’s specific needs.

This is especially important if you are running a referral campaign for the first time. Customization will help ensure success by matching up with your brand’s goals and values, as well as making it easy to track referrals back to their source so you can give credit where it is due.

There may not always be an option when choosing your customer referral program on whether or not they offer customization features, but this should still be one of the factors considered before committing since there could potentially be other avenues available such as add-ons or third party integrations which might fill in this gap.

3. It is easy to set up a referral program, meaning you don’t have to hire someone else to do the work for you

If referral program software is easy to set up, then you can avoid hiring an outside agency or expert.

This will help save time and money in the long run since it means that your employees won’t need special training for referral campaign management.

Moreover, referral program software should be intuitive enough so employees don’t require additional support from a third party due to complexities with setup or other issues like this. This also helps ensure success by making sure referrals are coming through without any hiccups along the way which can happen if there are difficulties during implementation of referral campaigns using referral program software products that aren’t as user friendly.

The level of ease when setting up referral software varies depending on the product though, so the referral program software you choose should be intuitive and user-friendly.

If there are any concerns about this, then it is worth taking the time to review demo videos or check out reviews from other users who may have more insight as to how easy it is to run referral programs.

For companies that like referral marketing software which requires no training, they will need employees to understand referral marketing at a fundamental level in addition to those using the product since referrals must originate from within an organization for them to work well (and not come across as spam). So even if referral campaign management is simple when using your own referral programs because of customizable options, having existing knowledge on what constitutes successful referral strategies before implementation is still important so employees don’t lose interest in referral programs because campaigns aren’t living up to their expectations which can happen if employees don’t have the right knowledge beforehand.

4. You are able to track how many people are signing up through each customer’s link

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing referral program software is whether or not you can track how many people are signing up through each referral link.

To make sure referral software isn’t wasted because no one is taking advantage of it, it’s crucial that referral program software allows you to see which links are getting clicked on and what kind of traffic they’re sending your way (in addition to seeing how successful referrals were after they’ve been sent out).

This helps ensure success by letting marketers know where problems might be occurring so these issues with referral marketing campaigns don’t have a negative effect on overall customer acquisition efforts since referrals won’t be as effective if there isn’t enough traffic being directed towards them.

5. There are different types of rewards – cash, discounts on products/services, free items from the store, etc… 

Different referral program software offers different kinds of referral rewards.

Cash is the most popular reward type (which makes sense since it’s easy to track and more universal) but some of the referral marketing solution offers have special discounts or free items from a store, which can help drive additional sales for smaller purchases by making them seem like more worthwhile investments at first glance.

If this sounds appealing, then your own referral program software should have these features so you aren’t limited in terms of what kind of referral campaigns you want to run and how they will be used.

The reverse could potentially happen if there isn’t enough customization with referral campaign types allowed through referral program software products though – where marketers might not be able to find the right mix between referrals and other referral marketing software features to make referral campaigns as effective as possible.

A reverse scenario could also be true, where referral campaign types aren’t allowed with referral marketing platform products that don’t have enough customization options – which can limit marketers in terms of what kind of referral software they want to run and how they will use them.

To avoid this from happening then it’s crucial you do your research beforehand so there are no surprises down the road once a product has been chosen (and if necessary, ask for additional details on specific referral program software features). Otherwise you might not get all the exposure and referrals out of each referral campaign type that is otherwise potentially achievable.

If these concerns sound like they could be a problem, then referral marketing software should have these features to make sure referral marketing campaigns aren’t wasted because no one is taking advantage of them.

This will help ensure success by letting marketers know where problems might be occurring so these issues with campaigns don’t have a negative effect on overall customer acquisition efforts since referrals won’t be as effective if there isn’t enough traffic being directed towards them.

You can track how many people are signing up through each referral link and what kind of traffic they’re sending your way (in addition to seeing how successful referrals were after they’ve been sent out).

6. Referral software creates an opportunity for an online business to expand by attracting new customers without having any upfront cost or risk

This helps ensure success by letting marketers know where problems might be occurring so these issues with campaigns don’t have a negative effect on overall customer acquisition efforts since referrals won’t be as effective if there isn’t enough traffic being directed towards them.

What factors to take into consideration when choosing a referral marketing platform

1. Does the software have an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate and understand?

The first factor to consider when choosing referral marketing software is whether or not the interface has an intuitive design that makes navigation simple. If the user experience does not have a clean layout then customers may struggle with using it due to confusion about where buttons are located or what they are for. A clean interface can be the difference between success and failure of referral marketing campaigns, so this is definitely something to consider when choosing your best referral program software!

2. Is there a customer support team available for help 24/7?

The referral program software market is constantly changing, which means that the referral software you are using today may not work for your business tomorrow. The support team of your own referral program software can help to keep your referral tracking software running smoothly and successfully by helping with any issues or questions that arise in between changes. A 24/hour customer service line will provide reassurance when problems do come up so it is important to consider whether or not this kind of support exists before making a decision about your best referral marketing tools!

3. How much does the software cost – are there any hidden fees or costs associated with it ?

The referral tracking software market can be extremely expensive so it is very important to consider how much the referral program will cost you. A lot of referral marketing programs have hidden fees that are not made clear when signing up or choosing a package, which means that in the long run they may end up being more expensive than other options available on the market! Make sure to carefully read all terms and conditions before making any decision about referral program software – this could save you thousands down the line!

4. What are the benefits of this referral program software over others on the market?

The referral program software you choose should be better than the other referral software on the market in some way – whether it is cheaper, more intuitive or offers a better variety of features. Make sure to carefully consider what makes this referral program different and why it would work well for your business before making any decision!

5. Can I use my own logo, colors, and branding for this referral program  software

The referral program software you choose should be customisable so that it integrates well with your existing branding and design. This will help to keep your brand consistent on the referral programs as well as improve the overall look of them! If you aren’t able to fully customize referral program software then they may not work very efficiently for your company, so this is something else worth considering when looking into referral program software!

6. Will this referral program automatically track referrals without me having to do anything else after inputting them into the system ?

The referral program software that you choose should be able to track referrals automatically without requiring a lot of input from the user. This will save time and effort as well as help with keeping referral software consistent! If referral promotion tracking is not automated then it will make programs difficult to use – something else worth considering when choosing referral marketing software.

7. What are the primary goals of your referral program software – is it to increase sales, improve customer retention or both?

The referral program software that you choose should be focused on helping to achieve the primary goal of your referral promotion. You need to ensure that it has features and functions relevant for this purpose so make sure to carefully consider what your referral programs are trying to do before signing up! If referral program software doesn’t have the right features then they will not work very efficiently, so another thing worth considering when choosing referral marketing software.  

8. How many customers do you have in your database –

The best referral program software can help to target customers that are relevant for your referral programs across various marketing channels.

The referral program software should be able to integrate with the database you use for your company so that it is possible to upload customer data and run referral marketing campaigns effortlessly. This will allow referral programs to specifically target people who might benefit from them, which in turn makes referrals more likely! You also need to consider how many customers or contacts you have when choosing referral promotion software – if there aren’t enough then they may not work very well.

9. Do you need a system that offers reward points for referrals?

The referral program software you choose should have features allowing to reward clients thanks to their customer loyalty. This will make your referral promotion more interactive and engaging, which in turn can help you run referral campaigns more often, increase the level of customer loyalty and even expand your existing customer base! If there are no rewards offered with referral programs then they may not be effective – that’s yet another thing worth considering when choosing the best referral software.

10. How much data do you want to collect on your customers and prospects ?

The referral marketing software should be able to collect data from referral participants. This will allow you to find out information about your contacts and customers, which can then be used for future marketing campaigns! You also need to consider how much data you want your referral software to gather – if there isn’t enough then it may not work very well.

11. What is the budget?

All referral promotion software has a price so make sure that this won’t put too big of a hole in your pocket before making any decisions! Some referral marketing programs may have higher prices but offer more features or better support while others could come at a lower cost with fewer added benefits. Consider whether money would be better spent elsewhere maybe on different types of marketing activity

12. Do you want the ability to create custom fields in order to capture more information about your customers and prospects ?

The perfect referral marketing program should have features for capturing more data on referral participants. This will allow you to gather useful information, which can then be used for future marketing campaigns! You also need to consider whether or not this is something that would be relevant – if it isn’t, then referral software may still work without custom fields but they won’t function as well.

13. How long do you want referral tracking links to last?

Best referral programs should help create referral links that are able to track referrals over a specific period of time. If referral promotion tracks don’t expire after some time has passed then there could potentially be problems with the way in which your referral promotions are being tracked so make you know how long these types of referral tracking links are allowed to be! You also need to consider whether referral promotion tracks should expire at all – if they don’t, then referral software may still work but there could be problems with the way in which your referral promotions are being tracked.

14. What reporting features do you want?

All referral program software has some type of reporting feature so make sure that any reports will actually provide useful information for future marketing campaigns! Some referral program software may include better reporting while others could come with less added benefits, so decide what kind of reports would be most beneficial for your business before making a decision on this aspect. Think about how many different types of sales or leads referral marketing platforms can help produce and whether more detailed analytics is needed based on these factors.

15. How easy will referral program software be to use?

The referral promotion software should have an intuitive interface so that anyone can create referral links and referral programs without much difficulty! You also need to think about how quickly you want referral programs up and running – if it won’t take long then this could still be a good choice but might not work as well as some other options out there on the market where setting things up is quick and simple.

16. Do you want mobile optimized referral program software ?

All referral promotion platforms are usually available online, however, some may offer more features than others depending on your business needs! Some people may prefer having mobile-optimized referral sites while others don’t see any added benefits to this so it’s important to consider whether referral promotion software should be compatible with mobile devices before making any final decisions.

17. What platforms do referral program software work on ?

Some referral software may only integrate with one or two different types of operating systems, while others could support a wide range! Decide which platform is the best choice for your business and make sure that anything you choose will work well enough before moving forward – otherwise referral links might not track referrals very effectively! You also need to think about what kind of customers would most benefit from using referral links – if they’re all using laptops then having an integrated solution isn’t really necessary but if there are some people who use tablets too then this feature becomes more relevant.

18. Does the software integrate with your website, CRM, and email marketing tools to streamline your customer acquisition process

All referral program software should be integrated with at least one of these tools but some referral links might not integrate very well or work as fluidly in comparison to other referral promotion platforms! Decide how much it matters that referral links are fully functional before making a final decision on this aspect.

19. How long will your trial last? What is the cost for each plan and do you have any discounts available?

Referral promotion programs usually offer some type of free trial period so make sure to think about whether you want something like this first – if there’s no need then trying out referral links may still function as intended, but won’t benefit from added benefits such as having a free trial option available! You also need to consider what kind of referral links you want to use for this – if they aren’t particularly expensive then it might not be necessary to try out different referral program software first.

20. Is there an option for integrating social media into the entire referral process so that customers can refer friends on Facebook or Twitter?

All referral promotion programs should be able to integrate your referral process with social networking sites but some referral links might not work as easily or quickly in comparison! Decide what kind of referral program software you want before moving forward – this aspect will largely depend on how important it is for customers to refer friends over these platforms.

21. Can you customize the rewards in order to incentivize different types of behaviors such as referring new customers vs referring old ones ?

All referral promotion platforms should be customizable in some way and allow referral links to incentivize different behaviors but the intricacies of how referral software work will vary between products so it’s important to think about what you want before making a final decision! You also need to consider whether you’ll need support for these kinds of customization options – if they’re not needed then referral program software might not add any value.

22. How do referral credits get applied? Are there separate referral accounting reports that break down each user’s referrals by source, type, etc.?

Referral credit systems can usually integrate with whatever accounting system is being used within businesses which makes things simpler when it comes time for reporting purposes! Look into the details surrounding this aspect because referral program software will integrate with whatever referral accounting solution is being used and it’s important to consider whether this kind of integration works well.

23. How quickly does referral program software process referral credits? Can you get a refund if the referral credit system doesn’t work properly or on time?

The speed at which referral program software processes referrals depends largely on what platform is chosen but some may be slower than others! Make sure that everything works as intended before making a final decision because refunds might not be possible in case things don’t go according to plan – make sure you’ve decided exactly how much priority should be given to each factor surrounding these kinds of issues beforehand!

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Referral Marketing Platform

If you run an online business and are looking for a way to increase your sales, there’s no better place to look than at your referral marketing platform. Whether you’re one of the local businesses, or a big company, you can benefit from it.

However, the best referral software is not always the most expensive one. This article talks about how to find out which one is right for you, and it also talks about what you should look for when choosing a company perfect for the needs of your online business.

In this blog post, we’ll cover the different types of referral marketing solutions and what they do best. We’ll also provide tips on how to choose the right one for your needs.

What is a referral marketing platform?

A referral marketing platform is software that helps you to get your existing customers to act as salespeople for your company using various referral programs and referral marketing software tools.

This is how it works: your existing customers turn into genius referrals by encouraging their friends and family members to buy the same products they bought, or sign up for the services they use. In essence, all they have to do is refer a friend (through word of mouth at first, for example), complete the referral process and boom – your referred customers suddenly become your sales leads and, as a result, join your business and convert into loyal customers. This is how you build a referral factory for your business. But how exactly does such a referral factory work?

A referral program is kind of like a loyalty program, but dedicated mostly to businesses with online stores. It works by encouraging the people from your existing customer base to act as brand advocates and share their experiences about your business with others, slowly but effectively growing your referral factory to a satisfactory size. This can be done by giving rewards such as discounts or free products for referrals within the referral programs. One of the biggest advantages of such marketing strategies is that they work a little bit like performance marketing – you only ‘pay’ for the advertising when there are measurable results, for example when a referred customer makes a purchase.

The most important part of this process comes from the fact that you’re not trying to convince someone who doesn’t know you well enough to refer you – they already have an existing relationship with these potential new customers and friends through social media or email lists.

You’ll want to choose an effective referral program software company that will allow them access into those circles so that they can reach out directly to those contacts instead of starting from scratch on every new lead, using word of mouth marketing for example. This way, you can get more referrals in a shorter period of time. And more referrals means a higher possibility of increased customer retention, repeat business opportunities and also better brand awareness. Doesn’t it sound like the perfect recipe to run referral programs?

Types of Referral Platforms

There are many different types of companies offering a reliable customer referral programs today.

Some offer customizable tools for building a referral marketing platform while others provide more automation options (which tend to be priced higher). While some companies only allow email referrals, other referral programs support social media campaigns like Facebook advertising and YouTube videos.

Additionally, there’s also differences in terms of how much data tracking each program offers; some will track individual visits while others can track overall traffic sources down specific pages on a website (and what products that traffic is looking at).

The benefits of referral marketing platform

1. Referral marketing is a great way to increase customer loyalty.

The process of referral marketing helps to turn your current customers into brand ambassadors. They are already familiar with working within the platform and giving referrals, so they’re more likely to continue doing this over time rather than simply forgetting about you after their initial purchase is complete.

What’s even better is that their friends will be much more willing to listen because they trust these recommendations which come from people close to them (and who probably look like them).

By using a referral program instead of traditional advertising methods such as cold calling or email blasts, not only do you get access to new leads but existing clients can help grow your business on autopilot without requiring any extra effort on your part. That means both increased profits and less work for everyone involved!

2. You don’t have to pay for referrals, they come from your customers!

One of the best parts about a good customer referral program is is that you don’t actually pay for your customer referrals. Instead, they are people who would have bought from you anyway but were encouraged to do so by someone close to them because it was in their own interest (not yours).

Customers don’t need anyone’s permission or incentive, like a free trial, if they know what’s good for them; all they require is a platform which will allow them to refer others and get rewarded for doing so. This makes working with customers much easier since there isn’t any convincing involved – it happens naturally when two friends share products together online!

As long as you’ve chosen one of the reliable referral marketing tools on the market, then a lot of the times referrals just come pouring into your business organically as a result. In fact, it’s estimated that roughly 70% of sales come from referrals on average – so this is something you’ll want to take advantage of and gather as many genius referrals as possible! The more referred customers, the better.

With the right referral marketing program in place, customers can refer a friend or family member with just a few clicks or taps since they’re already familiar with your products and services. This means new leads for your business which are more likely to turn into conversions than if you had been personally reaching out through cold calling or Facebook advertising without any background knowledge about these individuals beforehand.

3. It’s a more personal approach than traditional advertising and can be done at any time of the day or night.

Traditional advertising methods such as cold calling and email blasts aren’t nearly as effective for many businesses today.

Many people are opting out of using their personal phone numbers or checking work emails on weekends, so these strategies often end up being fruitless even if they do get sent to the right people since you’re not likely to receive callback requests until business hours resume again (which may be days later depending on how long it takes them to respond).

With referral marketing campaigns, however, there’s no need for scheduling certain times during the day nor having specific time slots open when customers can reach out through live chat or social media platforms like Facebook Messenger. Instead, this automated platform is always available regardless of what time it is at any given moment thanks to its 24/7 feature, so customers can always reach out whenever they want.

Unlike traditional referral marketing programs which require an initial signup or set of steps to take before a referral link or a referral widget is generated and then sent out to friends automatically, with this automated platform everything happens instantly without any extra button-pushing required on your part. So you’ll be able to see results almost instantaneously as well!

All referral requests come through the dashboard where you’re also given access to analytics reports for each campaign separately (meaning if one referral program isn’t doing too well but another is thriving instead, it won’t impact their ability to track referrals independently). That’s because all customer interactions are carefully monitored by the software rather than requiring manual entry.

4. It’s an affordable form of advertising that doesn’t require you to invest in expensive equipment or staff members.

Traditional referral marketing solution is often very expensive, but this automated referral platform is actually one of the most affordable options on the market today.

This means you can pass along hefty savings to your customers through referral incentives without having to raise prices or offer special discounts for buying in bulk since they’ll be receiving them by sharing with their friends and family online automatically.

Customers who have never worked with referral marketing tools before may still feel hesitant about signing up at first because it seems like a complicated process – especially if there’s no real incentive being offered to entice them further! So offering free coupons or a free trial as an initial incentive can help to boost enrollment rates quickly so that more people will begin referring others right away once they see how easy it is to do.

Customers are also more likely to sign up if they see referral incentives being offered for sharing your business using a referral link on their social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This is because these platforms usually offer the most personalized approach in terms of referrals compared to other referral marketing channels and strategies, such as email blasts, influencer marketing, affiliate program or traditional referral programs that require customers to refer friends through a text message or using word of mouth.

That is exactly what your best referral tools should deliver, too. No matter how you decide to do it, customer acquisition, as well as exceptional customer service should remain your top priorities. A good referral program can often be measured based on the referral program performance: everything that contributes to ensuring that it’s successful and brings profits into the company.

With this automated referral platform, there’s no need for you nor any staff members at all so there’ll be less costs associated with running it too! This means you can keep overhead low while still reaping the benefits of offering referral marketing campaigns without having them eat into profits.

You won’t have to worry about whether or not employees will actually get around to sending out referral requests or referral marketing content on your behalf either since it’ll be done automatically instead.

It’s also easy to set up referral marketing campaigns that are drip-fed with this referral platform, so you can build anticipation for new products and services even before they’re available! This way customers will already know what to look forward to when the time comes (and will feel more inclined to refer others once they see how beneficial sharing is).

For example, if a clothing startup wants their business promoted through a referral program but don’t want people spammed by sending out invite links early on in case word gets around too quickly about their trendy clothes then drip-feeding them over several days leading up to the official launch date allows everyone involved time enough space between each referral campaign to really spread the word. Similar scenarios could apply to companies like insurance agencies, restaurants, real estate enterprises and other businesses that could advocate programs promoting ‘refer a friend’ sort of activities or affiliate program initiatives.

Customers will also be more likely to share your links and refer a friend or a family member if they know that there’s a deadline for signing up so it’ll raise referral rates since people are always looking for good deals too.

It’s up to you who you mange your own referral program to ensure maximum effectiveness. Whether it’s a signup deadline, a free trial or something else, you will always be able to find something that will make your own referral program beneficial, there’s no doubt regarding this.

5. You can track how many people are referring new customers by using referral statistics on the platform.

You can track referral statistics through your referral program to get a better idea of how many people are actually referring new customers.

With traditional referral platforms, you need to manually add each interaction once someone has shared your business with another person which may be difficult to keep up or inaccurate depending on who is doing the tracking and when they’re doing it!

This automated referral program allows you access into customer insights that help improve decision making like knowing what times of day work best for sharing referrals too (and encouraging others) so there’s no more guesswork involved in whether or not something will actually work out well enough.

When businesses run referral programs in a traditional way, they often send out one-off text messages or emails asking their customers if they could share links through various referral platforms but this doesn’t have the same impact as drip-feeding referral marketing content over several days since it makes customers feel more inclined to share instead.

This referral platform allows you to build anticipation leading up to a new product or service launch too so your referral rates will be higher due to people being excited about what’s in store for them!

Customers won’t mind sharing referral links if they’re done automatically by this referral program either; all they need is an incentive that works well enough at eking out their interest like free coupons, an extra free trial, discounts, and/or giftcards (depending on your customer satisfaction goals).

Customers are also likely to refer others when there’s a deadline involved with signing up because everyone loves good deals too which means referral rates will be higher if referral marketing campaigns are drip-fed over several days.

You can also track referral statistics to see how many people are actually referring new customers since it’s automated instead of having someone manually add each interaction when they share something which may or may not be accurate depending on who is doing the tracking and when they do it. Having access to multi campaign capabilities like this is actually highly beneficial.

How to pick the best referral marketing platform for your needs

#1 Identify the goals of your campaign

What marketing goals do you want to achieve? Think about them, as well as how you will monitor key performance indicators. Tracking statistics within your own referral programs is key and referral campaigns should drip-fed over several days to raise referral rates.

Customers will also be more likely to share referral links with their friends and family if they know that there’s a deadline for signing up so it’ll raise referral rates since people are always looking for good deals too!

With traditional referral programs, you need to manually add each interaction once someone has shared your business with another person which may be difficult to keep up or inaccurate depending on who is doing the tracking and when they’re doing it!

This automated referral program allows you access into customer insights that help improve decision making like knowing what times of day work best for sharing referrals too (and encouraging others) so there’s no more guesswork involved in whether or not something will actually work out well enough.

#2 Review your current marketing strategy and see if referral marketing is a good fit

Is referral marketing a good fit for your company, though?

With a good referral marketing program , you can build anticipation leading up to a new product or service launch too so referral rates will be higher due to people being excited about what’s in store for them!

Customers won’t mind sharing referral links if they’re done automatically by this referral program either; all they need is an incentive that works well enough at eking out their interest like free coupons, discounts, and/or giftcards (depending on your customer satisfaction goals).

Customers are also likely to refer others when there’s a deadline involved with signing up because everyone loves good deals too which means referral rates will be higher if referral campaigns are drip-fed over several days. You can even track referral statistics with this referral platform to see how many people actually

#3 Determine how much time you have to dedicate to the project

How long do you have to dedicate towards this referral marketing software?

The referral links can even be automated so customers will share them with their friends and family like it’s no big deal because they’re done automatically too!

This referral program allows you access into customer insights that help improve decision making like knowing what times of day work best for sharing referrals (and encouraging others) too.

There’s no more guesswork involved in whether or not something will actually work out well enough when it comes to referral rates thanks to this referral campaign platform since there is never any manual input required from your team once everything has been set up.

#4 Consider what type of customer base you are looking for

What is the best customer base for your referral marketing software?

It is important to consider the type of customer base you are looking for before making your referral marketing software purchase. For example, if you sell high-end luxury products or services that cater to a more upscale clientele then referral marketing programs with multi-channel capabilities might be something worth exploring further.

If you have an extensive social media following it may also make sense to look into referral software providers who can sync up their platform with yours so that referrals come through seamlessly on each channel without requiring too much work from customers and recipients alike.

If however you are targeting small business owners in particular industries referral networking sites like LinkedIn could be well suited towards your needs as they allow businesses within similar niches to connect online via profiles where users can exchange referral information and referral business cards.

If you sell a product or service that caters to an older demographic referral software providers with CRM capabilities may be worth exploring as well so that your clients can easily keep track of all referral interactions which will help maximize the success of future referrals each client passes along. As such, it may be that using CRM software increases conversion rates of your referrals.

#5 Learn which referral marketing platforms are most appropriate for your business model 

What referral program will work best for your business?

At this point it is important to consider which referral platform will work most effectively with your company’s business model. For example, if you are looking for a referral software provider that has an expansive library of customizable referral emails then another referral marketing solution might be better suited towards the needs of your small business.

It is also worth noting that depending on the size and type of product or service you sell there may be certain referral marketing platforms out there who have pre-built email templates which can save you time when trying to create well customized messages yourself.

#6 Conduct market research on each platform and compare their features against one another

What sort of features can a good referral software solution offer on each platform?

Once you’ve narrowed down your referral program software list to a few finalists, it is time to do some deep diving research on the various referral software providers and their unique offerings.

Some types of referral program software will have advanced referral tools for analytics and monitoring that provide very detailed information about how successful referrals from customers turn out over time, while other referral marketplaces may be better suited for those who wish to develop their own customized email campaigns as opposed to leveraging pre-made ones.

It’s also worth noting here that some referral networking sites like LinkedIn offer both free and paid services with different levels of access so make sure you understand which type of account best fits your referral marketing needs.

Another important thing to look into is the referral software’s mobile app capabilities, especially if you are looking for referral marketplaces where clients can join your loyalty programs via smartphones and tablets in addition to desktops.

The last but not least factor that should come into play when choosing a referral platform is whether or not they have free trial periods so that you can get an idea of how well their referral engine works before laying down any money on it.

There are also many other factors worth considering at this stage such as pricing structures, security protocols, technical support options etc., depending on what type of business you run these categories may be more critical than others so make sure you know which features matter most to your company’s unique referral marketing goals.

#7 Evaluate how much time it will take to implement each type of system 

How much referral marketing implementation time is required?

Even the best referral software providers will still require a certain degree of investment on your part in terms of learning curve.

If you are looking for referral marketplaces that offer customizable referral emails then it’s safe to assume that you’ll need to spend some time tweaking these messages to fit them into your unique business model, especially if they’re being sent out en masse across different lists and groups.

The other factor which should be considered at this stage is how long each platform requires users go through its onboarding process before allowing them access to their referral engine dashboard.

Depending on what type of product or service you sell there may be more than one referral channel needed so with pre-built integrations such as Shopify referral platforms, you’ll need to make sure that these referral engines are easy enough for your team members to set up on their own.

There may also be certain referral program software solutions where it’s necessary to work with a dedicated account manager so if this is the case then make sure they communicate well and are available during business hours before making any decisions.

How long does each onboarding process take?

Depending on how many referral channels you have or plan on having with one referral software provider, there will most likely be different rates of complexity depending on how much time is required in order for users go through all relevant steps which lead towards setting up campaigns, tracking referrals etc.,

Some referral marketplaces offer very detailed user manuals complete with detailed video tutorials so that users can go through the onboarding process at their own pace while other referral software providers may have a very streamlined referral engine which makes it easier to get up and running quickly.

#7 Choose a platform based on these criteria and start implementing!

What referral marketing program should you choose?

The referral software industry is growing rapidly and there are many different referral platforms to choose from depending on your specific needs.

Some referral networks like LinkedIn offer free and paid services with various levels of access so make sure you understand which type of account best fits your referral marketing goals.

The last but not least factor that should come into play when choosing a referral platform is whether or not they have free trial periods so that you can get an idea of how well their referral engine works before laying down any money on it.

There are also many other factors worth considering at this stage such as pricing structures,the possibility to automate referrals, security protocols, technical support options, partner programs and so on. Depending on the type of business, these categories may be more or less critical.

6 questions to ask when choosing a referral platform 

#1 What is the cost of your service and how does it compare to other options on the market

Of course, it will always matter what is the price to pay!

First things first, referral marketing software is not free and you will need to pay a certain amount in order to get access. Some referral marketplaces such as LinkedIn also offer paid services which may or may not be worth considering depending on your business model.

The good news is that there are referral platforms out there whose pricing structure doesn’t change no matter how many referrals you send so this type of platform can be very cost-effective for small businesses with low customer volume but high referral conversion rates.

Other referral channels charge based on the number of contacts sent across so these types of tools should only be used by companies who already have extensive lists and experience with their automated referral engine since it could end up costing them than they would like if they don’t send enough referral requests on a monthly basis.

#2 What features are included in your service, such as integrations or customer support?

Customers who will use this type of software should expect that it’s very easy-to-use but also come packed with various options including customizable analytics dashboards so they know how well their campaign is doing at all times.

#3 How easy is it to use – do you have a demo available for me to try out before I sign up?

Depending on the referral engine, there are various levels of difficulty in setting up referral marketing software.

Some referral platforms come with very detailed user manuals complete with video tutorials so that users can go through all necessary steps without having to rely on any support staff while other referral engines may need more time for end-users who want access to advanced features such as tracking referrals across different channels or creating multiple referral campaigns simultaneously.

Of course, since this is a new type of technology it’s also important to consider whether you have an option to contact their technical team in order to get help when things aren’t working properly which could be somewhat tricky.

#4 What type of customers will this platform work best with (smaller businesses, larger companies)   

Generally referral platforms are designed to work with any type of business no matter whether their volume is low or high since referral marketing can be very effective for both cases. However, it’s always worth noting that some referral engines may have a limited range of features which could significantly impact the number of referrals sent across by your customers so make sure you carefully check this before signing up.

#5 Is there any way for my business’s referral program to be unique from others on the market?

Some referral platforms may offer customization options for referral marketing software tools to be unique depending on the type of business while others will come with various features including customizable referral templates which can help you create original referral emails.

A key thing to look out for when choosing a referral platform is whether your customers are able to easily track their referrals’ progress across different channels. Some referral engines make referral tracking software very simple by granting users access to comprehensive analytics dashboards where they can monitor key performance indicators.

Examples include: how many new sales leads have been generated, most recent conversions, what type of a reward clients get – all in one place without having to rely on any special skills or complicated metrics tools. Now, isn’t it what the best loyalty programs should have?

#6 Do I need any special training or knowledge about technology, design, or marketing in order to use this product?

Depending on referral platform, there is a range of levels of difficulty when it comes to referral software. If the referral engine offers step-by-step user manuals with video tutorials then you won’t need any specific knowledge or training in order to use this type of technology – if anything, users will find the installation process very easy and straightforward since everything has been designed from their point of view.

However, some referral engines may offer highly customizable dashboards which means that business owners who want access to more advanced features such as tracking referrals across different channels will have to rely on technical support team.

This is all in case they get stuck somewhere along the way, so make sure that your chosen referral software isn’t too complicated for non-tech savvy customers.

What should I look for in referral marketing software?

There are several key features to consider when looking into various referral program software:

* Channel Integration/Multi-Channel – Does this particular referral network integrate seamlessly across social media, email newsletters and other channels, meaning customers do not need to post multiple times on different networks? If yes then they likely have channel integration options like API access which would allow them to sync up with existing systems such as CRM software so referral marketing can be easily incorporated into your overall business strategy.

Does this referral platform offer multi-channel integration across social media, email newsletters and other channels?

* Customer Support – How much customer support is included with their service? Is it 24/hr live chat or phone access where I will get to speak to a representative immediately if needed? Will there be tutorials available for me to learn the ropes before having any issues pop up later on down the road when trying out new features like referral surveys ? 

How fast does their team respond via phone or email during off hours (if offered) & what are typical response times throughout the week in regards of customer service inquiries that arise from customers using referral platforms over time?

* Customization options – Does this referral platform allow for customization? Some referral platforms offer custom referral page designs, referral tracking URLs and other customizable features.

Does the referral software come with pre-made templates or can I upload my own image/logo to be featured on our referral landing site?   

What level of customization is included in your service (i.e., design, text)?

* Decision making tools – What decision making tools are offered by this referral platform ? Can you create a multi-level contest where customers get rewarded when they refer others who also go on to make purchases themselves down the road? 

Do any type of contests or sweepstakes come as part of using their system as well as what referral marketing software?

* Reporting and Analytics – What type of referral reports can I view with this referral platform ? Is there a dashboard where I can see what channels customers are engaging from, who the top referrers in my network are or when was the last time someone referred new customers to me through your referral system.

What kind of referral analytics data is included with their service (i.e., channel integration)?

How often does it update? Do you have any integrations that will allow for customizable reporting features such as Google Analytics & other CRM platforms like Salesforce etc.?     

* Referral Emails – Does this referral platform offer email templates that promote referrals and motivate people to your referral program and send along friends to make a purchase?

Does referral software allow you to set up referral email templates that will get sent out automatically when someone has referred someone else through the referral program.

* Referral Marketing Culture – Does this referral platform have any social sharing features? Can they integrate easily with other systems I use like CRM, eCommerce and analytics tools ? What are some of their key success stories for previous customers who implemented referral marketing using this product or service in the past? Who uses it currently on my behalf as well as how can others spread awareness about our referral campaign if we decide to choose them over another option available on the market right now?

Four-step checklist for picking the perfect referral marketing software

Now that you know what types of a customer referral program there are available, it’s time to start shopping. Here are four tips on what you should look for while looking for the best referral programs out there:

Price Range – Most companies offer several different price ranges depending on how much automated work they do and how many features they provide. You’ll want to make sure their prices fit within your budget so that you won’t need to hire extra employees just to keep up with campaign tasks.

Technology Compatibility – While most referrals will be done through email or social media these days, some people still prefer phone calls over anything else (while others may use text messages instead). You’ll want to find a referral platform that can integrate with your current technology, including your landline phone service, so that you can incorporate and use various techniques, like email marketing, SMS marketing, social media and so on . Customer Service – A good referral tracking software company will have representatives available 24/7.

Services Offered – Some companies specialize in certain personalized referral campaigns more than others. If you don’t want to deal with customer service or other aspects of referral management then it’s best to go for a referral program designed specifically for what you need.

Time Commitment Required – Depending on how automated the types of your referral marketing campaigns are, you could be spending anywhere from under ten minutes per day all the way up to several hours every single day depending on how complex your personalized referral campaigns are and which features they offer.

Evaluating Referral Platforms against One Another 

Now that we’ve discussed some basic referral platform requirements and what referral platforms are out there, it’s time to compare different types of referral marketing programs against one another.

Just like choosing a college major or an apartment complex, the best and most effective referral program for you might not be perfect for someone else.

For this reason, you’ll need to find one that meets your specific needs. Examples could include driving customer acquisition, incorporating word of mouth type of marketing, promoting brand awareness or offering having your own referral program or affiliate program to customize and tailor.

Data Amount – The amount of data available depends on how much automation they offer. You can get great results with manual campaigns but automated ones will provide more precise statistics about who is sharing content and when which means better insights into each customer interaction.

Marketing Focus – Some referral marketing solutions have multiple focuses including social media management tools while others are designed specifically for referrals only (for example by focusing exclusively on email).

Ease-of-Use – Referral program software is designed to make campaigns easier for businesses of all sizes when choosing the right marketing channels to promote their businesses through. You may need training or professional help if you aren’t familiar with technology, but once you understand how to run referral programs, it should be much simpler to manage them on your own.

Cost – Referral platform prices vary widely based on the service provided and other factors. Some companies have monthly fees that include everything while others charge per referral or use a pay-as-you go model where customers only pay when they want more features added

Time Commitment – While referral program software will take away some tasks from business owners so that they can focus their efforts elsewhere, most still require at least ten minutes each day in order to set up new referral content, check analytics reports, and manage customer interactions.

The referral platform you choose will depend on your unique needs and goals, so it’s important not to rush the process, especially if referral software is a new concept for your company.

Don’t forget that referral platforms are designed to work together with social media management tools or other referral programs in order to get better results from all of your efforts!

Services Offered – Some companies specialize in certain types of referrals more than others. If you don’t want to deal with customer service or other aspects of referral management, then it’s best to go for a referral program designed specifically for what you need.

Over to you

We hope that our guide will help you pick the best referral marketing software for your needs. Finding the best referral marketing tools in the sea full of average and below-the-average solutions can be time consuming, which is why this article should make it a bit less challenging for you. Genius referrals are at your fingerprints – you just need to learn how to spot them.

Do you know any referral marketing programs worth recommending, based on your experience? Let us know in the comments below!

You can also check what EarlyParrot gets up its sleeves – we have a lot of features for you to check out.