A crucial component of digital marketing is list building. You must use emails to reach a large audience and communicate with them regularly. More than 60% of consumers prefer this method of communication.
Email marketing is a complex issue because it encompasses a variety of forms: cold emails, newsletters, and thank you messages, just to name a few. Ideally, they should be written in a way that makes the recipient feel appreciated. In order for the email to succeed, you have to think of a catchy subject, interesting content, and an encouraging CTA.
The following tips provide a few guidelines on how to write a referral email.
It is highly likely that you think about job seeking or employer recommendations when you hear “referral email.”. Although these would be valid associations, we will discuss messages related to your referral program in this article. There are no hiring process tips here, only advice for writing successful referral messages. How about we get started?
What is a referral email?
Referral emails are sent to your customer base to keep them informed about your referral program. Your customers should receive messages that are tailored and personal to them. By doing so, you can strengthen your relationships with your clients and streamline the referral process. By using a referral email campaign, you can keep in touch with all your recipients and inform them of upcoming programs and changes. In addition, asking customers for their opinions or allowing them to choose is a great way to appreciate their commitment and engage them in the creation process.
Referral email templates are the best way to promote your program and tick all of the above boxes. How should it be done? With the right tool, of course!
How to write a successful referral email with EarlyParrot?
You can use our software to set up a referral program as well as design it. When creating the perfect referral letter, you need to consider factors such as:
- basic information about the campaign,]
- goals
- type of program
- reward information such as system, name, target, and referral link, etc.
- social media invitations
For now, let’s take a look at the last point – you can create invitations that appear on social media when the referrer shares a link. It is possible to create a social media message for any platform that you choose. There are a large number of popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter at your disposal. There are also messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger to choose from. Make your message as clear as possible to encourage participation.
Let’s get back to emails now – we will guide you through the process of creating them with EarlyParrot.
step one: fill in the “from” field
A clear sender ID is essential for the recipient to see the sender’s name and the source, i.e. their email address. When it comes to opening or rejecting a message, its source is often a deciding factor. Therefore, make sure the address looks legitimate and professional.
step two: select a referral template
EarlyParrot offers two templates: list building and online summit. The trigger can also be set so that it occurs when you receive “X” referrals or each new one. Now it’s time to get creative.
step three: craft the message
By default, the system sends three types of emails, but you can add your own if you wish. There is a separate email editor that you can access after clicking the edit email button. There is a lot of flexibility here, such as adding images (you can use background remover tools to upgrade their quality), buttons, and dividing your text into columns. Your email is ready once you submit the changes.
step four: all done, send it
Make sure all copy, images, and links are correct. Then it’s time to send your online referral letter to your satisfied customer. Complete your program, integrate with your provider’s app, and begin sending your messages automatically.
Now that you know how to design a referral message, it is time to learn a few hacks that will increase the success of your campaign.
Referral emails: best practices
While sending emails is part of the battle, getting leads from them is the true prize. How can you help ensure that happens? Our list below contains some ideas that you may find useful.
#1 Step into your client’s shoes
In other words, if you want to create an effective copy, you should understand your customers’ motivations for joining your program and purchasing your products. To have an impact on your communication, you need to observe what is important from their perspective.
In order to understand your customers fully, you can simply ask them some questions and obtain their feedback. Consider using social media or sending a survey to accomplish this goal. By doing so, you will be able to learn about your customers’ behavioral patterns, motivation, and communicate with them more effectively, not only in terms of referral emails.
#2 Keep it simple
You should avoid overloading your messages with information. Use short, simple sentences that are straight to the point. Unlike a business letter, a referral email does not require formal language and so you can use casual communication methods. Don’t forget to include all the essential information and additional details that may motivate your customers to join, such as a 5% extra discount for the first 50 participants. You should create a separate page dedicated to your program and link to it so that all the information a potential participant could need will be available right at their fingertips.
#3 Highlight two-sided benefits
It is important to emphasize that your referral program will benefit both potential clients and the referral sources. In this relationship, both sides must have a motivation for joining. A referral involves two parties – the referrer shares the link and encourages use, and the referee clicks and completes the desired action, like making a purchase, so both parties need to see the value. Make sure you deliver it.
#4 Focus on the subject
It should be engaging, but too much so-called click bait is annoying. In order to increase conversions, it is essential that the recipients open your messages (a higher open rate allows you to do that), but if they do not find what the title implies then they may be less likely to open future emails from you because they feel cheated. The title should be a gateway to a bigger promise. Make sure it is simple and that it conveys the right message. For a referral program this shouldn’t be too much hassle, since the incentive will be enough motivation to open the email and make a promise that can be kept.
#5 Make it personal
Personalization is something we are all familiar with. As a result, personalized emails have higher open rates of up to 26%, but in today’s world adding a recipient’s name is not enough. It is also important to personalize the copy.
A good reminder to be more active might look something like this:
Thank you for your recent successful referrals. We hope Josh and Anne enjoy being part of our community.
Motivate them to continue taking action.
In addition, the signature needs to be personalized. You want the recipient to sense that the email came from an individual and not from a company.
Sign as follows:
Thank you for being with us!
Natalie from [the company’s name]
Rather than:
Thanks for your support!
[The company’s name]
There’s an air of informality and of face-to-face contact in the first example text. The smallest changes make the biggest impact.
#6 Call them to action loudly and clearly
The first step is to design the CTA. Ideally, the message should be inspiring and motivating; however, there is always a limit. You need to balance this aspect as you do not want to make the message sound like a command. Furthermore, if you place your CTA on on a button, the text shouldn’t be too long. A clear message must be communicated, and recipients must be aware of what to do.
The next step is to place your message in a visible location. When using buttons, select the right colours (those that correspond to your brand) and position them appropriately. Make sure you link the CTA, otherwise it won’t work.
#7 No hidden information or small print
Referrals must meet certain additional requirements in order to be successful. In your email, you should mention, for example, if the referred friend must spend $100 on a purchase to qualify for a discount. Both parties will lose trust if they are not aware of the terms and the promised discount turns out to be invalid.
The email should highlight any program limitations. Although there is an attached URL, most recipients will not necessarily click it if they are unaware of the conditions.
#8 Play with content
How many times have you heard that content is king? Probably quite a few. This statement has been repeated for years for a simple reason: it is true. The more interesting and high-quality the content, the higher the chances of conversion.
Your email may still fail to convert even if it reaches your audience, but your content can turn that situation around 180 degrees if you handle it properly. Emails give you a lot of options to include images, videos, and gifts. One major rule is that your content should be high quality – pay attention to picture resolution, for example. Alternatively, you could design a classic invitation and send it as an attachment. Imagine how appreciated this gift would be by the recipients and how special they would feel.
Be creative and try out different formats. You are only limited by your imagination!
To sum up
An email campaign for referrals plays an important role in promoting your program. In addition, it keeps you on good terms with your recipients and avoids leaving them in the dark. Ideally, your referrers should be treated as your partners. Keep them updated and ask about their opinions. Your top performers should be recognized and rewarded accordingly.
In all of these cases, email is necessary. With these tips, you will master this aspect and make emails a very effective channel, which is exactly what you want, right?