The ‘Give $10, Get $10’ module in the footer of your website isn’t working for you?

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You don’t say….

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We see this over and over again… that component isn’t enough to stand out and get your customers excited. 

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Don’t worry, we are here to share the playbook to take your referral strategy from meh to Mama Mia!

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Introduce referrals at the right place, at the right time

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First and foremost, it’s important to let your customers know that you have a referral program while you have their attention. You must remember that when your customers are shopping, they are distracted. They are thinking about five thousand things. Heck, they might even be on the subway. They aren’t going to know they can benefit from telling their friends about their purchase unless you tell them. You tell them at the right time. 

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The best time to tell customers about your referral program is after they have made their first purchase and then after they have received their shipment.

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Promote it in person

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The greatest challenge about referral codes is that your customers don’t have them readily available all the time. One of the biggest hacks towards really getting your referral program to work is giving your customers their code to access very easily. 

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One of the ways we have seen this work best is through Apple Wallet Cards. Apple Wallet Cards are Reward Membership cards with the referral code attached. These cards can be fully branded and customized based on the reward tier the loyalty member is in. The referral code is accessible through the QR code. So here is how it works:

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Apple Wallet Holder Friend: Omg! I love your dress! Where did you get it?

Apple Wallet Holder: Oh it’s actually from Anthropologie. Here if you like it, I have a 20% discount code I can share.

Apple Wallet Holder Friend: Really?! That’s awesome! I would love that.

Apple Wallet Holder: Great, just take a pic of this QR code and it will open up the Anthropologie website with the code automatically added to your cart.

Apple Wallet Holder Friend: That was so nice of you. 

Apple Wallet Holder: Ah well I also get $10 when you make the purchase so I benefit too :)

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Click here for more information on how this works..

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Tiny Increments

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Referrals can sometimes be a big ask. Sometimes the timing isn't right. Sometimes the AOV is too high for the potential customer to consider at this point in time. Why not start small and get that potential customer at least in the door. We suggest setting up a reward activity that will reward a friend for joining the rewards program. This is a small enough nugget to get someone in the door and easy for the referrer to do. Now you have a new potential customer that is highly motivated to convert at some point because they have heard about you from a friend. And now you have them in your loyalty program so you can incentivize them via email touch points until the moment is right.

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Building Gamification into Referrals

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Why incentivize for one referral when you can incentivize for many? We love how gamification can play into the customer psychology and make them feel more bought in and more rewarded for engaging with you. We suggest setting up a referral challenge which will give your superfans a big bounty for completing it. For example, refer five friends to our brand and get $100 in store credit or $50 in cash.

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