Developing a Client Referral Program: Professional Secrets Revealed

Whether your referral program just launched or is currently running, there are always ways to drive engagement with your ambassadors. With this in mind, we reached out to our Success Coaches to learn best practices for managing a client referral program, no matter what referral software you use. From brands that are developing their first campaigns to seasoned vets that are optimizing a well-oiled referral machine, we asked the pros to share their secrets when it comes to successfully integrating referral programs into the overall marketing plan for thousands of companies across the globe.

Respond to Positive Feedback

“If your ambassadors are sharing how much they love your product or service on social media or leave a review on your Facebook page, make sure to respond. Positive word-of-mouth is a powerful tool and sometimes all it takes is asking for a referral. Thank your ambassadors for the positive review and let them know how much they can earn for each referral. I suggest sharing a program overview page that includes a way to enroll in your program, such as a link to your registration page or a prompt to get started right away.”
- Paige Young, Customer Success Coach, Ambassador

Include a CTA Wherever You Can

“Oftentimes, CTAs are the biggest missed opportunities for brands looking to promote their referral programs. For example, eCommerce clients can include a CTA to enroll in post-purchase confirmation emails. This is a moment of peak excitement for customers and, as a result, is the perfect time to ask for a referral. For B2B clients, including a CTA in regularly scheduled content, such as an email newsletter or blog post, may be a better fit.”
- Sara Ostrowski, Customer Success Coach, Ambassador

Encourage Employee Promotion

“From customer service representatives to account managers, employees are your front line and are engaging with current brand ambassadors as well as potential new program members the most. Ensure that employees are both aware of and promoting your program. It can be something as turnkey as including a link to enroll in your email signature.”
- Chelsey Chubb, Customer Success Coach, Ambassador

Incorporate the Program Offline

“It’s easy to focus solely on online interactions, but my number one tip is to find ways to share your program offline as well. Do you have dealers or resellers you can leverage to promote the referral program? Is there a physical product you’re shipping that can include a link to enroll on the receipt? And don’t forget, trade shows, events, and conferences are great places to drive enrollment.”
- Crystal McHenry, Customer Success Coach, Ambassador

Applying Client Referral Program Best Practices To Your Brand

So now that we’ve heard from the experts, what’s the best way to get started with incorporating these tips into your referral marketing strategy?

It’s always a good idea to figure out what works best for your brand, your customers, and your prospects. But that doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel. When determining the best way to promote your program, we recommend starting with the basics.

Begin identifying ways to layer the referral program into your existing marketing initiatives. Here are some questions to help with this process:

1. What channels do you currently dedicate the most time to? For instance, does your team spend more time on content for your blog or email marketing?

2. Out of the marketing channels you’re utilizing, which ones drive the most engagement? Is your audience more active on your social channels or your website?

3. Dive into your website analytics. What areas are high traffic or which pages have the longest time spent on them?

Our most successful clients ensure there is high visibility for their referral program. That means it is linked in their blog posts, promoted on their social channels, and easily accessible on their website navigation.

But this isn’t an all or none game - if you have limited resources to spend on your referral program, focus first on the areas where you have an engaged and attentive audience. And then branch out as you start to generate ROI.

If you’re a current client of Ambassador and looking for additional ideas, reach out to your dedicated Success Coach - we would be happy to make suggestions for your particular program. If you're not a current client, check out our free one-pager featured below. It's a tailored referral marketing formula based on your specific company profile!