---
title: 33 Amazing Referral Marketing Statistics for 2023 | Ambassador
description: An updated list of facts and statistics about referral marketing that show the incredible impact of word-of-mouth programs
---

[Customer Engagement Blog: Tips for Success | Ambassador ](https://getambassador.com/blog)

# [33 Amazing Referral Marketing Statistics for 2023 | Ambassador](https://getambassador.com/blog/referral-marketing-statistics-2023)

 Written by [Team Ambassador](https://getambassador.com/blog/author/team-ambassador) | Jan 24, 2025 5:00:00 AM

### General Statistics

- 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family more than all other forms of marketing. ([Nielsen](https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2012/global-trust-in-advertising-and-brand-messages-2/))
- Word-of-mouth marketing is responsible for 13% of all sales. ([MarTech Alliance](https://www.lxahub.com/stories/word-of-mouth-marketing-stats-and-trends-for-2023))
- Referral customers have a 37% higher lifetime value than non-referral customers. ([Bain & Company](https://media.bain.com/Images/BAIN_REPORT_Customer_loyalty_in_retail_banking.pdf))
- Referral customers are 50% more likely to make a purchase than non-referral customers. ([McKinsey & Company](https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/public%20and%20social%20sector/our%20insights/customer%20experience/creating%20value%20through%20transforming%20customer%20journeys.pdf))
- 74% of consumers say word-of-mouth is a key influencer in their purchasing decision. ([Ogilvy Cannes](https://getambassador.com/blog/word-of-mouth-marketing-statistics))

### Industry-Specific Statistics

#### Ecommerce:

- 23% of Singaporean shoppers bought something in a physical store in 2019 based on a friend’s recommendation. ([BrightLocal](https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/))
- 73% of online shoppers trust the recommendations of other consumers. ([Finances Online](https://financesonline.com/social-proof-statistics/))
- 44% of Gen-Z have made a purchase based on a recommendation from a social media influencer. ([Marketing Dive](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/gen-z-relies-on-influencers-for-purchase-decisions-kantar-says/582890/))

#### Restaurants:

- 37% of Americans decided on which restaurant to eat at based on word-of-mouth recommendations. ([MarTech Alliance](https://www.lxahub.com/stories/word-of-mouth-marketing-stats-and-trends-for-2023#:~:text=37%25%20of%20Americans%20decided%20on,mouth%20made%20the%20purchase%20instantaneously.))
- 72% of diners say they’re more likely to try a new restaurant if they’ve heard good things about it from friends or family. (OpenTable)
- 53% of diners say they’re more likely to order a dish if they’ve seen it recommended on social media. ([Yelp](https://blog.yelp.com/businesses/the-future-of-restaurants-technology-trends-and-transparency/))

#### Electronics:

- 31% of electronics purchases are heavily influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations. ([Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/marketing/research/digital-iq-index-consumer-electronics-us-2020))
- 68% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy an electronics product if it has been recommended to them by a friend or family member. ([Consumer Reports](https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/05/a-user-s-guide-to-user-reviews/index.htm))
- 45% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy an electronics product if they’ve seen it recommended on a tech blog or website. ([Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/12/19/online-shopping-and-purchasing-preferences/))

#### Software:

- 20% of North Americans who became aware of a software product through word-of-mouth made the purchase instantaneously. ([Enterprise Apps Today](https://www.enterpriseappstoday.com/stats/word-of-mouth-statistics.html))
- 79% of software buyers say they’re more likely to consider a product that has been recommended to them by a friend or colleague. ([G2 Crowd](https://learn.g2.com/why-reviews-matter-for-software-brands))
- 66% of software buyers say they’re more likely to buy a product if they’ve seen it recommended on a review site. ([Gartner](https://www.gartner.com/en/digital-markets/insights/how-b2b-software-buyers-use-reviews))

#### Other Statistics

- 82% of employers say employee referrals offer the greatest return on investment. ([Exploding Topics](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/referral-marketing-stats))
- Referred customers have a 16% higher lifetime value than customers acquired through other channels. ([American Express](https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/blueprint/resource-center/grow/create-referral-program-increase-cash-flow/))
- 86% of businesses with referral programs say that referrals take less time to close than other leads. ([Small Business Trends](https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/01/b2b-referrals.html))
- 69% of B2B frontline sales personnel, 70% of sales leaders, and 67% of marketers believe that referred leads close faster than other leads. ([Think Impact](https://www.thinkimpact.com/b2b-referral-statistics/))
- 77% of consumers are more likely to buy a new product when learning about it from friends or family. ([Nielsen](https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2013/a-multi-mix-media-approach-drives-new-product-awareness/))
- 91% of B2B purchasers said that their buying decisions were influenced by word of mouth. ([Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffromm/2018/11/07/how-to-impact-your-brand-by-word-of-mouth/))
- 84% of B2B decision makers start the buying process with a referral. ([Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2016/11/84-of-b2b-sales-start-with-a-referral-not-a-salesperson))
- 71% of B2Bs report higher conversion rates from referrals than other customers. ([Exploding Topics](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/referral-marketing-stats))
- 89% trust recommendations from people they know the most. ([Nielsen](https://www.nielsen.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/2021-Nielsen-Trust-In-Advertising-U.S.-sell-sheet.pdf))
- 40% of company hires are more likely to be retained after one year if they are from employee referrals. ([Jobvite](https://erinapp.com/blog/employee-referral-statistics-you-need-to-know-for-2023-infographic/))
- 42% of B2B marketers say referral marketing is their most effective marketing channel. ([Content Marketing Institute](https://contentmarketinginstitute.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/B2B_2022_Research.pdf))
- 69% of businesses with referral programs say referrals are their most valuable source of leads. ([Signpost](https://www.signpost.com/blog/referral-marketing-statistics/))
- 83% of marketers say referral marketing is very effective at generating high-quality leads. ([Content Marketing Institute](https://contentmarketinginstitute.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/B2B_2022_Research.pdf))
- 75% of marketers say referral marketing is essential to their business growth. ([Content Marketing Institute](https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/measure-brand-value))
- 81% of U.S. online shoppers say they’ve made a purchase based on a recommendation from a friend or family member on social media. ([Sprout Social](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/social-shopping-2022/))
- 73% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand that’s recommended by friends and family ([Marketing Charts](https://www.marketingcharts.com/cross-media-and-traditional/word-of-mouth-113276))

[View full post](https://getambassador.com/blog/referral-marketing-statistics-2023)

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