8 Proven Referral Program Templates for Killer Conversions: Steal Their Secrets for Real Results

Referral programs have a lot of moving parts. While they may seem overwhelming at first, the best referral programs stick to a winning formula. They follow a proven referral program template.

Ready to see how it’s all done? Our guide has everything you need to use the referral program template to your advantage.

We’ll walk you through each part of a referral program template, along with some examples to show how using a referral template leads to marketing success.

How a referral program works: The advocate and the referral

Before we get into the parts of a referral program template, it helps to know the target audience of your referral program.

There are two main participants in every customer referral program: The advocate and the referral.

The advocate

The advocate is your existing customer (also known as a brand fan, ambassador, or referrer). They are the one you invite to join your referral program, and help share your company to their friends and family.

By signing up for your program, they are agreeing to advocate and promote your brand.

Let’s go through the advocate’s experience during a customer referral program:

• Referral program invite (email and social media message): Potential advocates are sent a referral program invite. This is usually an email template or social media message that introduces them to the program. It includes the headline, the rewards they can earn, and a CTA that takes them to more information.
• Referral landing page: This is where advocates will land after clicking the link in the program invite. The referral landing page reiterates the program offer, and explains all other details. Also included are a referral program FAQ and sign-up form to join the referral program.
• Referral email or message (after signup): Once an advocate joins your program, it’s time for them to start referring others. Give them a referral link immediately, either through email, text message, or through a dedicated program account portal.
• Email message updates: Keep your advocates engaged with emails about their referrals, reward status, and any other program updates or reminders.

The referral

Referrals are the individuals being referred to your business by the advocate. They have a personal relationship and trust your advocate.

By clicking the referral link, they learn more about your brand and hopefully become a referral, lead, or new customer.

Here are the things a referred friend or family member sees when they first hear about your company:

• Referral message: This is the message referrals receive from advocates. It should include a short personalized note about your brand, what makes it so great, and any incentive for making a purchase. The message should also include a referral link that leads to more information, and ties the referral to the advocate.
• Referral landing page (friend landing page): When a referral clicks on a link, they’re sent to a page that may not look very different from the company’s usual pages. Except since they arrived at the page through a referral link, the discount, cashback, or other reward will be applied to their purchase. This is usually indicated by a small note or banner on the page.

4 essential elements of a referral program template

There are four foundational elements of a referral program template that aren’t specific locations, but that appear throughout the customer referral process. You’ll need to have them ready to add to the relevant areas of your referral program template.

1. Referral program rewards

Offering rewards when the referral makes their first purchase motivates the advocate to make referrals, and the referral to purchase from you. The best referral programs offer rewards to both the advocate and referral, in what’s known as a dual-sided structure.

You’ll mention the rewards in nearly every part of your referral program template. In fact, on the advocate’s side, you’ll talk about the rewards on offer for both the advocate and their friend.

2. Referral program headline

This is the title or main text describing your referral program. It’s placed in the referral invite, the landing page, and anywhere you promote your program. Clear and catchy, it’s usually the first thing an advocate or referral sees about your program. You’ll have two distinct headlines: one that the advocate sees and one that the referral sees.

Tips for writing an attractive headline

No matter what type of program you’re running, a good headline is necessary. It should grab your customer’s attention and be interesting enough for them to click that CTA button.

Your headline is like the referral program’s catchphrase, and can be used in a few different places: the referral invitation email, the program landing page, social sharing message, and more.

Here are some tips to help you catch your customer’s eye.

• Keep it simple: People don’t want to waste time deciphering a message. This is even more important if you’re trying to get someone to take a specific action. A headline that’s easy to understand will lead to more customers clicking through to join your referral program.
• Get to the point: The best headlines are short and to the point. If your headline starts explaining the steps of your program, you’re already saying too much. The point of your referral headline is to get people interested. Period. Once you do that, people will be more than willing to learn more about your program.
• Mention the benefits: Good referral program headlines underscore the benefits of joining. Even if there’s no monetary reward, you should tell the customer what’s in it for them.
• Make it fun: There may be a few steps in your referral process. But don’t list them out in the headline. If something seems difficult from the get-go, it becomes even harder to persuade someone to join. Make your referral headline fun and interesting, and you’ve already increased the odds of people joining your program.

3. Referral call to action (CTA)

Everything in your program promotion should lead to your call to action.

Keep in mind, referral CTAs aren’t meant to inform. They focus on a single, direct forward action: “Join our program,” “Start sharing now,” or “Get 10% off.”

The referral call to action is what you want the advocate or referral to do. Usually in the form of a button or a link, referral CTAs encourage action and bring someone to the next step of your referral process.

For this reason, a referral call to action should catch the eye and invite people to click. Make the text bold, underlined, or a different color. Some designs add even more emphasis by adding arrows that point to the CTA, or placing it in the eye line of the image model (if using a photo with a person).

And as always, the fewer words used (while still getting your point across), the better.

Here are some referral CTA examples we’ve seen used across different industries.

4. Referral link or code

Referral links are what make your program work. They track every step of the entire process:

• They register whenever a referral results in a purchase
• They connect the referral back to the exact advocate who sent them, via a unique tracking code
• They automatically apply the referral’s reward to the purchase (i.e., discount, credit)
• They update and credit advocates with their earned referral rewards

On the surface, referral links look like any other link. But the difference is the unique combination of letters and numbers added at the end (also called the referral code), so every customer has a distinct referral link.

Here are some referral link examples:

 

 

Referral program templates: For the advocate

Now, without further ado, let’s get into the referral program template itself. We’ll start by looking at all the parts that the advocate sees.

1. Referral program invite

This is the first step of your referral program – and one of the most important. You’re basically asking existing customers to recommend friends and family through your referral program.

There are a few ways you can invite customers to sign up. We cover the two most popular, email and social media messaging, below:

Referral program email invite

Referral email invites are a great way to contact customers directly. Plus, with all the available email marketing tools, you can easily customize and automate every message you send out. Here are some points a referral email invitation should cover:

Why you’re contacting them

The reason for your email should be evident quickly. Whether you mention it in the subject line or as your opening sentence, a customer should be able to determine why you’re contacting them at a glance.

If a customer isn’t clear about your email, they won’t pay attention or send it straight to trash. Instead, give them a reason to open and read your referral email.

• Use the referral program headline as the email subject. Imagine seeing a “Give $50, Get $50” in your inbox. You’ll want to know what you need to do to get $50.
• Use the subject line to draw attention to the exclusive invite. “We think you’re awesome, you’re invited to join!” This gives customers the feeling of being part of an exclusive club – how can you turn that down?
• Use their actions to further interest them. Call out any recent purchases or customer service chats. “We hope you enjoyed your recent [order purchase]” is a great way to call attention to their personal customer experience, and shows you notice their efforts.

What they get from your refer-a-friend program

This is key: Customers want to know what’s in it for them. Even if your subject line tells them what they can earn, it’s always good to reiterate.

Start with a short subject line like “Get $25 for helping us,” and then describe the benefits in more detail later on.

The sign-up process

How can customers earn these benefits? Explain what they need to do to sign up for the referral program using concise, step-by-step instructions.

A clear call to action

All referral emails need a clear call to action (CTA). This guides customers to the next step they should take after receiving the invitation. For example, “Sign up now” or “Click here for more information” lets them know what comes next in the referral process.

Types of refer-a-friend email templates

There are lots of referral program email templates you can use to invite customers to your program: a bulk email, an individual email, a receipt email, a re-engagement email invite.

1. Mass email invites

A mass invite is a way to announce any campaign to your entire customer base. Perfect when you’re just establishing a new referral program.

Mass invites share general information, like the program offer and sign up process.

Even if your referral program hasn’t launched yet, you can send out a mass invite with a link to a pre-signup form. Here’s an example:

“We want to fill you in on a secret. We’ve been working hard to create a referral program just for you. We’ve just launched our referral program – and since you’ve been an awesome customer, we wanted to invite you to join. The best part is, you will earn [cash amount] for every referral that makes a purchase! Sign up now for more details.”

2. Individual email invites

This type of referral invite works really well, as it shows customers you value your relationship with them. It’s even a better if these invites are sent from an employee your customer personally interacts with.

Say, a car salesman emails a customers a few weeks after they bought a car to see how they’re doing. This is the perfect time to include an invite or reminder about your referral program. Individual emails also works especially well for businesses with a longer sales process. Here is a sample individual invite:

“Hey [name], I just wanted to reach out and see how you’re doing with your new [item]. I also wanted to take this time to invite you to our referral program. We talked about it briefly while finishing up your paperwork, but I thought it’d be best to send over a quick reminder and some more details. If you join our referral program, you’ll earn [cash/item/service] for every referral who also purchases a new [item].”

3. Receipt email invites

Receipt emails (or invoice emails) are the ones sent right after a customers make a purchase. They basically reiterate what was ordered and might include any shipping information.

Customers will usually open thank you and receipt emails, which makes them the perfect place to include some lines about your referral program. Plus, since the customer just made a purchase and is highly engaged with your business, they’re more likely to accept a referral program invitation. Here is a receipt invite example:

“Hi [name], thanks for your order. Want to get some more cool stuff? How does earning a [cash amount] in store credit sound? Share us with your friends and when they use the [discount amount] you send them, you’ll also get [cash amount] credited to your account. Thanks for being awesome and don’t forget to sign up now.”

4. Re-engagement email invites

Perhaps you have a few customers who haven’t made a purchase in a while. You may already have an email template ready to re-engage these customers.

Why not use that email to also invite customers to your referral program? Including the reward right in the subject line may even regain their interest. Here is a sample of a re-engagement invite:

“Hi there, old friend, we haven’t seen you around in a while, and just wanted to let you know we’re still here. In fact, we started a referral program and would love your friends to know about us, too. We’ll even sweeten the deal and give you [coupon amount or cash amount] off your next order if you send a referral our way.”

Other emails to promote your program

You can also use your existing drip email newsletters and other messages to promote your referral program. It doesn’t need to take a lot of space. Simply add an eye-catching image and short headline text to the footer of the existing email template.

End with a link or CTA button to a referral program landing page where they can learn more details. Here are some more referral email examples to inspire you.

Referral program social media invite

Today’s most successful businesses know how to use social media. Not only is it free, it’s also where most of your existing and potential customers spend their time. Below are some best practices for promoting a referral program on social media platforms.

• Explain the program: Even some of your regular customers may not know about your referral program. Social media is the perfect platform to let them know what it’s all about. Share a post or a story with the key highlights of your referral program, and a link where they can learn more. Even a tiny bit of information is enough to make them click through for more information.
• Highlight the benefits: If you’re giving an incentive to make referrals, make sure to include it in your promotions. Customers who are aware of the benefits upfront are usually more willing to participate.
• Keep your posts fresh: This can mean changing the headline or referral bonus of your program every once in a while to reflect different holidays or seasons. you can also run limited-time programs or promotions, so people will be more motivated to join.
• Maximize your headline: The first thing your followers will see is the headline. Use it to clearly explain what they can expect, what they’ll earn, and why your referral program is so great.
• Include a visual: Visuals are always more eye-catching. Even your logo or a product photo can be enough to draw customers in. Visuals, especially GIFs or short video clips, are great for breaking up chunks of text and encouraging people to read the entire message.

Social media message examples

Social media is all about grabbing attention. Most of the time, businesses use the following customer referral template for their social media invites:

• An attractive focal image
• A list of benefits or reasons someone should join
• A link or CTA button to a landing page or sign-up page

Here are some great examples of how companies use social media to invite customers to their referral program:

Example 1: RedCoach

Love RedCoach? Share it!

Join our referral program and share it with your friends to score some savings. Earn up to $50 off on your next trip for every referral.

Share on social media for a chance to win 2 tickets to Orlando, Fla. for Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. Double your chances to win by sharing on Twitter as well.

Limited time only: Promotion ends on October 21, 2016

Example 2: Fairfax Insurance

Ask us about our #referral #program and we’ll let you in on a simple way to make some extra cash #insurance #relationships #clients #weho

Example 3: GetStocks

Are you a GetStocks Account Holder? Refer a Friend to @GetStocks & Receive $50 worth of FREE trades. #NASDAQ

2. Referral program landing page

A referral landing page is where someone is sent after clicking a referral link (usually on an email, social media post, or even a website menu link).

If customers arrive on your landing page, they want to find out more. Landing pages give you the space to explain your referral program in more detail: why customers should join, the rules of the program, and any other important information.

It’s also where customers can sign up for your referral program. Let’s break down what goes into a basic referral program landing page template.

Referral program landing template

• Details about your program: Include a few lines about the requirements, the types of rewards, and the overall value you offer both advocates and referrals.
• Use imagery: A few strong images can grab the customer’s attention, help explain more about the program, and break up any large blocks of text.
• Add a referral CTA: This is the whole point of the page. The action you want the customer to take. Some common ones are “Sign up,” “Join now,” or “Start sharing,” but don’t be afraid to get creative. Just make sure it matches the action you want customers to take.
• Include FAQs: Customers will usually have a few questions before signing up for your referral program. Add a section for some FAQs (you can select a few key ones, if you prefer to create a separate terms and conditions page) to provide ready answers for your potential advocates.
• Add testimonials: Testimonials are a great addition to any landing page. Although not often seen on referral landing pages, if you can show customers real feedback and social proof, they’ll be even more inclined to join your program.

Referral program landing page examples

You can learn a lot by looking at the successful referral pages of other companies. Here are a few great examples:

Example 1: Fiverr

Anyone who creates a Fiverr account immediately has the option to start referring others right away. After clicking on the “Invite Friends & Get $5” button, members are brought to this program description page. The page restates the headline, gives a little more description of the program, and provides the customer with a few easy ways to share.

Example 2: Sock Fancy

As soon as a customer lands on the Sock Fancy website, they are greeted with a catchy headline. They can also start referring others right away. A customer clicks on the “Refer” link and is shown a referral widget that has a catchy headline and explanation of the referral program benefits.

 

Example 3: Moo

Moo invites customers to join its referral program using an attractive pop-up widget. The widget does a good job of explaining the referral program benefit right in the headline, and gives customers more information at the click of a button.

Example 4: Red Coach

When a customer is invited to join Red Coach’s referral program or clicks the referral link on the homepage, they are brought to the referral landing page. The page gives a clear description of the program, outlining every step a customer needs to take to earn their rewards.

3. Referral email or message (after signup)

Send advocates their referral link as soon as they signup to the program. They’re ready to refer and you don’t want to keep them from sharing you with others.

You can assign the referral link (or referral code) while they’re still on your website, through a customer referral portal, or send them an email or message. Here are some great referral email template examples:

4. Email message updates

The key to a scalable referral program is keeping up promotions, even after advocates have signed up. Just like any marketing campaign, it’s important to keep people engaged and excited to generate word of mouth.

Send your advocates timely emails or messages updating them with how many referrals they’ve sent, new rewards they can earn, limited-time contests, and any other news about your referral program.

Example 1: Massdrop

“Nice job! $10 pending… your friend just joined Massdrop! Now the community is a little bigger and you’re one step closer to getting your referral credit. When your friend receives their first order, we’ll let you know the credit has been added to your account. You can keep an eye on your progress below.” 

Source

Example 2: Allset

“Whoa, you got $10! Thanks for sharing Allset! Your friend just made their first order using your referral code. $10 is yours, fair and square.”

Source

Referral program templates: For the referral

Now that we’ve gone over the parts of the template that apply to the advocate, let’s cover the parts that the referred friend sees.

1. Referral message

The first message sent to referrals plays an important part in your program template. After all, it may be one of the first things someone reads about your business.

To help advocates share quicker, it’s good to provide a pre-filled referral message templates they can customize on their own. The great part about a referral invitation message is that it comes from a personal contact.

• The message is more casual.
• It’s more personal and trusted.
• It doesn’t have to be sales-y.
• People are more inclined to click and read through.

We’ve rounded up a few tips to get your referral message on the right track. Again, we focus on the two most popular referral channels – email and social media. But these tips can be used to create referral program templates across every channel.

Referral email message template

• Use a fun intro or subject line: Start your referral message with a fun or interesting note. It also helps if you can include the referral’s first name in the subject line. This personal touch will help the message stand out in a referral’s inbox or feed, and increase chances your message will be read.
• Let them know who sent the message: Whenever someone gets a message, the first thing they look at is who sent it. In this case, it’s best to let them know the message comes from a friend. Even if the referral message is about a business or product, people always trust their friends and family over other sources.
• Introduce your company (briefly): Sometimes a referral may not have heard of your company. This is your chance to introduce yourselves and show them why you’re so great. It’s best not to go overboard, though – sharing your products and what you do is more than enough.
• Highlight the benefits: You’ve explained the benefit to your existing customers. Now, it’s time to do the same for potential new customers. If your referral also gets an incentive, mention it early in the message. This incentivizes referrals to join your program and try your products.
• Add a CTA: Ending a referral message with a CTA makes it easy for anyone to take the next steps and join your program. Place a link or a button that stands out from the rest of your referral message, showing referrals exactly how they can take the next step in the referral process.

Refer-a-friend email examples

Most referral software enables you to create a pre-filled email message for advocates to send to their friends. Here are a few referral message ideas that stand out:

Example 1: Moo

Moo gives a great example of a strong referral email. It gives all the information in one message: who they are, what they do, and what the new referral will earn.

“Hey, we’re MOO.

You’ll love MOO! They’ve awesome print products and cool design finishes. Get $15 off your first order. A friend of yours thinks you’ll like what we do: premium Business Cards, Postcards, Stickers and more. Choose triple-thick Luxe paper, modern design templates, and ultra-jazzy finishes like Gold Foil and Spot Gloss. Shop now and get $15 off your first order! Your friend who referred you will get a reward too.”

Example 2: Vinyl Me, Please

Just like its name Vinyl Me, Please sends a fun email template to its referrals. The email covers who they are, what they do, and goes over the details of the referral program.

“Hey, Amigo! I just joined the best damn record club called Vinyl Me, Please. If you sign up, we both get a $10 VMP account credit for use in the member store or account renewals.”

Example 3: True&Co

True&Co’s referral email template is a personalized message and enticing offer. It starts with the advocate’s name, which is a great jumping off point to build trust in the brand. Then, the email hooks the referral with an enticing “$15 just for you” offer.

“$15 just for you!

[Customer name] wants to give you $15 to try True&Co. — the wonderful new way to shop for lingerie.
Your friend wrote: ‘I just found my best fitting bra at True&Co. and wanted to give you $15 to find yours too! Offer ends Apr 24, 2017.'”

Example 4: The Clymb

The Clymb does a fantastic job of showing referrals why they’re receiving the message. It even adds a special note from the sender (this is a pre-filled message, but manages to gives the email a personal touch).

“Check out this site, The Clymb.com. It’s a members-only website featuring premium Outdoor brands at up to 70% off retail prices! Membership is free, and since I invited you, you’ll receive an instant $10 shopping credit towards your first purchase of $50 or more!”

Example 5: Fiverr

Fiverr uses a simple message to reel referrals in. They provide the name of the customer who sent the referral and a little information about the company. The message also has a sense of exclusivity, which can motivate more referrals to join.

“[Customer name] is tired of keeping Fiverr a secret. Fiverr is the world’s largest marketplace for services, where you can get everything you need at an unbeatable value. Sounds too good to be true? See for yourself!”

Social media message template

Social media message templates are designed for advocates to send to potential referrals. People they already have a connection to.

Social media messages can be sent from your advocate to a specific person, or shared in their bio page or status update for all their friends to see. Here are some examples of referral social media messages:

Example 1: Panera

“Get rewarded (and I will too!). Join MyPanera and start earning rewards and surprises just for being you. Get your first surprise just for signing up!”

Example 2: EveryPlate

“Woohoo! Discount for an already great priced meal service.” 

Example 3: Groupon

“Hey Buddy, you should check out Groupon. I thought you’d be interested in signing up to Groupon like me. Groupon offers great deals on local restaurants, things to do and even goods…”

2. Friend landing page

The friend landing page, or referral landing page, is where all referrals are directed after clicking on the referral link shared by existing customers.

While it’s nearly similar to the pages everyone else sees, the referral process is being tracked and the reward (i.e., discount or cash back) will be applied to their purchase. Oftentimes, this can be seen through a small banner or pop-up message.

Friend landing page examples

Your referral landing page will depend on your type of business, and the next step you want referrals to take. Let’s look at three great examples below:

Example 1: MeUndies (an ecommerce store)

When a referral clicks on the link in the referral message, they are brought to the MeUndies homepage. As you can see,  the referrals coupon code is automatically added to their shopping cart. The referral is also tied back to the advocate who referred them. The referral doesn’t have to do anything at all to receive the benefit.

Example 2: Dropbox (a SaaS company)

Dropbox sends all referrals to a form where they can sign up for an account. The form is simple and invites them to “sign up for free.”

Example 3: Uber (a service business)

Uber requires referrals to sign up in order to receive their reward. Aside from this, it keeps its referral landing page simple. All the referral needs to do is fill out a short form and they’re all set.

Referral program best practices

Now that you’ve seen how the referral program template works, it’s time to start your own referral marketing program. But even though the referral program template is a reliable formula, it won’t do all the work on its own. You’ll also need to follow best practices for designing and promoting your program.

Here are some common factors we see across the best performing refer-a-friend programs:

1. The refer-a-friend program is visible

This tip seems obvious. But you’d be surprised how many companies don’t put much effort into promoting their refer-a-friend program.

Here’s an easy way to check how visible your program is to the public: Visit your company’s website and count how many steps – clicks or scrolls – it takes to your refer-a-friend landing page.

Is it more or less than five? Can you even locate the link at a quick glance? The more visible a referral program is, the more chance it has to grow your business.

2. The program is easy to join

The majority of customers who refer your business do so in their spare time. If you want to get as many referrals as possible, then make it as easy to join your program as possible.

Of course, you’ll need to get some basic information, like their name and email address. But try not to include too many extra questions or options you don’t really need to run your program.

3. The referral process is simple

Customers should be able to refer their friends quickly and easily. Include only the info you need, and break the referral process into three or four simple steps.

What if you’ve got other info to cover? The best way to do this is through a referral program FAQ. In addition to establishing expectations, an FAQ can save you a lot of time handling support questions. It provides an easy way for advocates and referrals to learn more about your program.

4. Customers have several ways to refer others

Take a minute to think about what platforms you use to communicate with your family and friends. It’s probably a handful.

In just one day, you might use text, emails, phone calls, social media messengers, chat channels, and other applications to communicate. What does this mean? If you want loyal customers to participate in your referral program, allow them to refer others using their preferred platforms.

8 referral program templates

Even though all these referral programs use the same base template we covered above, there are plenty of ways to change things up a bit and make your referral program your own. Most of these changes involve the type of reward offered to the advocate.

1. The reciprocal referral program template: This referral program gives the exact same reward to the advocate and their referral (think “$25 for you, $25 for a friend,” or “Give free socks, get free socks.”)

2. The varied referral rewards template: This program offers different rewards for the advocate and their friend. For instance, the friend might receive $10 in store credit when they make their first purchase, while the advocate receives a thank you gift box.

3. The charity referral program template: Make a donation to a charity of the advocate’s choice in exchange for a successful referral.

4. The tiered referral program template: Advocates earn higher-value rewards the more referrals they make. For instance, they might earn a tote for one referral, a sticker pack for three referrals, a notebook for five referrals, a mystery box for seven referrals, and a mug for 10 referrals.

5. The multi-step referral program template: Advocates can earn multiple rewards as their referred peers move through the sales process. For example, they might earn a smaller reward when a lead they refer is qualified, and then a larger reward when they make a purchase.

6. The referral competition template: Advocates’ referrals are tracked over a given time frame. Whoever makes the most referrals in that time frame receives a bonus big-ticket reward, in addition to the standard rewards on offer.

7. The referral drawing template: Advocates receive rewards for every referral, but they also receive an entry into a drawing for a big-ticket reward. The winner is picked at random, but the more referrals someone makes, the higher their chances of winning.

8. The referral ambassador template: Advocates must be accepted into the program at first, but once they are, they receive a referral discount code and can earn incentives for every referral. They also gain access to other exclusive “insider” perks.

Create your own referral program template

Now that you know about the key elements of a referral program templates, and have seen a lot of great examples, it’s time to create your own.

Here’s a checklist you can use to build out your own referral program template:

Share this image on your site:

</p>
<p><strong>Please include attribution to referralrock.com with this graphic.</strong></p>
<p><a href='https://referralrock.com/blog/referral-program-template/'><img src='https://referralrock.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/checklist.png' alt='' 540px border='0' /></a></p>
<p>

Wrapping up

You’ve seen how the proven referral program template works, along with examples of how to put it in practice. Now, it’s time to build a program of your own.

Referral software makes it easy to design a program that follows this proven template. Quickly set up all the necessary pages and promotions for your program, create referral links, and instantly issue rewards once they’re earned.