referral-program

Check for product marketing context first:

If .claude/product-marketing-context.md exists, read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. Program Type

• Customer referral program, affiliate program, or both?
• B2B or B2C?
• What's the average customer LTV?
• What's your current CAC from other channels?

2. Current State

• Existing referral/affiliate program?
• Current referral rate (% who refer)?
• What incentives have you tried?

3. Product Fit

• Is your product shareable?
• Does it have network effects?
• Do customers naturally talk about it?

4. Resources

• Tools/platforms you use or consider?
• Budget for referral incentives?

---

Customer Referral Programs

Best for:

• Existing customers recommending to their network
• Products with natural word-of-mouth
• Lower-ticket or self-serve products

Characteristics:

• Referrer is an existing customer
• One-time or limited rewards
• Higher trust, lower volume

Affiliate Programs

Best for:

• Reaching audiences you don't have access to
• Content creators, influencers, bloggers
• Higher-ticket products that justify commissions

Characteristics:

• Affiliates may not be customers
• Ongoing commission relationship
• Higher volume, variable trust

---

The Referral Loop

```

Trigger Moment → Share Action → Convert Referred → Reward → (Loop)

```

Step 1: Identify Trigger Moments

High-intent moments:

• Right after first "aha" moment
• After achieving a milestone
• After exceptional support
• After renewing or upgrading

Step 2: Design Share Mechanism

Ranked by effectiveness:

1. In-product sharing (highest conversion)
2. Personalized link
3. Email invitation
4. Social sharing
5. Referral code (works offline)

Step 3: Choose Incentive Structure

Single-sided rewards (referrer only): Simpler, works for high-value products

Double-sided rewards (both parties): Higher conversion, win-win framing

Tiered rewards: Gamifies referral process, increases engagement

For examples and incentive sizing: See [references/program-examples.md](references/program-examples.md)

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Improving Referral Rate

If few customers are referring:

• Ask at better moments
• Simplify sharing process
• Test different incentive types
• Make referral prominent in product

If referrals aren't converting:

• Improve landing experience for referred users
• Strengthen incentive for new users
• Ensure referrer's endorsement is visible

A/B Tests to Run

Incentive tests: Amount, type, single vs. double-sided, timing

Messaging tests: Program description, CTA copy, landing page copy

Placement tests: Where and when the referral prompt appears

Common Problems & Fixes

| Problem | Fix |

|---------|-----|

| Low awareness | Add prominent in-app prompts |

| Low share rate | Simplify to one click |

| Low conversion | Optimize referred user experience |

| Fraud/abuse | Add verification, limits |

| One-time referrers | Add tiered/gamified rewards |

---

Key Metrics

Program health:

• Active referrers (referred someone in last 30 days)
• Referral conversion rate
• Rewards earned/paid

Business impact:

• % of new customers from referrals
• CAC via referral vs. other channels
• LTV of referred customers
• Referral program ROI

Typical Findings

• Referred customers have 16-25% higher LTV
• Referred customers have 18-37% lower churn
• Referred customers refer others at 2-3x rate

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Before Launch

• [ ] Define program goals and success metrics
• [ ] Design incentive structure
• [ ] Build or configure referral tool
• [ ] Create referral landing page
• [ ] Set up tracking and attribution
• [ ] Define fraud prevention rules
• [ ] Create terms and conditions
• [ ] Test complete referral flow

Launch

• [ ] Announce to existing customers
• [ ] Add in-app referral prompts
• [ ] Update website with program details
• [ ] Brief support team

Post-Launch (First 30 Days)

• [ ] Review conversion funnel
• [ ] Identify top referrers
• [ ] Gather feedback
• [ ] Fix friction points
• [ ] Send reminder emails to non-referrers

---

Referral Program Launch

```

Subject: You can now earn [reward] for sharing [Product]

We just launched our referral program!

Share [Product] with friends and earn [reward] for each signup.

They get [their reward] too.

[Unique referral link]

1. Share your link
2. Friend signs up
3. You both get [reward]

```

Referral Nurture Sequence

• Day 7: Remind about referral program
• Day 30: "Know anyone who'd benefit?"
• Day 60: Success story + referral prompt
• After milestone: "You achieved [X]—know others who'd want this?"

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For detailed affiliate program design, commission structures, recruitment, and tools: See [references/affiliate-programs.md](references/affiliate-programs.md)

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1. What type of program (referral, affiliate, or both)?
2. What's your customer LTV and current CAC?
3. Existing program or starting from scratch?
4. What tools/platforms are you considering?
5. What's your budget for rewards/commissions?
6. Is your product naturally shareable?

---

• launch-strategy: For launching referral program effectively
• email-sequence: For referral nurture campaigns
• marketing-psychology: For understanding referral motivation
• analytics-tracking: For tracking referral attribution