Apparel Referral Program Examples: Everlane

Minimalist apparel retailer Everlane earned $12 million revenue in 2013, and expected to triple the amount the following year.

Founded in 2011 by Michael Preysman, Everlane was determined to revolutionize the way consumers look and think about their clothes.

They're famous for making their entire manufacturing process transparent to consumers, so they know exactly where their clothes come from.

Learn more: 5 Ways Fashion Retailer Everlane Earned Insane Word-of-Mouth

Adopting radical transparency in their manufacturing process and pricing, consumers are taught to question the source and price breakdowns of the clothes they buy.

[caption id="attachment_19262" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Cost breakdown of Everlane's slim fit shirts. Note the price difference against traditional retail sources.[/caption]

Besides their radical transparency concept, Everlane also has a referral program to reward advocates for sharing the word about the brand.

Let's check out what their referral program looks like:

1. Everlane places their referral program CTA prominently in their header and footer, so visitors won't miss it.

When trying to promote your referral program, it is always good practice to have them displayed so that everyone will see it.

Everlane draws attention to their referral program with the phrase "Get $25", which is more compelling than "Invite friends" or "Referral Program". It's all about the referral program incentives.

Apart from the header, Everlane's referral program template is also advertised at the bottom of the webpage:

Referral program pro tip: If you've got a referral program, flaunt it. And make sure all your visitors can see it.

Some customers might be sitting on the fence regarding buying something, and knowing they can get a referral discount for referring their friends might be just the motivation they need.

2. Everlane gives advocates a personalized referral link with their name, which makes it easy to remember and share.

Every customer who signs up for an account on Everlane receives their very own referral link, complete with their own name in the url.

This makes it easier for both advocate and friend to remember during a conversation about the apparel brand.

Referral program pro tip: With personalized referral urls, you can reduce the chances of people forgetting them, as compared to those with random alphabets or numbers.

3. Everlane rewards advocates with $25 in credits for each friend who makes a purchase, more than enough for their basic tee.

Every member on Everlane is given access to their own referral page, where they can check how many friends they have invited, and how much credit they currently have.

Personally, I find that information useful, but it can be a bit demoralizing when you haven't started referring (0 friends joined, 0 friends purchased, $0.00 in credit).

Referral program pro tip: When displaying information that customers would find valuable, do take note of how they might feel when presented with that information.

A friendly and positive reminder like "Hey it looks like you haven't started referring yet. Click here to get started!" could be more encouraging for advocates to start sending out links.

P.S. The fine print beneath the sharing links makes customers feel like they're being appreciated for their efforts, which is a nice gesture. If you're looking for a referral email template or referral program for small business we got you covered!

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For more referral program examples, be sure to check out Amuze, Wool Overs and Airbnb!