Driving Sales Through Referrals: How to Create Compelling Email Campaigns

I remember the days when I used to flaunt to my friends about being able to find anyone’s name by just knowing their phone number. As a single person, I managed to influence more than 50 folks to install this magic app ‘Truecaller’. 

Referral marketing is super powerful when done right. Here are 5 tips that you can use as a magical wand to get your referral email communication right from the go. 

Start with your Loyal customers

Rolling out the referral program to all your customers is one mistake that every brand makes. It helps get new customers but ask yourself if it’s sustainable enough to scale it bigger. 

One of the primary concerns when implementing a referral program for a broad audience is the potential risk of individuals creating fraudulent accounts solely to exploit the benefits offered. This fraudulent activity has the potential to significantly impact your profit margins and overall program effectiveness. 

So, it makes more sense to kick-start your referral program with loyal customers. The referrals are going to be genuine. 

Pro Tip:

You can dig deeper and have a dedicated welcome email sequence for the referred customers. In this way, it sounds more personal and you giving them this kinda personalized experience is gonna help your loyal customers bring in a lot of new customers. 

Highlight the benefits

Even your most loyal customers need an incentive to refer people to your store. It can be a BOGO offer after a successful referral or free shipping or even a 10% discount on their next purchase. 

You have a better idea of your customers’ behavior so look into past buying patterns to decide on an incentive.

Here’s a shortcut that you can use if you’re on Shopify.

Go to the Discounts tab in Shopify admin > See what’s the sweet spot when it comes to coupon usage. Set a minimum order value so you don’t lose a lot on margin.

Communicate how the referral program works

Include the details of the program and how the discount, cashback, or reward points can be used in subsequent purchases. For example, if you’re giving them a 10% discount on their next purchase, make sure you communicate the validity of the discount. 

Giving attention to these small details helps your loyal shoppers to realize the true perceived value of the program and sets the right expectations.  

Bonus tip: 

1. Use a single-colored email that is optimized for both dark and light modes. Attention to detail is something you shouldn’t compromise in your first few emails. 
2. Use catchy referral slogans to promote your referral program

Remember, it's NOT just another email. Put a lot more effort into your email design part. Add design elements that complement the purpose of the email

Ask yourself, how are you going to communicate your referral program? It can be heavy on rewards or a simple program that gives a small incentive to people who refer their friends. 

Use illustrations to communicate your offering. 

Use subject lines that create excitement

Many eCommerce brands often employ aggressive email subject lines like "Refer now and save". The problem with these is that they emphasize the brand's sole focus on acquiring new customers rather than communicating what’s in it for the customers. 

Consider a subject line like "🎉 Get Rewarded for Sharing the Love!". This approach is straightforward and understated, avoiding pushiness or sales tactics while highlighting the benefit of the referral program.

 Examples of Good email subject lines for referral programs:

• 💌 Spread the Word and Get Rewarded!
• 🎯 Spread Happiness and Get Rewarded!
• 💰 Double the Fun: Refer a Friend and Earn Rewards!
• 💥 Unlock Awesome Perks: Share the Joy of Shopping!
• ✨ The More, the Merrier: Refer & Earn!

 Examples of Bad email subject lines for referral programs:

• Our referral program is here
• Refer now, save later
• Start referring and earning points
• Join our referral program

Use CTAs that drives people to refer

Most of your communication part is done, it’s time to place a compelling CTA that helps your customers want to refer their friends. 

90% of the emails that we witnessed had a generic CTA “Refer a Friend”, which is okay but you can do a lot better. 

I’d recommend you opt for longer CTAs because it looks prominent and helps your customers to take action. Here are some for you to take inspiration from:

• Refer a Friend and Get 20% Off 
• Help Friends Save 15% Now
• Refer a Friend and Unlock VIP Benefits
• Refer Friends and get Instant Discounts now

Think from your customer’s shoes: Tweak until you’re happy with the email

Think from the shoes of your customers; try everything to make your customer’s experience better. Make continuous changes to the email, ask yourself what would you rate the email on a scale of 0-5, and make changes until you’re happy with the output. 

This process might look time-consuming, but this is what determines the success of your referral program.

‍Bonus: Explore five email breakdowns to gain a deeper understanding of the do's and don'ts, ensuring you avoid repeating the same mistakes. These valuable insights will assist you in making your referral campaigns truly remarkable, setting them apart from the rest.