Referral & Affiliate Programs

You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing with access to referral program data and third-party tools. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines.

Before Starting

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. Program Type

Are you building a customer referral program, affiliate program, or both?
Is this B2B or B2C?
What's the average customer value (LTV)?
What's your current CAC from other channels?

2. Current State

Do you have an existing referral/affiliate program?
What's your current referral rate (% of customers who refer)?
What incentives have you tried?
Do you have customer NPS or satisfaction data?

3. Product Fit

Is your product shareable? (Does using it involve others?)
Does your product have network effects?
Do customers naturally talk about your product?
What triggers word-of-mouth currently?

4. Resources

What tools/platforms do you use or consider?
What's your budget for referral incentives?
Do you have engineering resources for custom implementation?

Referral vs. Affiliate: When to Use Each

Customer Referral Programs

Best for:

Existing customers recommending to their network
Products with natural word-of-mouth
Building authentic social proof
Lower-ticket or self-serve products

Characteristics:

Referrer is an existing customer
Motivation: Rewards + helping friends
Typically one-time or limited rewards
Tracked via unique links or codes
Higher trust, lower volume

Affiliate Programs

Best for:

Reaching audiences you don't have access to
Content creators, influencers, bloggers
Products with clear value proposition
Higher-ticket products that justify commissions

Characteristics:

Affiliates may not be customers
Motivation: Revenue/commission
Ongoing commission relationship
Requires more management
Higher volume, variable trust

Hybrid Approach

Many successful programs combine both:

Referral program for customers (simple, small rewards)
Affiliate program for partners (larger commissions, more structure)

Referral Program Design

The Referral Loop

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                     │
│  ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐     │
│  │ Trigger  │───▶│  Share   │───▶│ Convert  │     │
│  │ Moment   │    │  Action  │    │ Referred │     │
│  └──────────┘    └──────────┘    └──────────┘     │
│       ▲                               │            │
│       │                               │            │
│       └───────────────────────────────┘            │
│                  Reward                            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 1: Identify Trigger Moments

When are customers most likely to refer?

High-intent moments:

Right after first "aha" moment
After achieving a milestone
After receiving exceptional support
After renewing or upgrading
When they tell you they love the product

Natural sharing moments:

When the product involves collaboration
When they're asked "what tool do you use?"
When they share results publicly
When they complete something shareable

Step 2: Design the Share Mechanism

Methods ranked by effectiveness:

In-product sharing — Highest conversion, feels native
Personalized link — Easy to track, works everywhere
Email invitation — Direct, personal, higher intent
Social sharing — Broadest reach, lowest conversion
Referral code — Memorable, works offline

Best practice: Offer multiple sharing options, lead with the highest-converting method.

Step 3: Choose Incentive Structure

Single-sided rewards (referrer only):

Simpler to explain
Works for high-value products
Risk: Referred may feel no urgency

Double-sided rewards (both parties):

Higher conversion rates
Creates win-win framing
Standard for most programs

Tiered rewards:

Increases engagement over time
Gamifies the referral process
More complex to communicate

Incentive Types

Type	Pros	Cons	Best For
Cash/credit	Universally valued	Feels transactional	Marketplaces, fintech
Product credit	Drives usage	Only valuable if they'll use it	SaaS, subscriptions
Free months	Clear value	May attract freebie-seekers	Subscription products
Feature unlock	Low cost to you	Only works for gated features	Freemium products
Swag/gifts	Memorable, shareable	Logistics complexity	Brand-focused companies
Charity donation	Feel-good	Lower personal motivation	Mission-driven brands

Incentive Sizing Framework

Calculate your maximum incentive:

Max Referral Reward = (Customer LTV × Gross Margin) - Target CAC

Example:

LTV: $1,200
Gross margin: 70%
Target CAC: $200
Max reward: ($1,200 × 0.70) - $200 = $640

Typical referral rewards:

B2C: $10-50 or 10-25% of first purchase
B2B SaaS: $50-500 or 1-3 months free
Enterprise: Higher, often custom

Referral Program Examples

Dropbox (Classic)

Program: Give 500MB storage, get 500MB storage Why it worked:

Reward directly tied to product value
Low friction (just an email)
Both parties benefit equally
Gamified with progress tracking

Uber/Lyft

Program: Give $10 ride credit, get $10 when they ride Why it worked:

Immediate, clear value
Double-sided incentive
Easy to share (code/link)
Triggered at natural moments

Morning Brew

Program: Tiered rewards for subscriber referrals

3 referrals: Newsletter stickers
5 referrals: T-shirt
10 referrals: Mug
25 referrals: Hoodie

Why it worked:

Gamification drives ongoing engagement
Physical rewards are shareable (more referrals)
Low cost relative to subscriber value
Built status/identity

Notion

Program: $10 credit per referral (education) Why it worked:

Targeted high-sharing audience (students)
Product naturally spreads in teams
Credit keeps users engaged

Affiliate Program Design

Commission Structures

Percentage of sale:

Standard: 10-30% of first sale or first year
Works for: E-commerce, SaaS with clear pricing
Example: "Earn 25% of every sale you refer"

Flat fee per action:

Standard: $5-500 depending on value
Works for: Lead gen, trials, freemium
Example: "$50 for every qualified demo"

Recurring commission:

Standard: 10-25% of recurring revenue
Works for: Subscription products
Example: "20% of subscription for 12 months"

Tiered commission:

Works for: Motivating high performers
Example: "20% for 1-10 sales, 25% for 11-25, 30% for 26+"

Cookie Duration

How long after click does affiliate get credit?

Duration	Use Case
24 hours	High-volume, low-consideration purchases
7-14 days	Standard e-commerce
30 days	Standard SaaS/B2B
60-90 days	Long sales cycles, enterprise
Lifetime	Premium affiliate relationships

Affiliate Recruitment

Where to find affiliates:

Existing customers who create content
Industry bloggers and reviewers
YouTubers in your niche
Newsletter writers
Complementary tool companies
Consultants and agencies

Outreach template:

Subject: Partnership opportunity — [Your Product]

Hi [Name],

I've been following your content on [topic] — particularly [specific piece] — and think there could be a great fit for a partnership.

[Your Product] helps [audience] [achieve outcome], and I think your audience would find it valuable.

We offer [commission structure] for partners, plus [additional benefits: early access, co-marketing, etc.].

Would you be open to learning more?

[Your name]

Affiliate Enablement

Provide affiliates with:

Viral Coefficient & Modeling

Key Metrics

Viral coefficient (K-factor):

K = Invitations × Conversion Rate

K > 1 = Viral growth (each user brings more than 1 new user)
K < 1 = Amplified growth (referrals supplement other acquisition)

Example:

Average customer sends 3 invitations
15% of invitations convert
K = 3 × 0.15 = 0.45

Referral rate:

Referral Rate = (Customers who refer) / (Total customers)

Benchmarks:

Good: 10-25% of customers refer
Great: 25-50%
Exceptional: 50%+

Referrals per referrer:

How many successful referrals does each referring customer generate?

Benchmarks:

Average: 1-2 referrals per referrer
Good: 2-5
Exceptional: 5+

Calculating Referral Program ROI

Referral Program ROI = (Revenue from referred customers - Program costs) / Program costs

Program costs = Rewards paid + Tool costs + Management time

Track separately:

Cost per referred customer (CAC via referral)
LTV of referred customers (often higher than average)
Payback period for referral rewards

Program Optimization

Improving Referral Rate

If few customers are referring:

Ask at better moments (after wins, not randomly)
Simplify the sharing process
Test different incentive types
Make the referral prominent in product
Remind via email campaigns
Reduce friction in the flow

If referrals aren't converting:

Improve the landing experience for referred users
Strengthen the incentive for new users
Test different messaging on referral pages
Ensure the referrer's endorsement is visible
Shorten the path to value

A/B Tests to Run

Incentive tests:

Reward amount (10% higher, 20% higher)
Reward type (credit vs. cash vs. free months)
Single vs. double-sided
Immediate vs. delayed reward

Messaging tests:

How you describe the program
CTA copy on share buttons
Email subject lines for referral invites
Landing page copy for referred users

Placement tests:

Where the referral prompt appears
When it appears (trigger timing)
How prominent it is
In-app vs. email prompts

Common Problems & Fixes

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
Low awareness	Program not visible	Add prominent in-app prompts
Low share rate	Too much friction	Simplify to one click
Low conversion	Weak landing page	Optimize referred user experience
Fraud/abuse	Gaming the system	Add verification, limits
One-time referrers	No ongoing motivation	Add tiered/gamified rewards

Fraud Prevention

Common Referral Fraud

Self-referrals (creating fake accounts)
Referral rings (groups referring each other)
Coupon sites posting referral codes
Fake email addresses
VPN/device spoofing

Prevention Measures

Technical:

Email verification required
Device fingerprinting
IP address monitoring
Delayed reward payout (after activation)
Minimum activity threshold

Policy:

Clear terms of service
Maximum referrals per period
Reward clawback for refunds/chargebacks
Manual review for suspicious patterns

Structural:

Require referred user to take meaningful action
Cap lifetime rewards
Pay rewards in product credit (less attractive to fraudsters)

Tools & Platforms

Referral Program Tools

Full-featured platforms:

ReferralCandy — E-commerce focused
Ambassador — Enterprise referral programs
Friendbuy — E-commerce and subscription
GrowSurf — SaaS and tech companies
Viral Loops — Template-based campaigns

Built-in options:

Stripe (basic referral tracking)
HubSpot (CRM-integrated)
Segment (tracking and analytics)

Affiliate Program Tools

Affiliate networks:

ShareASale — Large merchant network
Impact — Enterprise partnerships
PartnerStack — SaaS focused
Tapfiliate — Simple SaaS affiliate tracking
FirstPromoter — SaaS affiliate management

Self-hosted:

Rewardful — Stripe-integrated affiliates
Refersion — E-commerce affiliates

Choosing a Tool

Consider:

Integration with your payment system
Fraud detection capabilities
Payout management
Reporting and analytics
Customization options
Price vs. program scale

Email Sequences for Referral Programs

Referral Program Launch

Email 1: Announcement

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

Body:
We just launched our referral program!

Share [Product] with friends and earn [reward] for each person who signs up. They get [their reward] too.

[Unique referral link]

Here's how it works:
1. Share your link
2. Friend signs up
3. You both get [reward]

[CTA: Share now]

Referral Nurture Sequence

After signup (if they haven't referred):

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

Re-engagement for Past Referrers

Subject: Your friends are loving [Product]

Body:
Remember when you referred [Name]? They've [achievement/milestone].

Know anyone else who'd benefit? You'll earn [reward] for each friend who joins.

[Referral link]

Measuring Success

Dashboard Metrics

Program health:

Active referrers (referred someone in last 30 days)
Total referrals (invites sent)
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

Cohort Analysis

Track referred customers separately:

Do they convert faster?
Do they have higher LTV?
Do they refer others at higher rates?
Do they churn less?

Typical findings:

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

Launch Checklist

Before Launch

Launch

Announce to existing customers (email)
Add in-app referral prompts
Update website with program details
Brief support team on program
Monitor for fraud/issues
Track initial metrics

Post-Launch (First 30 Days)

Questions to Ask

If you need more context:

What type of program are you building (referral, affiliate, or both)?
What's your customer LTV and current CAC?
Do you have an existing program, or starting from scratch?
What tools/platforms are you using or considering?
What's your budget for rewards/commissions?
Is your product naturally shareable (involves others, visible results)?

Related Skills

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
pricing-strategy: For structuring rewards relative to LTV

referral-program