Referrals

Referral & Affiliate Programs

You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines.

Before Starting

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, in older setups), 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?

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Referral vs. Affiliate

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

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Referral Program Design

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

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Program Optimization

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

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Measuring Success

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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Launch Checklist

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

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Email Sequences

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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Affiliate Programs

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

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Task-Specific Questions

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?

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Tool Integrations

For implementation, see the tools registry. Key tools for referral programs:

Affiliate Program Design

Detailed guidance for building and managing affiliate programs.

Contents

• Commission Structures
• Cookie Duration
• Affiliate Recruitment
• Affiliate Enablement
• Tools & Platforms (Referral Program Tools, Affiliate Program Tools, Choosing a Tool)
• Fraud Prevention (Common Referral Fraud, Prevention Measures)

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+"

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Cookie Duration

How long after click does affiliate get credit?

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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]

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Affiliate Enablement

Provide affiliates with:

• [ ] Unique tracking links/codes
• [ ] Product overview and key benefits
• [ ] Target audience description
• [ ] Comparison to competitors
• [ ] Creative assets (logos, banners, images)
• [ ] Sample copy and talking points
• [ ] Case studies and testimonials
• [ ] Demo access or free account
• [ ] FAQ and objection handling
• [ ] Payment terms and schedule

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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
• Mention Me — AI-powered referral marketing
• 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

Partner Relationship Management (PRM):

• Introw — Full PRM with deal registration, commissions, tiers, QBRs, and partner engagement tracking (integration guide)

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

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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)

Referral Program Examples

Real-world examples of successful referral programs.

Contents

• Dropbox (Classic)
• Uber/Lyft
• Morning Brew
• Notion
• Incentive Types Comparison
• Incentive Sizing Framework
• Viral Coefficient & Metrics (Key Metrics, Calculating Referral Program ROI)

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

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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

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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

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Notion

Program: $10 credit per referral (education)

Why it worked:

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

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Incentive Types Comparison

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Incentive Sizing Framework

Calculate your maximum incentive:

Max Referral Reward = (Customer LTV × Gross Margin) - Minimum Desired Profit

This is the most you can pay out per referral while still clearing your minimum profit per customer. Subtract the profit you want to keep — not your CAC — from the gross profit.

Example:

• LTV: $1,200
• Gross margin: 70% → gross profit = $840
• Minimum desired profit: $500
• Max reward: ($1,200 × 0.70) - $500 = $340

Then sanity-check against your Target CAC. Referrals should be at least as cheap as your paid channels, so cap the reward at or below what you'd otherwise pay to acquire a customer:

• Target CAC: $200
• Effective reward cap: min($340, $200) = $200

Pay more than your Target CAC only if referred customers demonstrably retain longer or convert better than paid-acquired ones.

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

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Viral Coefficient & Metrics

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:

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