Let me do some extraordinarily basic math as an instance the facility of referral advertising:
Say you’ve received 10,000 contacts in your e mail checklist.
Based on the Survey Heart on American Life, 53 % of People have between three and 9 shut buddies, whereas 13 % have 10+.
So assuming these 10,000 (imaginary) names in your advertising checklist are “common” People, they may have a community of 90,000+ shut buddies. And that’s earlier than we even think about members of the family.
Wouldn’t it’s improbable if you happen to may share your finest merchandise and promotions with that vast, prolonged viewers?
With referral advertising, you’ll be able to.
And since referred clients are extra loyal, have increased lifetime values, and generate increased revenue margins than “common” clients, you’ll be able to afford to sweeten the deal, incentivizing your present viewers to advocate your model to family and friends.
That’s the place the common-or-garden referral e mail is available in.
On this article, I’ll give some sensible ideas and finest practices for profitable referral advertising, then share a few of my favourite referral e mail template examples.
Let’s get into it…
2 Varieties of Referral Emails to Attempt
There are two essential sorts of referral advertising e mail:
- Mass referral emails
- Customized referral e mail
Let’s evaluate and distinction these two distinct referral e mail codecs…
| Mass referral emails | Private referral emails |
| Despatched to broad viewers segments or your entire e mail checklist. | Despatched to area of interest viewers segments or particular person clients. |
| Promote generic advantages of your referral program. | Spotlight particular referral program advantages prone to resonate with area of interest audiences. |
| Solely embody primary personalization, such because the recipient’s identify. | Reference the client’s relationship together with your model (e.g. how lengthy they’ve been a buyer) |
| Generic tone to enchantment to everybody in your advertising checklist (even these but to make their first buy). | Heat, appreciative tone designed to make the client really feel valued. |
| Greatest for selling your referral program to the biggest potential viewers. | Greatest for inviting high-value clients to refer family and friends. |
To be clear, neither referral e mail format is “higher” than the opposite. Each have a key half to play in boosting the profile of your referral program, however it’s essential to perceive how (and when) to make use of every.
6 Referral Electronic mail Greatest Practices for Ecommerce
With out an efficient promotional technique, your referral program is doomed to failure. Get it proper by following these referral e mail finest practices…
1. Goal the Proper Audiences
Similar to any advertising marketing campaign, crafting a profitable referral e mail is all about reaching the best viewers.
In case you’re sending a mass referral e mail, this tip doesn’t actually apply—your solely aim is to advertise your program to as many individuals as potential. However it’s important for private referral e mail campaigns.
In actuality, solely a relatively small proportion of your viewers will really feel snug recommending you to their family and friends. That’s hardly shocking.
Until you are feeling passionate a couple of model and love its merchandise, why would you set your neck on the road?
However there’s one viewers section filled with people who find themselves extremely prone to make the most of your referral program: your most loyal clients.
Based on KPMG, 86 % of loyal clients are pleased to advocate manufacturers to their nearest and dearest.
So your job is to determine who they’re. They may very well be clients who:
- Have saved shopping for from you over the longest interval
- Generate the very best common order values
- Buy from you most incessantly
- Present the very best lifetime worth
Or perhaps it’s a mix of all these metrics.
Professional tip: To actually nail your viewers focusing on, you want dynamic segmentation capabilities. With Drip, segments replace robotically and in actual time. So you’ll be able to add particular person clients to your referral program sequence as quickly as they hit a sure lifetime worth or buy quantity (or fulfill another standards).
2. Write Compelling Topic Strains
You need your referral e mail to achieve as many eyes as potential. As a result of it doesn’t matter how attractive your referral supply is that if nobody is aware of it exists.
Meaning nailing your topic strains, provided that practically half of e mail recipients contemplate them when deciding whether or not to open any given e mail.
Crafting a high-performing topic line requires a strong understanding of your model and viewers (and loads of A/B testing), so we are able to’t inform you precisely what to jot down. However usually, contemplate these finest practices:
- Maintain it brief and candy. Most individuals open emails on iPhone or Gmail, so intention for topic line lengths of between 41 characters (iPhone portrait view character restrict) and 70 characters (Gmail character restrict).
- Transcend primary personalization. A personalised topic line shouldn’t simply embody the recipient’s first identify. Take into account their location, looking habits, and buy habits to craft actually private messaging.
- Use actionable language. Deal with your topic line like a CTA by incorporating set off phrases like “Get”, “Store”, and “Discover”.
- Construct urgency. Give your viewers a purpose to click on proper now by including urgency-related messaging to your topic line, corresponding to mentioning a limited-time promotion.
- Add complementary preview textual content. Take full benefit of inbox actual property by writing preview textual content that follows—and enhances—the messaging in your topic line.
Need extra recommendation? Try our roundup 180+ confirmed e mail topic strains throughout completely different industries and themes.
3. Provide an Enticing Incentive
As soon as somebody’s opened your referral e mail, it’s essential to win them over with a compelling supply that prompts them to take motion. Most referral incentives comprise two distinct parts:
- Referrer reward: A reduction, cashback supply, or another reward for the referrer (i.e. the prevailing buyer who recommends you to their family and friends) when the particular person they refer makes a purchase order.
- Referred buyer reward. The promotion that the referrer shares with family and friends, corresponding to a share low cost for his or her first buy.
As with topic strains, there’s no such factor because the “good” referral incentive—what works for one model received’t essentially carry out for an additional.
Broadly talking, all of it depends upon your product and worth level. In case you promote lower-priced merchandise, a set money low cost sounds extra enticing, whereas a share low cost typically works finest for higher-ticket objects.
4. Maintain Your Electronic mail Easy and Concise
Above all else, your referral supply must be simple to grasp. As a result of if it appears too unachievable or complicated, nobody’s going to participate.
In case you can’t talk the important thing parts—the rewards on supply to each the referrer and the referred buyer, and any phrases and circumstances that apply—in a few bullet factors, your promotion is sort of definitely too difficult.
5. Leverage Shortage and Urgency
As we’ve already famous, urgency could be a key instrument for selling your referral program—particularly when mixed with one other issue, shortage. Whereas they’re typically used collectively, they’re truly fairly completely different:
Urgency entails imposing a deadline on the client’s motion (e.g. “Get 10 % off for twenty-four hours”), whereas shortage is about limiting the supply of a product or low cost (e.g. “Purchase our new limited-edition product, solely 50 accessible”).
Within the context of a referral program, which may imply:
- Limiting the quantity of people that can be part of your program (“Solely 100 areas accessible”).
- Asking folks to make the most of your referral supply by a particular date (“Refer a pal within the subsequent 48 hours and also you each get $100 cashback”).
Like with anything within the advertising world, discovering the supply that resonates finest together with your viewers requires a bunch of testing, so don’t be afraid to experiment with completely different promotions and messaging.
6. Get Your Timing Proper
Timing is every little thing relating to working a profitable referral e mail marketing campaign.
I’m not simply speaking about discovering the finest time to ship emails (though that’s nonetheless necessary). As a substitute, it’s about focusing on folks on the proper stage of the client journey. As an illustration, you would possibly share your referral e mail with clients who’ve simply:
- Made their first buy
- Obtained supply of their first order
- Written their first assessment
- Positioned a set quantity or money worth of orders inside a given time interval
You must also contemplate selling your referral program throughout busy procuring intervals when persons are almost definitely to be making purchases, corresponding to round BFCM.
13 Referral Electronic mail Examples
Now that we’ve lined the speculation behind a profitable referral e mail, let’s have a look at some real-world examples…
1. Casper
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Casper typically makes use of its e-newsletter—or “snoozeletter”—to immediate its clients to refer a pal.
Now, Casper mattresses are a big-ticket product. Costs begin across the €300 mark and climb as excessive as €1,200+. That makes its referral scheme fairly enticing, with 10 % off for brand new clients, plus a $75 Amazon reward card for the referrer.
It’s good that Casper doesn’t go in for the laborious promote right here by positioning the referral supply proper on the backside of the e-mail, fairly than making it the principle focus of the entire e mail.
Think about you signed up for the snooze letter and obtained this e mail. In case you’ve scrolled all the way in which to the underside, it stands to purpose that you just’re fairly engaged with the model—which implies there’s an excellent probability you’ll be pleased to advocate Casper to your mates.
All you want is a mild nudge in the best route.
2. MeUndies
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
We’re massive followers of MeUndies right here at Drip—a lot in order that we spent a month digging into the model’s advertising technique.
So it’s no shock to us that this referral e mail is so sturdy.
In some methods, it’s the alternative of the earlier instance from Casper.
For one factor, it’s solely devoted to successful referrals, fairly than hiding the referral supply away on the backside of a e-newsletter. For one more, it’s selling a a lot lower-ticket merchandise.
Regardless of this, MeUndies has nonetheless managed to craft a compelling supply that provides folks a real purpose to refer—on this case, 20 % off for the brand new buyer, plus $20 credit score for the referrer.
3. Italic
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Reductions and particular presents play a giant half in driving referrals.
In reality, in line with Point out Me, they’re the fourth-biggest purpose folks resolve to refer manufacturers—behind solely model trustworthiness, nice customer support, and free supply and returns.
Nonetheless, getting your particular supply proper isn’t as simple because it sounds.
If it’s too complicated, nobody will interact with it. If it’s too beneficiant, it’ll eat into your margins and injury your income. And if it’s too stingy, nobody will care.
Simplicity is commonly key to an efficient referral supply, and Italic clearly understands this. It’s all in regards to the quantity 15—refer a pal and so they get $15 off, plus you get $15 for everybody who locations an order together with your hyperlink.
4. Equal Elements
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
This one’s all in regards to the comfortable promote.
Equal Elements makes non-stick, non-toxic cookware designed to make the exercise of cooking at dwelling extra fulfilling.
To that finish, it presents common ideas, tips, and insights on have enjoyable within the kitchen, together with issues like leveling up your grocery procuring.
After providing a bunch of sensible recommendation, Equal Elements slips in a referral message, prompting readers to unfold the phrase.
Though this referral e mail mentions how referrers can earn rewards when their buddies enroll, that is actually extra about constructing advocacy by worth. The implicit message right here is: “In case you take pleasure in our content material and merchandise, why received’t you let different folks in on the key?”
5. On
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Okay, so that you’ve received a referral.
That’s good—any variety of referrals is healthier than none, in spite of everything—but it surely doesn’t assure something. You continue to have to make efficient use of it.
Swiss efficiency working shoe and clothes model On demonstrates get it proper by reaching out to a newly-referred buyer and asking in the event that they need to discover out extra.
Why’s this strategy so good?
As a result of it’s like a double opt-in. On is saying: “You’ve been referred by your pal, however do you truly need to hold listening to from us?”
That means, the retailer manages to construct belief from potential new clients, whereas concurrently explaining somewhat in regards to the model and what it stands for.
6. Saje
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
As any author will inform you, an efficient referral e mail doesn’t simply depend on a catchy supply and snappy visuals. Copy performs an enormous half, too.
Important oils and skincare merchandise model Saje will get it proper right here with a easy, impactful message crafted to resonate with its target market: “Unfold wellness to your mates.”
On this means, Saje is asking its clients to advertise a life-style, not a product. You’re not referring a pal to purchase some new pores and skin serum or a face masks; you’re referring the complete idea of wellness.
That’s a way more participating proposition than saying: “In case you persuade your mates to purchase our merchandise, we’ll offer you a reduction code.”
7. Maude
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Maude describes itself as a contemporary sexual wellness startup. It sells issues like private massagers and physique oils. A giant promoting level is the refined nature of its packaging, which retains issues discreet and minimalist.
The corporate clearly understands its clients won’t be too eager on blindly sharing a referral hyperlink on Fb. With that in thoughts, it stresses that referrers will likely be proven a preview of their referral submit earlier than it will get shared.
That’s tremendous necessary as a result of belief is a giant deal to referrers (bear in mind, in line with that Point out Me examine, it’s the only largest think about whether or not somebody refers a model).
8. Out of doors Voices
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
I’ve already highlighted how necessary it’s for manufacturers to benefit from the referrals they obtain from clients.
Fail to achieve out in the best means and that referral loses all its worth. Out of doors Voices understands this, so it follows up referrals with a succinct e mail.
Firstly, it stresses who the referral got here from, thereby highlighting that this isn’t just a few random advertising spam.
Subsequent, it clearly explains what it’s about—technical attire for severe canine walks and informal marathons. In different phrases, it makes a high quality product, but it surely doesn’t take itself too severely.
Lastly, it units out the phrases of its referral program—spend $100 or extra and get $20 off.
That’s a variety of info to speak, but Out of doors Voices will get the job accomplished in fewer than 50 phrases.
9. Postable
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Bear in mind once I stated simplicity holds the important thing to an efficient referral e mail?
Postable does it higher than most—by explaining its referral program in fewer than 20 phrases.
Plus, the visuals are placing and cheery, which is necessary for a model that makes designer greeting playing cards and invites.
Problem your self to do the identical. Clarify your referral scheme, then edit it right down to the naked bones.
In case you can’t talk your supply in about the identical variety of phrases as Postable, it’s too complicated.
10. Bombas
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
As you’ve seen from this text, a variety of e-commerce manufacturers desire to present away somewhat element about their referral program within the unique e mail, earlier than directing clients towards a touchdown web page to study extra.
There’s logic to this strategy. It means your referral emails are much less cluttered, which might make your message extra impactful and simpler to digest.
Nonetheless, it’s not the one strategy. Bombas takes issues within the different route by setting out, in easy-to-understand steps, precisely what its referral supply entails.
No have to click on by to the web site to completely perceive the proposition—it’s all proper there in black and white (and blue).
What’s extra, fairly than providing a reduction on future orders, Bombas goes with one thing much more compelling: a very free product.
In case you’ve already ordered a pair of Bombas socks, there’s an excellent probability you just like the model and would like to get extra pairs without spending a dime. That’s precisely what this referral e mail guarantees.
11. Goby
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Goby sells electrical toothbrushes and equipment.
In case you’ve ever owned an electrical toothbrush, you’ll know they’re hardly a daily buy. When you’ve purchased one, you’ll probably keep it up for a number of years.
Nonetheless, the comb heads want changing each three months or so not less than, and that’s the place Goby’s referral supply is available in.
This e mail demonstrates the advantages of psychology in crafting an efficient referral proposition.
These brush heads aren’t precisely costly. They value $6 apiece. Now, ask your self which of those choices sounds most engaging:
- Refer a pal and get $6; or
- Refer a pal and get this free product.
Though the worth is identical, possibility two takes it each time.
12. Brooklinen
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
A well timed supply could make your ecommerce referral e mail much more compelling.
Brooklinen demonstrates this with an e mail despatched on Nationwide Leisure Day (it’s August fifteenth, in case you need to add it to your diary).
Leisure and new mattress linen? That seems like a match made in heaven. This well-timed referral e mail offers clients a purpose to refer their buddies proper now.
13. Harry’s
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
The vast majority of these e-commerce referral emails have been a form of “you scratch my again, I’ll scratch yours” association.
You refer a brand new buyer to us, and we’ll reward you with this low cost or supply (and the particular person you refer would possibly get some cash off, too).
As we’ve mentioned earlier than, Harry’s isn’t afraid to do issues otherwise.
Relatively than providing one thing to the referrer, it guarantees to ship free razors to 2 buddies. That means, the referrer will get to really feel like they’re sending a present, fairly than attempting to steer their pal to purchase a product.
3 Referral Electronic mail Templates You Can Steal
We’ve seen how different manufacturers are doing it. Now, listed here are three referral e mail templates to encourage your individual referral campaigns…
1. The New Buyer Referral Electronic mail
For a lot of clients, the perfect alternative to ask for a referral is once they first buy from you. They’re enthusiastic about their new product, and so they haven’t been distracted by the following shiny, new factor (but).
Use this copy as a jumping-off level:
2. The Loyal Buyer Referral Electronic mail
Bear in mind, loyal clients are the almost definitely to advocate your model and merchandise, in order that they’re an apparent target market for referral campaigns.
Flip loyal clients into model advocates with this referral e mail template:
3. The Urgency-Inducing Referral Electronic mail
Creating a sense of urgency helps you drive referrals proper now. Right here’s do it…
Conclusion
Efficient e mail advertising holds the important thing to selling your referral program.
That’s why you want Drip.
Our advertising automation platform makes it simple to construct on-brand emails that stand out (and convert) in each inbox.
Begin with certainly one of 50+ professionally-designed e mail templates, customise to your coronary heart’s content material with our easy point-and-click editor, and run your campaigns on autopilot with our visible workflow builder.
See all of it for your self by signing up to your free 14-day trial!
