Let me do some extraordinarily simple arithmetic for example the ability of referral advertising:
Say you’ve acquired 10,000 contacts in your e mail checklist.
In response to the Survey Heart on American Life, 53 p.c of People have between three and 9 shut pals, whereas 13 p.c have 10+.
So assuming these 10,000 (imaginary) names in your advertising checklist are “common” People, they might have a community of 90,000+ shut pals. And that’s earlier than we even think about relations.
Wouldn’t it’s unbelievable for those who might share your greatest merchandise and promotions with that massive, prolonged viewers?
With referral advertising, you may.
And since referred prospects are extra loyal, have larger lifetime values, and generate larger revenue margins than “common” prospects, you may afford to sweeten the deal, incentivizing your present viewers to suggest 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 suggestions and greatest practices for profitable referral advertising, then share a few of my favourite referral e mail template examples.
Let’s get into it…
2 Forms of Referral Emails to Attempt
There are two important varieties 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 complete e mail checklist. | Despatched to area of interest viewers segments or particular person prospects. |
| 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 title. | Reference the client’s relationship together with your model (e.g. how lengthy they’ve been a buyer) |
| Generic tone to attraction 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 most important doable viewers. | Greatest for inviting high-value prospects 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 E 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 greatest practices…
1. Goal the Proper Audiences
Similar to any advertising marketing campaign, crafting a profitable referral e mail is all about reaching the suitable viewers.
Should you’re sending a mass referral e mail, this tip doesn’t actually apply—your solely objective is to advertise your program to as many individuals as doable. Nevertheless 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 stunning.
Until you’re feeling passionate a couple of model and love its merchandise, why would you place your neck on the road?
However there’s one viewers section stuffed with people who find themselves extremely prone to reap the benefits of your referral program: your most loyal prospects.
In response to KPMG, 86 p.c of loyal prospects are completely happy to suggest manufacturers to their nearest and dearest.
So your job is to determine who they’re. They might be prospects who:
- Have saved shopping for from you over the longest interval
- Generate the very best common order values
- Buy from you most ceaselessly
- 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 may add particular person prospects 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 Traces
You need your referral e mail to achieve as many eyes as doable. As a result of it doesn’t matter how attractive your referral provide is that if nobody is aware of it exists.
Meaning nailing your topic traces, provided that almost half of e mail recipients think about them when deciding whether or not to open any given e mail.
Crafting a high-performing topic line requires a stable understanding of your model and viewers (and loads of A/B testing), so we are able to’t let you know precisely what to jot down. However usually, think about these greatest practices:
- Hold it quick and candy. Most individuals open emails on iPhone or Gmail, so goal 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 title. Take into account their location, searching habits, and buy habits to craft really 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 cause to click on proper now by including urgency-related messaging to your topic line, equivalent 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 traces throughout totally 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 provide that prompts them to take motion. Most referral incentives comprise two distinct parts:
- Referrer reward: A reduction, cashback provide, 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, equivalent to a share low cost for his or her first buy.
As with topic traces, there’s no such factor because the “good” referral incentive—what works for one model gained’t essentially carry out for one more.
Broadly talking, all of it relies on your product and value level. Should you promote lower-priced merchandise, a hard and fast money low cost sounds extra engaging, whereas a share low cost usually works greatest for higher-ticket gadgets.
4. Hold Your E mail Easy and Concise
Above all else, your referral provide ought to be straightforward to know. As a result of if it appears too unachievable or complicated, nobody’s going to participate.
Should you can’t talk the important thing parts—the rewards on provide to each the referrer and the referred buyer, and any phrases and situations 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 generally is a key software for selling your referral program—particularly when mixed with one other issue, shortage. Whereas they’re usually used collectively, they’re really fairly totally different:
Urgency entails imposing a deadline on the client’s motion (e.g. “Get 10 p.c off for twenty-four hours”), whereas shortage is about limiting the provision of a product or low cost (e.g. “Purchase our new limited-edition product, solely 50 accessible”).
Within the context of a referral program, that may imply:
- Limiting the quantity of people that can be a part of your program (“Solely 100 areas accessible”).
- Asking folks to reap the benefits of your referral provide by a selected 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 provide that resonates greatest together with your viewers requires a bunch of testing, so don’t be afraid to experiment with totally different promotions and messaging.
6. Get Your Timing Proper
Timing is every thing in the case of working a profitable referral e mail marketing campaign.
I’m not simply speaking about discovering the greatest time to ship emails (though that’s nonetheless necessary). As an alternative, 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 prospects who’ve simply:
- Made their first buy
- Acquired supply of their first order
- Written their first overview
- Positioned a set quantity or money worth of orders inside a given time interval
You also needs to think about selling your referral program throughout busy procuring intervals when individuals are more than likely to be making purchases, equivalent to round BFCM.
13 Referral E mail Examples
Now that we’ve lined the idea behind a profitable referral e mail, let’s take a look at some real-world examples…
1. Casper
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Casper usually makes use of its publication—or “snoozeletter”—to immediate its prospects 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 engaging, with 10 p.c off for brand spanking new prospects, plus a $75 Amazon reward card for the referrer.
It’s good that Casper doesn’t go in for the exhausting promote right here by positioning the referral provide proper on the backside of the e-mail, moderately than making it the primary focus of the entire e mail.
Think about you signed up for the snooze letter and acquired this e mail. Should you’ve scrolled all the way in which to the underside, it stands to cause that you just’re fairly engaged with the model—which implies there’s a very good likelihood you’ll be completely happy to suggest Casper to your folks.
All you want is a mild nudge in the suitable path.
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 robust.
In some methods, it’s the alternative of the earlier instance from Casper.
For one factor, it’s solely devoted to profitable referrals, moderately than hiding the referral provide away on the backside of a publication. For an additional, it’s selling a a lot lower-ticket merchandise.
Regardless of this, MeUndies has nonetheless managed to craft a compelling provide that offers folks a real cause to refer—on this case, 20 p.c off for the brand new buyer, plus $20 credit score for the referrer.
3. Italic
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Reductions and particular provides play a giant half in driving referrals.
In reality, in accordance with Point out Me, they’re the fourth-biggest cause folks resolve to refer manufacturers—behind solely model trustworthiness, nice customer support, and free supply and returns.
Nonetheless, getting your particular provide proper isn’t as straightforward 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 harm your earnings. And if it’s too stingy, nobody will care.
Simplicity is commonly key to an efficient referral provide, 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 tender promote.
Equal Elements makes non-stick, non-toxic cookware designed to make the exercise of cooking at residence extra pleasurable.
To that finish, it provides common suggestions, methods, and insights on the right way to 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 pals enroll, that is actually extra about constructing advocacy via worth. The implicit message right here is: “Should you take pleasure in our content material and merchandise, why gained’t you let different folks in on the key?”
5. On
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Okay, so that you’ve acquired 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 must make efficient use of it.
Swiss efficiency working shoe and clothes model On demonstrates the right way to 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 really need to hold listening to from us?”
That method, the retailer manages to construct belief from potential new prospects, whereas concurrently explaining somewhat in regards to the model and what it stands for.
6. Saje
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
As any author will let you know, an efficient referral e mail doesn’t simply depend on a catchy provide 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 folks.”
On this method, Saje is asking its prospects 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: “Should you persuade your folks 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. An enormous promoting level is the refined nature of its packaging, which retains issues discreet and minimalist.
The corporate clearly understands its prospects may not be too eager on blindly sharing a referral hyperlink on Fb. With that in thoughts, it stresses that referrers can 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 accordance with that Point out Me research, it’s the one greatest 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 prospects.
Fail to achieve out in the suitable method 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 critical canine walks and informal marathons. In different phrases, it makes a top quality product, but it surely doesn’t take itself too critically.
Lastly, it units out the phrases of its referral program—spend $100 or extra and get $20 off.
That’s a whole lot of info to speak, but Out of doors Voices will get the job executed in fewer than 50 phrases.
9. Postable
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Bear in mind after I mentioned 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 putting 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 all the way down to the naked bones.
Should you can’t talk your provide 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 whole lot of e-commerce manufacturers desire to offer away somewhat element about their referral program within the authentic e mail, earlier than directing prospects towards a touchdown web page to be taught 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 path by setting out, in easy-to-understand steps, precisely what its referral provide entails.
No must click on via to the web site to completely perceive the proposition—it’s all proper there in black and white (and blue).
What’s extra, moderately than providing a reduction on future orders, Bombas goes with one thing much more compelling: a completely free product.
Should you’ve already ordered a pair of Bombas socks, there’s a very good likelihood you just like the model and would like to get extra pairs without cost. That’s precisely what this referral e mail guarantees.
11. Goby
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Goby sells electrical toothbrushes and equipment.
Should you’ve ever owned an electrical toothbrush, you’ll know they’re hardly an everyday buy. When you’ve purchased one, you’ll doubtless keep it up for a number of years.
Nonetheless, the comb heads want changing each three months or so at the very least, and that’s the place Goby’s referral provide 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.
Although the worth is similar, choice two takes it each time.
12. Brooklinen
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
A well timed provide could make your ecommerce referral e mail much more compelling.
Brooklinen demonstrates this with an e mail despatched on Nationwide Rest Day (it’s August fifteenth, in case you need to add it to your diary).
Rest and new mattress linen? That appears like a match made in heaven. This well-timed referral e mail offers prospects a cause to refer their pals proper now.
13. Harry’s
Supply: ReallyGoodEmails
Nearly all 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 provide (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.
Slightly than providing one thing to the referrer, it guarantees to ship free razors to 2 pals. That method, the referrer will get to really feel like they’re sending a present, moderately than attempting to steer their pal to purchase a product.
3 Referral E 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 E mail
For a lot of prospects, the most effective 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 E mail
Bear in mind, loyal prospects are the more than likely to suggest your model and merchandise, in order that they’re an apparent target market for referral campaigns.
Flip loyal prospects into model advocates with this referral e mail template:
3. The Urgency-Inducing Referral E mail
Creating a sense of urgency helps you drive referrals proper now. Right here’s the right way to 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 straightforward to construct on-brand emails that stand out (and convert) in each inbox.
Begin with one among 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!
