Getting your existing customers to refer your business to other potential customers is one of the best ways to boost your company’s sales. This technique is called referral marketing, since your existing customers have already experienced your brand, you have their trust and that means you can build an even stronger relationship with them.
Through referral advertisements, your customers can be the best marketing tool you will ever have. But there are still a lot of things to develop and make the strategy even stronger to ensure successful marketing. Here are seven referral marketing tips you can execute for a smarter referral marketing strategy.
1. Impress Your Customers
In order to get your customers to refer your brand, it is important for them to see for themselves why your brand is better than your competitors. It should be your utmost goal to exceed your customers’ expectations and make sure that they have the best experience with your company. You will be surprised at how easy it is to ask your customers for a referral if they are satisfied with your product.
How can you make it happen?
Giving your customers a quality experience is the utmost goal of your business, so try to level up your service for them to remember your brand. You can create a list of all your top customers and send them a thank you email and ask them if they know someone who might enjoy your products.
2. Offer Discounts and Incentives
It is no secret that people are most motivated when offered a reward. Use that to your advantage to make your customers want to refer you and help you boost your sales. You could do the same and offer them coupons and vouchers in their every purchase or whenever they present proof of their referral to your business.
How can you make it happen?
Know exactly what the customers want to have, whether it be discount coupons or free products or other incentives, make sure you know what will be the best incentive that will motivate them.
3. Make Your Customers Feel Seen
Although it will be easier for you to send an email blast to dozens of customers at a time, it will make them feel a lot better if you send them a personalized email with their name on it. Sending them a thank you note along with their incentive after every referral they bring to your company will make them feel seen and invested in your business. This will make them perform faster and really be an asset to your referral marketing strategy.
How can you make it happen?
Make a list of all the customers who bring you the most referrals and take the time to send them personalized emails and thank you notes.
4. Follow up
The most important thing to keep in mind when you are learning how to do referral marketing is to follow up. Once you ask your customers for a referral, take time to track them and see if they really bring you one. Following up on the customers will make them remember the benefits and incentives of doing so and will encourage them to do it for you.
How can you make it happen?
You can take this opportunity to emphasize the personal emails as you follow up on the customers. You can remind them of the incentives you are offering as an encouragement to share your brand to their friends.
5. Send Tokens of Appreciation
Different from incentives and coupons, tokens of appreciation can be more personal. Let your customers feel appreciated by sending them personalized tokens that will let them know you are thinking about them as a close partner in the business.
How can you make it happen?
If you sell products, it will be best to track your customer’s purchase record and know what type of product they buy the most from you. You can then send them a freebie the next time they order and attach a small card telling them that you are giving them their favorite item as a thank you for their help.
6. Promote Your Referral Marketing Program
A lot of people are not familiar with referral advertising and marketing in general. That is why you have to let them know about your program, how it is going to help your business, and how your customers are going to benefit from it. It is best to let as many people know about your program so that they will be aware of its importance and what they need to do to participate.
How can you make it happen?
Once you have established and launched your referral marketing program you can talk about it in your social media accounts, send out email blasts, and write a blog to be posted on your website.
7. Keep the Engagement Going
Developing a good relationship with your customers is very important, but it is more important to keep them close by and make the relationship stronger. Be consistent in sending out emails and updating them on every promotion and program you are going to offer. Reminding them that they are important through personalized greetings for every occasion will make them feel more of a partner and will keep them loyal to your business indefinitely.
How can you make it happen?
Have a reminder for all the events and occasions, and keep a list of your best customers for each month. Send them emails, tokens, or even call them to have a more personal conversation and develop a stronger partnership.
Taking referral advertising to the next level is just what your business needs to boost your sales. You can hit a lot of targets just by focusing on what you can improve in this marketing strategy.
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