So you want to create a referral program to keep a steady stream of customers coming in? Because, same!
Let’s chat about a couple different ways you can go about doing this.
- Giving current/past customers a discount for future purchases.
- Giving current/past customers a 100% FREE product/service for them referring X number of people your way.
Ya girl is 100% here for both of those options!
Let me give you a couple examples, reminder: this blog post is for product based businesses. Service based businesses coming soon! The below are all product based companies I myself have worked with in an influencer or business coaching capacity!
Product
Option 1: When you’re packing up your product for shipping, include some type of promo material, whether it’s a flyer, a business card or something the size of an index card that offers a percentage off of future purchases! “Thank you SO much for ordering from my small business. We want to show our appreciation by offering you 15% off your next purchase with us. Use the code ‘THANKYOU’ at checkout!”
Option 1: I would not exceed a 20% discount for this incentive, 15% seems to be a magic number! It’s juuusssttt enough but not TOO much to where you’ll begin regretting offering this – we don’t want to breed resentment!
Option 2: Affiliate marketing at its finest! Enlist the help of an influential person, local or out of state, doesn’t matter! If you haven’t heard the term microinfluencer, definitely read into it. They are typically influential people who have fewer than 10,000 followers on Instagram or social platforms in general. Their engagement rate (total sum of likes, comments and saves per individual post divided by the number of followers) is 10% or greater. So, what does that mean for you? Great question! That means that although their audience may not be as vast as the “big name” fashion bloggers on the interwebs, their audience is HERE for their suggestions and is picking up what they’re putting down. 😉
Option 2: Soooo, how TF do I reach out to them? Do I pay them? Do I give them free shit? — First of all, stop overthinking things – it’s not as complicated as you’re making it out to be. If your product (retails) for greater than $50 if I were you, I’d propose a trade and potential to earn additional free products as your partnership continues.
Example: You have a handmade jewelry company retailing for $75 (ish) per item, you reach out to Caitlin, a fashion blogger with 7500 Instagram followers. You offer to trade her one of your pieces (of her choosing) for an Instagram post to stay active for perpetuity and 3 Instastories with proper tags (tagging you). You offer her a 15-40% off discount code for her audience. You then let her know that she has 2 options going forward, she can earn X number of pieces for every person who uses her discount code you provide her OR she can get residual income from each sale (either a percentage or flat fee paid out after it reaches $X).
BONUS TIP: Offer exclusive discounts seasonally or for special events to your past customers. Reach out to them prior to announcing this event or discount to the public! This not only creates an air of exclusivity, it will give you a boost in sales prior to the actual launch of this product or event – they already KNOW, LIKE + TRUST you! There is no need to create this rapport with a brand new customer, BOOM!
Have additional questions? Shoot me a text! 980.253.0746 I am happy to help in any way I can. Seriously, I gotchuuu! Also, don’t be weird – make sure you introduce yourself in your text. I like to know the name of the person texting me 😉
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