Referral Marketing Strategies That Work

Referral marketing is a marketing strategy that will never go obsolete in years to come. That is because people trust recommendations from the people they know. Some of the reasons some referral programs fail to make it is when businesses fail to implement the right strategy for their business. When you perfect this marketing strategy, you discover that getting sales becomes an easy nut to crack.

Referred individuals are easy to convert since your referrer has done the hard part to convince them. The only job you have is to make their experience topnotch. When you’re able to perform excellently in that regard, these happy customers refer even more people to your business. As you already know, people refer to people.

Referrals are a great way to skyrocket your business and become successful. But how can you make this happen? Here are some marketing strategies that would help you increase referrals in your business.

1. Go the Extra Mile

Customer satisfaction should be your top priority. When you’re able to satisfy the customer, they will refer you to their circles or network. Customer experience should be something you don’t joke with since it can make or mar your business. When you’re able to go beyond and extra to satisfy your customers, you set yourself aside from your competitors. That doesn’t mean you need to break the bank. But when you offer incredible value to your customers, they will spread the word about your business. That will, no doubt, lead to more referrals and more.

There are many ways through which you can go extra without spending much on your customer. It could be giving out a customized brand t-shirt, or perhaps an additional product that they purchased.

2. Improve Customer Support

Your customer support should be functional and competent for the best customer experience. In every business, customer support plays a massive role. When your customers run into an issue with your products, there should be quick, customer support. If you want to increase referrals to your business, make your customer support topnotch.

You have to be responsive, without allowing their questions go unanswered for long. When you’re able to respond quickly to their queries, they will love your business more. When dealing with customers, customers, be sincere and consistent. Ensure that all customers are getting the same amount of attention for the best result.

3. Personalize Your Interaction

When you’re able to personalize the experience of your customers, they would love your business more. It shows that you care about them and their well-being. It could be remembering an important event for them, or perhaps sending them a well-timed promotion. Through personalization, your customers can stick and refer your business to their family and friends.

When a customer makes some purchases, it would be essential to recommend some accessories or similar products later. That way, their chances of making more order is high. Not only that, but they are also happy that you understand their preference and would interact more with your business. For example, when they purchase a shoe from your store, recommending socks would be good. When you’re consistent with this practice, they feel almost like they are part of the business. Thus, you find them recommending the company to their friends.

4. Don’t Be Shy To Ask For Referrals

If you’ve been a good business that always satisfies the customer, then you should never be afraid to ask for referrals. A lot of companies today feel it’s inappropriate to ask. They are so scared their customers might feel repulsed and stop being customers. That is not always the case!

Getting referrals naturally is possible, but most times, you need to remind them. That is because it is hard to think about your business when they leave. The trick to doing this is by making the request subtle and not too noticeable. You can print it in your receipt pages, thank them for their patronage, and encourage referrals.

To make it mouthwatering, you can offer some incentives. That would, no doubt, compel them to act very fast to refer to their friends and family. You can decide to offer $10 to ever 10 referrals or more. Understand a deal your customers cannot turn down, then provide it.

5. Start a Referral Program

If you don’t already have a referral program, then you’re missing tons of opportunities in your business. With a referral program, you make it easier for customers to refer people to your business. Thankfully, there is lots of software that would help you set up a referral program without hassles. One of the most reliable is osiaffiliate.com.

A lot of businesses are using this marketing strategy to build an enormous customer base; you too can. All you have to do is discover the ideal software or plugin that suits your business, then kick-off. The referral program would ensure that you monitor your affiliates and clicks. A lot of businesses like Amazon and Dropbox are utilizing this strategy to grow their user base.

6. Show Appreciation To Your Referrals

Take out time to recognize and appreciate those that refer to your businesses. It doesn’t matter whether you’re paying them a commission or not; they still deserved to be thanked for their efforts toward spreading the word about your business. Customers are the backbone of your business, and without them, your business would stop existing. So, you need to ensure you’re grateful. You can offer prizes or giveaways to your top referrals. Not only would you make the customer happy, you encourage others to follow the trend. It is like killing two birds with one stone.

Conclusion

Referral marketing is a marketing strategy that big companies like Amazon used to grow to a tremendous height. If other marketing strategies fail, this certainly won’t. The most important key you must master is the customer experience. When your customers are happy, you will always succeed when you implement these referral marketing strategies.