Referral & Affiliate Programs
Design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines.
Before Starting
Product context: If .agents/product-marketing-context.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md in older setups), read it first and tailor output to it; only ask for what it doesn't cover.
Gather (ask if not provided):
- Program Type — customer referral, affiliate, or both? B2B or B2C? Average customer LTV? Current CAC from other channels?
- Current State — existing program? Referral rate (% who refer)? Incentives tried?
- Product Fit — shareable product? Network effects? Do customers naturally talk about it?
- Resources — tools/platforms in use or considered? Budget for incentives?
Referral vs. Affiliate
Customer referral programs — best for existing customers recommending to their network, products with natural word-of-mouth, lower-ticket or self-serve products. Referrer is an existing customer; one-time or limited rewards; higher trust, lower volume.
Affiliate programs — best for reaching audiences you don't have access to (content creators, influencers, bloggers) and higher-ticket products that justify commissions. Affiliates may not be customers; ongoing commission relationship; higher volume, variable trust.
Referral Program Design
The Referral Loop
Trigger Moment → Share Action → Convert Referred → Reward → (Loop)
Step 1: Identify Trigger Moments
High-intent moments: right after first "aha" moment, after achieving a milestone, after exceptional support, after renewing or upgrading.
Step 2: Design Share Mechanism
Ranked by effectiveness:
- In-product sharing (highest conversion)
- Personalized link
- Email invitation
- Social sharing
- Referral code (works offline)
Step 3: Choose Incentive Structure
- Single-sided (referrer only): simpler, works for high-value products
- Double-sided (both parties): higher conversion, win-win framing
- Tiered: gamifies referrals, increases engagement
For examples and incentive sizing: See references/program-examples.md
Program Optimization
Improving Referral Rate
Few customers referring: ask at better moments, simplify sharing, test different incentive types, make referral prominent in product.
Referrals not converting: improve landing experience for referred users, strengthen incentive for new users, make referrer's endorsement visible.
A/B Tests to Run
- Incentive: amount, type, single vs. double-sided, timing
- Messaging: program description, CTA copy, landing page copy
- Placement: where and when the referral prompt appears
Common Problems & Fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|
| Low awareness | Add prominent in-app prompts |
| Low share rate | Simplify to one click |
| Low conversion | Optimize referred user experience |
| Fraud/abuse | Add verification, limits |
| One-time referrers | Add tiered/gamified rewards |
Measuring Success
Program health: active referrers (referred someone in last 30 days), referral conversion rate, rewards earned/paid.
Business impact: % of new customers from referrals, CAC via referral vs. other channels, LTV of referred customers, program ROI.
Typical findings: referred customers have 16-25% higher LTV, 18-37% lower churn, and refer others at 2-3x rate.
Launch Checklist
Before Launch
Launch
Post-Launch (First 30 Days)
Email Sequences
Referral Program Launch
Subject: You can now earn [reward] for sharing [Product]
We just launched our referral program!
Share [Product] with friends and earn [reward] for each signup.
They get [their reward] too.
[Unique referral link]
1. Share your link
2. Friend signs up
3. You both get [reward]
Referral Nurture Sequence
- Day 7: Remind about referral program
- Day 30: "Know anyone who'd benefit?"
- Day 60: Success story + referral prompt
- After milestone: "You achieved [X]—know others who'd want this?"
Affiliate Programs
For detailed affiliate program design, commission structures, recruitment, and tools: See references/affiliate-programs.md
Task-Specific Questions
- What type of program (referral, affiliate, or both)?
- Customer LTV and current CAC?
- Existing program or starting from scratch?
- What tools/platforms are you considering?
- Budget for rewards/commissions?
- Is your product naturally shareable?
Tool Integrations
For implementation, see the tools registry. Key tools:
| Tool | Best For | Guide |
|---|
| Rewardful | Stripe-native affiliate programs | rewardful.md |
| Tolt | SaaS affiliate programs | tolt.md |
| Mention Me | Enterprise referral programs | mention-me.md |
| Dub.co | Link tracking and attribution | dub-co.md |
| Stripe | Payment processing (for commission tracking) | stripe.md |
Related Skills
- launch-strategy — launching the referral program effectively
- email-sequence — referral nurture campaigns
- marketing-psychology — understanding referral motivation
- analytics-tracking — tracking referral attribution