Skill: mariokarras/abm-referral-program (version 1.0.0)

--- name: referral-program description: "When the user wants to create, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth strategy. Also use when the user mentions 'referral,' 'affiliate,' 'ambassador,' 'word of mouth,' 'viral loop,' 'refer a friend,' 'partner program,' 'referral incentive,' 'how to get referrals,' 'customers referring customers,' or 'affiliate payout.' Use this whenever someone wants existing users or partners to bring in new customers. For launch-specific virality, see launch-strategy." metadata: version: 1.1.0 --- # Referral & Affiliate Programs You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines. ## Before Starting **Check for product marketing context first:** If `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task. Gather this context (ask if not provided): ### 1. Program Type - Customer referral program, affiliate program, or both? - B2B or B2C? - What's the average customer LTV? - What's your current CAC from other channels? ### 2. Current State - Existing referral/affiliate program? - Current referral rate (% who refer)? - What incentives have you tried? ### 3. Product Fit - Is your product shareable? - Does it have network effects? - Do customers naturally talk about it? ### 4. Resources - Tools/platforms you use or consider? - Budget for referral 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 **Characteristics:** - 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 - Higher-ticket products that justify commissions **Characteristics:** - 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:** 1. In-product sharing (highest conversion) 2. Personalized link 3. Email invitation 4. Social sharing 5. Referral code (works offline) ### Step 3: Choose Incentive Structure **Single-sided rewards** (referrer only): Simpler, works for high-value products **Double-sided rewards** (both parties): Higher conversion, win-win framing **Tiered rewards**: Gamifies referral process, increases engagement **For examples and incentive sizing**: See [references/program-examples.md](references/program-examples.md) --- ## Program Optimization ### Improving Referral Rate **If few customers are referring:** - Ask at better moments - Simplify sharing process - Test different incentive types - Make referral prominent in product **If referrals aren't converting:** - Improve landing experience for referred users - Strengthen incentive for new users - Ensure referrer's endorsement is visible ### A/B Tests to Run **Incentive tests:** Amount, type, single vs. double-sided, timing **Messaging tests:** Program description, CTA copy, landing page copy **Placement tests:** 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 ### Key Metrics **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 - Referral program ROI ### Typical Findings - Referred customers have 16-25% higher LTV - Referred customers have 18-37% lower churn - Referred customers refer others at 2-3x rate --- ## Launch Checklist ### Before Launch - [ ] Define program goals and success metrics - [ ] Design incentive structure - [ ] Build or configure referral tool - [ ] Create referral landing page - [ ] Set up tracking and attribution - [ ] Define fraud prevention rules - [ ] Create terms and conditions - [ ] Test complete referral flow ### Launch - [ ] Announce to existing customers - [ ] Add in-app referral prompts - [ ] Update website with program details - [ ] Brief support team ### Post-Launch (First 30 Days) - [ ] Review conversion funnel - [ ] Identify top referrers - [ ] Gather feedback - [ ] Fix friction points - [ ] Send reminder emails to non-referrers --- ## 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](references/affiliate-programs.md) --- ## Task-Specific Questions 1. What type of program (referral, affiliate, or both)? 2. What's your customer LTV and current CAC? 3. Existing program or starting from scratch? 4. What tools/platforms are you considering? 5. What's your budget for rewards/commissions? 6. Is your product naturally shareable? --- ## Tool Integrations For implementation, see the [tools registry](../../tools/REGISTRY.md). Key tools for referral programs: | Tool | Best For | Guide | |------|----------|-------| | **Rewardful** | Stripe-native affiliate programs | [rewardful.md](../../tools/integrations/rewardful.md) | | **Tolt** | SaaS affiliate programs | [tolt.md](../../tools/integrations/tolt.md) | | **Mention Me** | Enterprise referral programs | [mention-me.md](../../tools/integrations/mention-me.md) | | **Dub.co** | Link tracking and attribution | [dub-co.md](../../tools/integrations/dub-co.md) | | **Stripe** | Payment processing (for commission tracking) | [stripe.md](../../tools/integrations/stripe.md) | --- ## Related Skills - **launch-strategy**: For launching referral program effectively - **email-sequence**: For referral nurture campaigns - **marketing-psychology**: For understanding referral motivation - **analytics-tracking**: For tracking referral attribution

path: references/affiliate-programs.md
content: # Affiliate Program Design

Detailed guidance for building and managing affiliate programs.

## Contents
- Commission Structures
- Cookie Duration
- Affiliate Recruitment
- Affiliate Enablement
- Tools & Platforms (Referral Program Tools, Affiliate Program Tools, Choosing a Tool)
- Fraud Prevention (Common Referral Fraud, Prevention Measures)

## Commission Structures

**Percentage of sale:**
- Standard: 10-30% of first sale or first year
- Works for: E-commerce, SaaS with clear pricing
- Example: "Earn 25% of every sale you refer"

**Flat fee per action:**
- Standard: $5-500 depending on value
- Works for: Lead gen, trials, freemium
- Example: "$50 for every qualified demo"

**Recurring commission:**
- Standard: 10-25% of recurring revenue
- Works for: Subscription products
- Example: "20% of subscription for 12 months"

**Tiered commission:**
- Works for: Motivating high performers
- Example: "20% for 1-10 sales, 25% for 11-25, 30% for 26+"

---

## Cookie Duration

How long after click does affiliate get credit?

| Duration | Use Case |
|----------|----------|
| 24 hours | High-volume, low-consideration purchases |
| 7-14 days | Standard e-commerce |
| 30 days | Standard SaaS/B2B |
| 60-90 days | Long sales cycles, enterprise |
| Lifetime | Premium affiliate relationships |

---

## Affiliate Recruitment

### Where to find affiliates:
- Existing customers who create content
- Industry bloggers and reviewers
- YouTubers in your niche
- Newsletter writers
- Complementary tool companies
- Consultants and agencies

### Outreach template:
```
Subject: Partnership opportunity — [Your Product]

Hi [Name],

I've been following your content on [topic] — particularly [specific piece] — and think there could be a great fit for a partnership.

[Your Product] helps [audience] [achieve outcome], and I think your audience would find it valuable.

We offer [commission structure] for partners, plus [additional benefits: early access, co-marketing, etc.].

Would you be open to learning more?

[Your name]
```

---

## Affiliate Enablement

Provide affiliates with:
- [ ] Unique tracking links/codes
- [ ] Product overview and key benefits
- [ ] Target audience description
- [ ] Comparison to competitors
- [ ] Creative assets (logos, banners, images)
- [ ] Sample copy and talking points
- [ ] Case studies and testimonials
- [ ] Demo access or free account
- [ ] FAQ and objection handling
- [ ] Payment terms and schedule

---

## Tools & Platforms

### Referral Program Tools

**Full-featured platforms:**
- ReferralCandy — E-commerce focused
- Ambassador — Enterprise referral programs
- Friendbuy — E-commerce and subscription
- GrowSurf — SaaS and tech companies
- Mention Me — AI-powered referral marketing
- Viral Loops — Template-based campaigns

**Built-in options:**
- Stripe (basic referral tracking)
- HubSpot (CRM-integrated)
- Segment (tracking and analytics)

### Affiliate Program Tools

**Affiliate networks:**
- ShareASale — Large merchant network
- Impact — Enterprise partnerships
- PartnerStack — SaaS focused
- Tapfiliate — Simple SaaS affiliate tracking
- FirstPromoter — SaaS affiliate management

**Self-hosted:**
- Rewardful — Stripe-integrated affiliates
- Refersion — E-commerce affiliates

### Choosing a Tool

Consider:
- Integration with your payment system
- Fraud detection capabilities
- Payout management
- Reporting and analytics
- Customization options
- Price vs. program scale

---

## Fraud Prevention

### Common Referral Fraud
- Self-referrals (creating fake accounts)
- Referral rings (groups referring each other)
- Coupon sites posting referral codes
- Fake email addresses
- VPN/device spoofing

### Prevention Measures

**Technical:**
- Email verification required
- Device fingerprinting
- IP address monitoring
- Delayed reward payout (after activation)
- Minimum activity threshold

**Policy:**
- Clear terms of service
- Maximum referrals per period
- Reward clawback for refunds/chargebacks
- Manual review for suspicious patterns

**Structural:**
- Require referred user to take meaningful action
- Cap lifetime rewards
- Pay rewards in product credit (less attractive to fraudsters)


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