1---
2name: referral-program
3description: "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."
4metadata:
5  version: 1.1.0
6---
7 
8# Referral & Affiliate Programs
9 
10You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines.
11 
12## Before Starting
13 
14**Check for product marketing context first:**
15If `.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.
16 
17Gather this context (ask if not provided):
18 
19### 1. Program Type
20- Customer referral program, affiliate program, or both?
21- B2B or B2C?
22- What's the average customer LTV?
23- What's your current CAC from other channels?
24 
25### 2. Current State
26- Existing referral/affiliate program?
27- Current referral rate (% who refer)?
28- What incentives have you tried?
29 
30### 3. Product Fit
31- Is your product shareable?
32- Does it have network effects?
33- Do customers naturally talk about it?
34 
35### 4. Resources
36- Tools/platforms you use or consider?
37- Budget for referral incentives?
38 
39---
40 
41## Referral vs. Affiliate
42 
43### Customer Referral Programs
44 
45**Best for:**
46- Existing customers recommending to their network
47- Products with natural word-of-mouth
48- Lower-ticket or self-serve products
49 
50**Characteristics:**
51- Referrer is an existing customer
52- One-time or limited rewards
53- Higher trust, lower volume
54 
55### Affiliate Programs
56 
57**Best for:**
58- Reaching audiences you don't have access to
59- Content creators, influencers, bloggers
60- Higher-ticket products that justify commissions
61 
62**Characteristics:**
63- Affiliates may not be customers
64- Ongoing commission relationship
65- Higher volume, variable trust
66 
67---
68 
69## Referral Program Design
70 
71### The Referral Loop
72 
73```
74Trigger Moment → Share Action → Convert Referred → Reward → (Loop)
75```
76 
77### Step 1: Identify Trigger Moments
78 
79**High-intent moments:**
80- Right after first "aha" moment
81- After achieving a milestone
82- After exceptional support
83- After renewing or upgrading
84 
85### Step 2: Design Share Mechanism
86 
87**Ranked by effectiveness:**
881. In-product sharing (highest conversion)
892. Personalized link
903. Email invitation
914. Social sharing
925. Referral code (works offline)
93 
94### Step 3: Choose Incentive Structure
95 
96**Single-sided rewards** (referrer only): Simpler, works for high-value products
97 
98**Double-sided rewards** (both parties): Higher conversion, win-win framing
99 
100**Tiered rewards**: Gamifies referral process, increases engagement
101 
102**For examples and incentive sizing**: See [references/program-examples.md](references/program-examples.md)
103 
104---
105 
106## Program Optimization
107 
108### Improving Referral Rate
109 
110**If few customers are referring:**
111- Ask at better moments
112- Simplify sharing process
113- Test different incentive types
114- Make referral prominent in product
115 
116**If referrals aren't converting:**
117- Improve landing experience for referred users
118- Strengthen incentive for new users
119- Ensure referrer's endorsement is visible
120 
121### A/B Tests to Run
122 
123**Incentive tests:** Amount, type, single vs. double-sided, timing
124 
125**Messaging tests:** Program description, CTA copy, landing page copy
126 
127**Placement tests:** Where and when the referral prompt appears
128 
129### Common Problems & Fixes
130 
131| Problem | Fix |
132|---------|-----|
133| Low awareness | Add prominent in-app prompts |
134| Low share rate | Simplify to one click |
135| Low conversion | Optimize referred user experience |
136| Fraud/abuse | Add verification, limits |
137| One-time referrers | Add tiered/gamified rewards |
138 
139---
140 
141## Measuring Success
142 
143### Key Metrics
144 
145**Program health:**
146- Active referrers (referred someone in last 30 days)
147- Referral conversion rate
148- Rewards earned/paid
149 
150**Business impact:**
151- % of new customers from referrals
152- CAC via referral vs. other channels
153- LTV of referred customers
154- Referral program ROI
155 
156### Typical Findings
157 
158- Referred customers have 16-25% higher LTV
159- Referred customers have 18-37% lower churn
160- Referred customers refer others at 2-3x rate
161 
162---
163 
164## Launch Checklist
165 
166### Before Launch
167- [ ] Define program goals and success metrics
168- [ ] Design incentive structure
169- [ ] Build or configure referral tool
170- [ ] Create referral landing page
171- [ ] Set up tracking and attribution
172- [ ] Define fraud prevention rules
173- [ ] Create terms and conditions
174- [ ] Test complete referral flow
175 
176### Launch
177- [ ] Announce to existing customers
178- [ ] Add in-app referral prompts
179- [ ] Update website with program details
180- [ ] Brief support team
181 
182### Post-Launch (First 30 Days)
183- [ ] Review conversion funnel
184- [ ] Identify top referrers
185- [ ] Gather feedback
186- [ ] Fix friction points
187- [ ] Send reminder emails to non-referrers
188 
189---
190 
191## Email Sequences
192 
193### Referral Program Launch
194 
195```
196Subject: You can now earn [reward] for sharing [Product]
197 
198We just launched our referral program!
199 
200Share [Product] with friends and earn [reward] for each signup.
201They get [their reward] too.
202 
203[Unique referral link]
204 
2051. Share your link
2062. Friend signs up
2073. You both get [reward]
208```
209 
210### Referral Nurture Sequence
211 
212- Day 7: Remind about referral program
213- Day 30: "Know anyone who'd benefit?"
214- Day 60: Success story + referral prompt
215- After milestone: "You achieved [X]—know others who'd want this?"
216 
217---
218 
219## Affiliate Programs
220 
221**For detailed affiliate program design, commission structures, recruitment, and tools**: See [references/affiliate-programs.md](references/affiliate-programs.md)
222 
223---
224 
225## Task-Specific Questions
226 
2271. What type of program (referral, affiliate, or both)?
2282. What's your customer LTV and current CAC?
2293. Existing program or starting from scratch?
2304. What tools/platforms are you considering?
2315. What's your budget for rewards/commissions?
2326. Is your product naturally shareable?
233 
234---
235 
236## Tool Integrations
237 
238For implementation, see the [tools registry](../../tools/REGISTRY.md). Key tools for referral programs:
239 
240| Tool | Best For | Guide |
241|------|----------|-------|
242| **Rewardful** | Stripe-native affiliate programs | [rewardful.md](../../tools/integrations/rewardful.md) |
243| **Tolt** | SaaS affiliate programs | [tolt.md](../../tools/integrations/tolt.md) |
244| **Mention Me** | Enterprise referral programs | [mention-me.md](../../tools/integrations/mention-me.md) |
245| **Dub.co** | Link tracking and attribution | [dub-co.md](../../tools/integrations/dub-co.md) |
246| **Stripe** | Payment processing (for commission tracking) | [stripe.md](../../tools/integrations/stripe.md) |
247| **Introw** | Channel partner programs with tiers, deal registration, QBRs | [introw.md](../../tools/integrations/introw.md) |
248| **PartnerStack** | Enterprise partner and affiliate programs | [partnerstack.md](../../tools/integrations/partnerstack.md) |
249 
250---
251 
252## Related Skills
253 
254- **launch-strategy**: For launching referral program effectively
255- **email-sequence**: For referral nurture campaigns
256- **marketing-psychology**: For understanding referral motivation
257- **analytics-tracking**: For tracking referral attribution
258