Tips to Boost Your Customer Referrals

Do you want more referrals? Have you asked your social media connections for help? Asking satisfied customers to share your message and provide social proof is an easy way to increase your social media referrals. In this article you'll discover five tips for getting more customer referrals on social media.


Identify the Right Social Networks

Targeting is important in every area of marketing. Every company has a different target audience so it makes sense to adapt your tactics and target your specific prospects on the social platform they visit most. Not every social network's audience is the same research which platform works best for your business. For example, while Facebook works great for attracting individual consumers, LinkedIn is often better for B2B products or services.

Test a few social platforms to see which one is most successful for you. Come up with a plan that encompasses all of your various audiences and segments, and then create different invite/referral programs for each. When you find what works, ask customers to share on that channel.

Ask for Social Report

According to Nielsen's Trust in Advertising Report, 84% of consumers say their friends and family are their trusted resources.  Any referrals coming from a trusted resource are persuasive because it's social proof that your friend believes something is worth noting. That influence doesn't change online. Active social media users are already sharing on a regular basis, and their friends, family, colleagues and followers see those shares and take them into consideration.

Offer Incentives

Everyone loves a good promotion and there are so many ways to offer them. For example, you can offer a discount on the next purchase or give a free gift with purchase.

The cost of offering an incentive is minimal if it means gaining a new customer. If you deliver customer satisfaction, you end up with more happy customers who may also share their experience with their social network and refer even more customers to you.

Customize Your Message

When you ask your customers to share, make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Have a pre-made message ready to go so they don't have to spend time coming up with their own.