We've been commissioned by a local design agency, Fruition Design for a few new projects.! We love working with Mark, Andy, Andrew and the rest of the team - they've got a fantastic energy and so much creativity. It makes our job of promoting what they do really simple.
This blog series explores the first of three new projects that we're working on alongside the Fruition Design team. Today we are looking at their new client referral programme - how it fits with their digital marketing strategy, why it's good for their business, and what makes the campaign successful.
What is a referral programme (and why do I need one?)
A referral programme is a great way to win new business; it's a simple reward system, for example you can offer existing clients free merchandise or services if they refer your company to their friends and colleagues. Fruition Design offers a £500 credit for every new client that comes through an introduction from one of its existing customers.
This gives existing customers a great incentive to continue using Fruition (because of the credit note), and it means that Fruition will grow their business through introductions to these new customers.
Tips on how to make the most of your referral programme
Here are a few of our favourite tips for making the most of your own referral programme:
Make it personal. Don't just rely on your existing customers to spread the word about your business to new customers by themselves; you can incentivise them by offering a credit note. This gives your existing customers something specific for referring new leads. We track the referrals using a custom email address; referral@fruition-design.co.uk. This way, we can track when customers make introductions and who they have referred.
Don't stop at one. After your first referral programme has been successful, why not add another? You can offer different incentives on different channels - for example you can offer an additional £100 credit if your referral refers 3 new clients from Twitter, Facebook or another channel.
Let other people know. Let everyone else know about how good the referrals are going. Let your existing customers know how well it is going, and let them share their stories of success - this will encourage others to get involved in the programme too.
Select rewards that are appropriate for your business. Not everyone can offer an incentive for £500 so you have to find what works for your business. Discounts, gift cards and free extras are nice ways to reward referrals.
How we created the Fruition Design referral programme
We launched the referral programme with their current database of customers. The email is concise, with a cooperative, collaborative approach. The scheme is targeted to recent clients and includes an click-through offer with a clear call to action. In addition to asking customers to share with their friends, we are targeting current customers and local businesses through a social media campaign using paid LinkedIn advertising.
How the Fruition Design referral programme works
We set up a bespoke email account for all participants to keep track and targeted advertising links direct users on a landing page with information about the referral programme. Each participant receives a thank-you onboarding email with details of how to redeem the offer.
And it's generous! Anyone referring a client receives a £500 credit to use for new or existing commissions, or they can opt to nominate a charity be included in Fruition's charity cycle cycling event.
Why it works for Fruition Design
The referral programme is a really low-effort outreach, that provides a nice customer touchpoint and a warm introduction to potential new clients. It's a natural, organic word of mouth programme given a big boost using email marketing and a welcoming landing page - making for a nice first impression.
You can get involved
If you know anyone that's interested in commissioning a commercial refurbishment project, graphic design, website design, design and build, or design consultancy - email referral@fruition-design.co.uk to claim your £500 credit!
Coming up next: New lead magnet campaign
The next blog in our series talks through the new Fruition Design lead magnet: The Fruition Project Design Calculator. We explore what it is, why it's been developed, and the digital marketing channels we are using to promote it.
For more information on how we can help you with your customer referral email campaign, get in touch.
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