For marketers that are running manual business referral programs, more often than not, it can feel like you’re on a hamster wheel. Your goal is to drive new business by bringing in more referrals from existing customers. But to bring in more referrals, you need more time, resources, and money to incentivize your customer base as well as track, pay, and manage your referral program members. But to get that investment from the suits upstairs, you need to show an uptick in new business. Which ...

Effective referral programs are more influential than you may think. In fact, 82% of Americans seek recommendations from friends and family when considering a purchase. Additionally, 67% say they’re at least a little more likely to purchase a product after a friend or family member shared it via social media or email - for example, through a referral program.

I’m proud to announce that today, Inc. Magazine has ranked Ambassador Software no. 1144 in their 37th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. 

Most savvy marketers today are driven by data. And the numbers don’t lie: eCommerce referral programs work. Having a referral program can help your brand keep up in an industry where word-of-mouth travels far and wide.

While not all effective referral programs yield the same results, there are some steps you can take to set your brand’s referral program up for success. Long story short, your goal is to help your brand ambassadors help you.

Gaining new customers for your business can be an expensive challenge, but with these customer referral program ideas it doesn't have to be! Before we jump in, let's back up and talk about the benefits of referral marketing.