People are more likely to become customers of a business if it’s recommended by someone they trust. That’s why referrals are so powerful for businesses. Referrals not only gain your business new customers but drive engagement from existing customers as well. This article will cover referral text examples, tips, and why texting is a great channel for sending referral messages.
Jump right to:
- What is a referral text message?
- Why SMS is a top channel for referral requests
- 15 effective referral text message examples
- Best practices for effective referral texts
<h2 id="What">What is a referral text message?</h2>
Referral text messaging is a lead generation strategy where a business encourages its existing customers to suggest their brand to friends, family, colleagues, or network via SMS. These texts usually include incentives to drive referrals which can help businesses deepen relationships with existing customers and gain new customers. With successful referral texts, your business is sure to see sales growth.
<h2 id="Why">Why SMS is a top channel for referral messages</h2>
The advantages of SMS make it a no-brainer for successful referrals. Here are the top benefits of sending referral requests via SMS.
- Instant delivery. SMS messages are sent and received immediately and most messages are read within 3 minutes. You can ensure that customers read and receive your referral texts in a timely manner.
- High open rate. Text messages have a 98 percent open rate. This means you can guarantee that the vast majority of your customers will see your referral request.
- Convenient channel. SMS is a very convenient communication channel as it doesn’t require any training or additional set up. Texting is built into mobile phones so customers don’t have to download any new apps to receive referral messages from your business.
- Easy to scale. With SMS platforms, it’s easy to send one message to many people at the same time. Whether you want to reach 10 people or 100, SMS allows you to do so easily.
- Wide reach. Most people have phones and can receive SMS messages. Research also shows that customers prefer to receive texts from brands over other forms of communication.
- Improved engagement. SMS messages are direct and personal, making customers more likely to interact with your referral texts.
- Cost-effective. SMS is more affordable than other communication channels. You can request referrals from lots of customers without having to break the bank.
<h2 id="Examples">15 effective referral text message examples</h2>
Now that you know the powerful benefits of referral SMS, here are five different kinds of referral messages with templates for your business to take advantage of.
Post-purchase referral message
Post-purchase referral messages work especially well for ecommerce businesses because of their timing. Sending a referral request when a customer is newly excited about their purchase makes customers more likely to want to recommend your business to others. Here are some effective post-purchase referral messages to send to customers.
Enjoying your purchase, [name]? Share our brand with a friend and you’ll both get a [X%] off coupon. Learn more: [link]
Hey, [name]! Loving your new [product]? Your friends will love it too! Refer them to [company] and get [X%] off your next purchase: [link]
Making new purchases is exciting. And so is getting a special discount! Refer a friend or family member and get a [X%] off coupon: [link]
Referral requests for loyal customers
Requesting referrals from loyal customers is a great strategy because you can rely on long-time customers to speak highly of your business to others. For your super loyal customers, be sure to thank them for their commitment to your brand and ask if they know of any other businesses who could benefit from your products or services. Here are some great referral requests to share with your loyal customers.
Hi, [name]. Thank you for being a loyal customer! If you know anyone who would benefit from our services, refer them here and get a discount on your next bill: [link]
Hey, [name]! We value your support and want to reward your loyalty. Refer anyone you think would love our business and get a [$X] reward: [link]
Hey, [name]! As a star customer, we trust your judgement. Do you know anyone who would like our services? Refer them here and get [X] extra points: [link]
Referral program promotion
Referral programs are a great way to gain customer referrals without your customers having to send multiple messages. Like Textline’s Affiliate Partnership Program, for example, these programs usually involve giving a customer a referral link to share on their website and other online platforms. Links are showcased for longer periods of time, giving your business more chances to gain new customers through the referral.
Your existing customers will likely be interested in this type of program because they can earn a commission without having to do any extra work. Here are some templates to promote your referral program.
Hey, [name]! Want an easy way to earn money? Apply for our referral program today and see if you qualify to earn money through referrals: [link]
Hi, [name]! We’ve got a new money-making opportunity for you! Check out our new referral program to see how you can start earning: [link]
[Name], we want to partner with you! Apply to our referral program and see if you’re eligible to earn a commission for referrals: [link]
Limited-time discount incentive
Offering incentives is a great strategy for improving customer engagement and especially referrals. Incentives drive customer action and when they are only available for a limited time period, it persuades customers to act quickly. Take advantage of these effective templates when you want to promote a referral deal for a limited time.
Hey, [name]! Refer a friend to [company] this month and get [X%] off your [month] subscription: [link]
TODAY ONLY. Refer a friend with this link and get a [$X] reward: [link]
Our Share and Save deal is here! From now until [date], refer a friend or family member and get a [X%] off coupon: [link]
Creative referral messages
To gain more referrals from customers, add creative touches to your messages to make them more enticing. Spice up your referral messages by including enticing visuals, implementing an engaging hook, using humorous language, or attaching fun emojis. Here are some creative referral templates to get the ball rolling.
Hey, [name]! Your recommendations are so valuable that you should be rewarded. That’s why we’re giving you a [X%] off coupon when you refer a friend: [link]
🤝 Hey, [name]! Let’s make a deal! Refer a friend or family member today and we’ll give you [$X]: [link]
🙏 Help your friend and help yourself! [Name], refer a friend today and you’ll both get a $X reward: [link]
<h2 id="Best">Best practices for effective referral texts</h2>
You’ve got some great referral text examples to get you started, and now we’re sharing tips to help your referral SMS be as successful as possible. Here are the best practices to keep in mind when sending referral texts.
- Offer an enticing incentive. Reward your customers for their referrals and encourage them to take action with captivating incentives like special discounts and monetary rewards.
- Create a sense of urgency. Use limited-time offers and time-sensitive language in your referral request to encourage customers to refer people quickly.
- Keep it clear and concise. To make it easier for customers to refer new potential customers, keep your referral requests simple and to the point. Text messages are also built for the exchange of short messages.
- Personalize your messages. Make sure you’re personalizing and tailoring your referral messages to customers. When messages are more relevant to customers, it increases the likelihood that they’ll make a referral.
- Make it easy to provide referrals. Include a clear and direct path for customers to share referrals such as a link or a form.
- Follow up. Check back in with your customers to see how the referral process is going and be sure to remind them of the rewards they can receive.
- Ensure you have SMS opt-ins. You can’t message customers if you don’t have their permission. Make sure your customers are SMS subscribers before requesting referrals from them.
- A/B test. It’s always a good idea to test and try out different text messages. Test different versions of referral texts to evaluate which method performs better and gains the best results.
Make text referrals a breeze with Textline
Referral SMS gives businesses the power to engage customers and drive sales growth. Feeling inspired to send referral texts? Textline is here to help! With robust features like mass texting, multimedia attachments, and metrics, sending and tracking the success of your referral texts is simple and easy.
Ready to watch your referrals and sales skyrocket? Book a demo or sign up for your free trial of Textline today.
