Turning Referrals into Results

Selling is hard work. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to do it ourselves and just get other people to sell for us. That’s the big idea behind referral marketing which has been around about as long as marketing itself. Who better to sell FOR you than people you have already sold TO?

Online, these customers represent massive potential to grow businesses. They each possess something truly valuable – a distinct address book of names and contact details that could multiply leads and sales exponentially. It’s something that every CloudSponge customer recognizes…the power of referrals. But once you’ve harnessed that horse, how do you hook up the wagon and put it to work? Here are some referral marketing tips that could help turn your program into results.

1. Nurture the relationship

Those hard-won referrals of yours are more than just clicks or screen pixels. At the end of each connection is a real person and that person needs to know that you value the relationship. Whether it’s through rewards, incentives, customized offers or even simple thanks, you should be tending to your referrals like they were your own children.

2. Keep it in perspective

Sure, your goal is to grow beyond anyone’s wildest dreams but at the outset it’s important to place quality ahead of quantity. Rather than trying to scatter-gun your potential referrals with a massive effort, start small by focusing on your best prospects, your qualified leads and your proven responders. Then monitor them closely to make sure the focus is always on success.

3. Measure, iterate, repeat

Pearson’s Law, “that which is measured improves,” only applies to you if you’re prepared to act on what you learn. Having an armload of data is only useful if you make tweaks on a regular basis. Do A/B testing on everything and iterate quickly toward whatever works best.