Referral loops that do not look like discount wars
In short
Cash incentives work but are expensive and attract the wrong referrals. Access, status and real product utility hold up better. More important than the incentive is the occasion: the moment when recommending feels natural.
Incentive types
- Access: earlier, exclusive, limited
- Status: visible recognition
- Utility: more function, more volume
- Mutual benefit: both sides gain
Designing the occasion
- Identify the moment of high satisfaction
- Offer sharing there, not in a menu
- Remove friction: one click, one link
- Make the outcome visible
Related service
Growth hacking for brands
Growth hacking is a process, not a trick: measure the funnel, prioritise hypotheses, run clean experiments, document results, scale winners. ViralBP builds that loop including tracking, so growth becomes repeatable instead of accidental.
FAQ
How large should the incentive be?
Large enough to get attention, small enough to make abuse unattractive. In kind is often cheaper than in cash.
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