Mk Referral Program

---
name: mk-referral-program
description: "Design, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth growth loop. EN triggers: 'referral', 'affiliate', 'ambassador', 'word of mouth', 'viral loop', 'refer a friend', 'partner program', 'referral incentive', 'how to get referrals', 'customers referring customers', 'affiliate payout', 'referral rewards'. FR triggers: 'programme de parrainage', 'parrainage', 'affiliation', 'programme d'affiliation', 'ambassadeur', 'bouche-a-oreille', 'boucle virale', 'inviter un ami', 'recommandation client', 'recompense parrainage', 'commission affilie'. Use whenever someone wants existing users or partners to bring in new customers. For launch-specific virality, see launch-strategy."
metadata:
  version: 1.2.0
---

# Referral & Affiliate Programs

You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines.

## Single-voice craft (do NOT parallelize)

This skill delivers ONE referral/affiliate program design in a single coherent strategist voice. Do NOT fan this out to parallel sub-agents or audit lenses — a referral program is one connected system (trigger -> share -> convert -> reward -> loop); splitting it across voices breaks the economic logic that ties the incentive, the LTV, and the loop velocity together. Think in one continuous thread, end to end.

**Craft upgrades:**
- **Make the unit economics the spine.** Before designing any incentive, anchor it to the math: a reward is only sane if `reward_cost < (referral_CAC_savings + LTV_uplift)`. State the implied payback per referred customer so the program can't quietly run at a loss.
- **Design the loop's viral coefficient, not just the offer.** Estimate `K = invites_sent x conversion_rate` and name the single weakest multiplier (usually share rate or referred-user activation), then concentrate the design there instead of spreading effort evenly.
- **Write the referred-user's first 60 seconds, not just the referrer's reward.** Most programs over-invest in the referrer and under-invest in the landing/onboarding the referred friend hits — specify that arrival experience explicitly, with the referrer's endorsement carried through.

## Output contract

Produce a single **Referral/Affiliate Program Spec** containing: (1) program type + rationale, (2) the referral loop with named trigger moment(s) and share mechanism, (3) incentive structure with the unit-economics check above, (4) referred-user arrival experience, (5) tracking/attribution + fraud rules, (6) success metrics with targets, (7) launch checklist. If the user gave a tool/platform, map the spec to it; otherwise recommend one from Tool Integrations with a one-line reason.

## Verify before delivering

- Reward economics check out: every reward is below the combined CAC-savings + LTV-uplift it generates (no loss-making incentive).
- Every benchmark or "typical finding" is labeled as an industry range, never presented as a measured result for THIS product.
- The referral loop has no dead end: each stage (trigger, share, convert, reward) names what triggers the next.
- Fraud/abuse rules exist for any program paying real money.

## Evidence guardrail (no hallucination)

Do NOT invent the user's referral rate, LTV, CAC, or conversion numbers. If a number isn't provided, either ask or label it clearly as an assumption/industry benchmark. The "Typical Findings" and "% lift" figures below are published industry ranges — present them as such, never as this product's actual results.

## Portability note

Paths like `.agents/product-marketing-context.md`, `references/*`, and `../../tools/REGISTRY.md` are resolved relative to this skill's marketing-skills bundle. If a referenced file is absent in the current install, proceed with the inline guidance here and ask the user for the missing context instead of failing.

## Before Starting

**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

### 1. Program Type
- Customer referral program, affiliate program, or both?
- B2B or B2C?
- What's the average customer LTV?
- What's your current CAC from other channels?

### 2. Current State
- Existing referral/affiliate program?
- Current referral rate (% who refer)?
- What incentives have you tried?

### 3. Product Fit
- Is your product shareable?
- Does it have network effects?
- Do customers naturally talk about it?

### 4. Resources
- Tools/platforms you use or consider?
- Budget for referral incentives?

---

## Referral vs. Affiliate

### Customer Referral Programs

**Best for:**
- Existing customers recommending to their network
- Products with natural word-of-mouth
- Lower-ticket or self-serve products

**Characteristics:**
- Referrer is an existing customer
- One-time or limited rewards
- Higher trust, lower volume

### Affiliate Programs

**Best for:**
- Reaching audiences you don't have access to
- Content creators, influencers, bloggers
- Higher-ticket products that justify commissions

**Characteristics:**
- Affiliates may not be customers
- Ongoing commission relationship
- Higher volume, variable trust

---

## Referral Program Design

### The Referral Loop

```
Trigger Moment → Share Action → Convert Referred → Reward → (Loop)
```

### Step 1: Identify Trigger Moments

**High-intent moments:**
- Right after first "aha" moment
- After achieving a milestone
- After exceptional support
- After renewing or upgrading

### Step 2: Design Share Mechanism

**Ranked by effectiveness:**
1. In-product sharing (highest conversion)
2. Personalized link
3. Email invitation
4. Social sharing
5. Referral code (works offline)

### Step 3: Choose Incentive Structure

**Single-sided rewards** (referrer only): Simpler, works for high-value products

**Double-sided rewards** (both parties): Higher conversion, win-win framing

**Tiered rewards**: Gamifies referral process, increases engagement

**For examples and incentive sizing**: See [references/program-examples.md](references/program-examples.md)

---

## Program Optimization

### Improving Referral Rate

**If few customers are referring:**
- Ask at better moments
- Simplify sharing process
- Test different incentive types
- Make referral prominent in product

**If referrals aren't converting:**
- Improve landing experience for referred users
- Strengthen incentive for new users
- Ensure referrer's endorsement is visible

### A/B Tests to Run

**Incentive tests:** Amount, type, single vs. double-sided, timing

**Messaging tests:** Program description, CTA copy, landing page copy

**Placement tests:** Where and when the referral prompt appears

### Common Problems & Fixes

| Problem | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Low awareness | Add prominent in-app prompts |
| Low share rate | Simplify to one click |
| Low conversion | Optimize referred user experience |
| Fraud/abuse | Add verification, limits |
| One-time referrers | Add tiered/gamified rewards |

---

## Measuring Success

### Key Metrics

**Program health:**
- Active referrers (referred someone in last 30 days)
- Referral conversion rate
- Rewards earned/paid

**Business impact:**
- % of new customers from referrals
- CAC via referral vs. other channels
- LTV of referred customers
- Referral program ROI

### Typical Findings

- Referred customers have 16-25% higher LTV
- Referred customers have 18-37% lower churn
- Referred customers refer others at 2-3x rate

---

## Launch Checklist

### Before Launch
- [ ] Define program goals and success metrics
- [ ] Design incentive structure
- [ ] Build or configure referral tool
- [ ] Create referral landing page
- [ ] Set up tracking and attribution
- [ ] Define fraud prevention rules
- [ ] Create terms and conditions
- [ ] Test complete referral flow

### Launch
- [ ] Announce to existing customers
- [ ] Add in-app referral prompts
- [ ] Update website with program details
- [ ] Brief support team

### Post-Launch (First 30 Days)
- [ ] Review conversion funnel
- [ ] Identify top referrers
- [ ] Gather feedback
- [ ] Fix friction points
- [ ] Send reminder emails to non-referrers

---

## Email Sequences

### Referral Program Launch

```
Subject: You can now earn [reward] for sharing [Product]

We just launched our referral program!

Share [Product] with friends and earn [reward] for each signup.
They get [their reward] too.

[Unique referral link]

1. Share your link
2. Friend signs up
3. You both get [reward]
```

### Referral Nurture Sequence

- Day 7: Remind about referral program
- Day 30: "Know anyone who'd benefit?"
- Day 60: Success story + referral prompt
- After milestone: "You achieved [X]—know others who'd want this?"

---

## Affiliate Programs

**For detailed affiliate program design, commission structures, recruitment, and tools**: See [references/affiliate-programs.md](references/affiliate-programs.md)

---

## Task-Specific Questions

1. What type of program (referral, affiliate, or both)?
2. What's your customer LTV and current CAC?
3. Existing program or starting from scratch?
4. What tools/platforms are you considering?
5. What's your budget for rewards/commissions?
6. Is your product naturally shareable?

---

## Tool Integrations

For implementation, see the [tools registry](../../tools/REGISTRY.md). Key tools for referral programs:

| Tool | Best For | Guide |
|------|----------|-------|
| **Rewardful** | Stripe-native affiliate programs | [rewardful.md](../../tools/integrations/rewardful.md) |
| **Tolt** | SaaS affiliate programs | [tolt.md](../../tools/integrations/tolt.md) |
| **Mention Me** | Enterprise referral programs | [mention-me.md](../../tools/integrations/mention-me.md) |
| **Dub.co** | Link tracking and attribution | [dub-co.md](../../tools/integrations/dub-co.md) |
| **Stripe** | Payment processing (for commission tracking) | [stripe.md](../../tools/integrations/stripe.md) |

---

## Related Skills

- **launch-strategy**: For launching referral program effectively
- **email-sequence**: For referral nurture campaigns
- **marketing-psychology**: For understanding referral motivation
- **analytics-tracking**: For tracking referral attribution