You might have often wondered, “what’s the best way to find new customers?”
While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that, referral programs generally work for businesses of all types and sizes.
The good thing?
There are several referral marketing software up for grabs on the internet today.
A successful referral program can help you acquire high-value leads at a low cost, improve customer acquisition and retention, and crush your revenue targets.
Sounds too good to be true?
Well, recent data shows that referral marketing remains a top strategy, with 78% of marketers agreeing that it produces the best leads and 49% of shoppers learning about brands through referrals.
How, you may ask?
A kickass customer referral program.
So, in this article, I’ll take you through 12 of the best referral marketing software for your business. I have included as much product information as possible, and I’m positive that this will help you choose the referral marketing software that you need.
Ready to get started?
Here’s the criteria we used to evaluate and choose the best referral marketing software:
Word of mouth marketing presents businesses with the unique opportunity to grow their revenue, along with bagging a shortcut to earn customer trust.
According to recent data, 83% of customers are inclined to refer to a product or service after a positive experience.
That’s a huge number!
It also goes on to explain why referral marketing programs are all the rage right now.
Now, kickstarting a referral program can be a lengthy process.
But what if you could outsource all that work?
A referral marketing software solution will help you do just that. Simply input the details of your program into the right referral marketing software, and start winning new customers!
Now, let’s go over some of the best referral marketing software out there.
While we can’t give you a complete rundown of each referral marketing software, we’ll touch upon the most important aspects—enough to help you make a decision.
Image via PartnerStack
PartnerStack is a versatile referral marketing software that helps businesses grow by effectively managing affiliate, reseller, and referral programs. It's suitable for businesses of all sizes, offering tools to streamline partner management, boost program efficiency, and improve customer acquisition.
PartnerStack's automation and analytics features make it easier to manage and optimize your referral programs. The platform is designed to help you engage and reward partners effectively, ensuring a smooth experience.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: PartnerStack makes co-marketing super easy by providing co-brandable PDF templates for you and your partners
Image via Referral Factory
Referral Factory is one of the best referral marketing software for small to medium-sized businesses.
Widely touted for its spectacular referral program templates, this referral marketing software embraces a simplistic approach to building referral solutions without the need for technical knowledge.
As the leading referral marketing software for businesses of all sizes, Referral Factory makes it easy to create and track referral programs, identify your best advocates, and measure the results of your referral marketing campaigns.
The best part is that the referral marketing software is flexible and easy to use even for those with no coding or technical expertise.
Take a look at what else makes Referral Factory one of the best referral marketing software.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Like many of the best referral marketing software, Referral Factory comes with a 15-day free trial with no need for a credit card. Check out its paid plans:
Image via Referral Factory
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: Opt for a free trial, a free expert consultation, and a free demo to see how the tool works before investing any money into it.
Image via Talkable
If you are an eCommerce brand looking to improve your sales conversion rate, Talkable is the referral marketing software you need. This tool guarantees 1 in 10 customers to become a brand ambassador, with 52x ROI for enterprise customers.
So how does it help you achieve that?
Talkable's software is easy to use and offers a variety of features, making it the perfect solution for businesses of all sizes. With Talkable, you can create referral codes, customize your referral widget, and track referrals and results in real-time.
Let’s see what else it has to qualify as one of the best referral marketing software.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Unlike most referral marketing software listed here, Talkable doesn’t come with a free trial. It offers four paid plans:
For further information on costs, you need to contact the vendor.
Image via Talkable
Tool Level
Usability
Case Study
Pro Tip: Hit up Talkable’s Client Success Team for some juicy best practice insights.
Image via ReferralCandy
For those just getting started with customer referral programs, ReferralCandy is Godsent. Although its features aren’t as advanced as other competing referral marketing software, it is trusted by over 30,000 online stores.
Why, you may ask?
Well, this referral marketing software solution allows you to create your own referral programs at an incredibly low cost.
And, as expected from the best referral marketing software, ReferralCandy allows you to automate your programs and create custom referral campaigns. Some of the impressive features of this referral marketing software include automatic email triggering, customizable email templates, and detailed reporting throughout the entire process.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Users can opt for a free trial for 30 days. The referral marketing software comes with two paid plans:
Image via ReferralCandy
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: New to referral marketing? At ReferralCandy, you’ll have a dedicated account manager to ensure you’ve got support at every step of the way.
Image via Ambassador
One of the best referral marketing software, Ambassador comes with a fully loaded suite of features.
So, what makes Ambassador a leader in this space?
The fact that it isn’t just a referral marketing software, but also helps maximize ROI on your affiliate marketing. program. In addition, it is also one of the most effective influencer marketing platforms.
You can rely on this referral marketing software to fast track advocate and campaign management, awards, email marketing and communication, as well as analytics and contact management.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Referral/Affiliate
Image via Ambassador
Referral/Affiliate + Loyalty
Image via Ambassador
Tool Level
Usability
Case Study
Pro Tip: Trust the Ambassador Developer Hub for comprehensive guides and documentation to get you acquainted with the tool immediately.
Image via Mention Me
Our list of the best referral marketing software wouldn’t be complete without talking about Mention Me. This referral software has delivered 4 million referrals valuing £1bn for fast-growing businesses globally.
How?
Thanks to its spectacular features and its unique pricing model. Keep reading to learn more…
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Users typically pay a certain fee for each new customer that comes through the referral program. In addition, there are one-time setup costs for launching the referral marketing program. However, you’ll have to contact the sales team for more information on pricing plans.
Image via Mention Me
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: Mention Me offers 16 sharing methods for its refer a friend program. Make sure you test all of these over time.
Image via Friendbuy
Friendbuy’s referral marketing software is the perfect way to increase customer loyalty and advocacy for your business. With Friendbuy, you can easily create and manage referral programs that will engage your customers and encourage them to spread the word about your business. And with powerful referral tracking and reporting features, you can see exactly how your referral programs are performing and make changes accordingly.
If you're looking for a way to take your customer loyalty to the next level, Friendbuy is one of the perfect referral marketing software to use.
Take a look at its features, pros, and cons before you make a decision to invest in referral software such as Friendbuy.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Image via Friendbuy
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: A/B test SMS copy, email subject lines, or offers to see which referral campaigns will yield the best results.
Image via Referral-AI
Referral-AI's software is designed to help businesses automate and optimize their referral marketing programs. The cutting-edge referral marketing software includes a range of features that allow businesses to track referrals, manage rewards, and generate new leads.
Apart from B2B sales intelligence, Referral-AI analyzes the collective relationship network in your organization to optimize referrals to top prospects. Using machine learning and AI, the referral marketing software scours the internet to map the best paths to an entity or individual.
Referral Management and bulk search tools let you easily manage referrals.
The best part? The users of this referral marketing software can take advantage of motivated referrals, such as their partners, colleagues, and investors, to connect to decision makers.These referrals are driven to assist you with a warm recommendation, making your job easier.
Let’s see what else it offers to qualify as one of the best referral marketing software.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Image via Referral AI
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: Create multiple lists of leads and save strong referral paths. Referral-AI will alert you if a path with a higher or similar score is found.
Image via InviteReferrals
InviteReferrals is a powerful referral marketing software that helps businesses increase sales and drive growth. With InviteReferrals, businesses can create referral programs that incentivize customers to refer friends and family.
Referral programs created with InviteReferrals can be customized to fit the needs of any business, and the software makes it easy to track referrals, payments, and conversions.
InviteReferrals also offers a number of features that make it easy for businesses to get the most out of their referral programs. With features like automated email drip campaigns, referral tracking, and customizable referral links, businesses can maximize the reach and impact of their referral programs.
If you're looking for a well-rounded referral software, InviteReferrals is a great option.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Image via InviteReferrals
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: Identify your top referrers and reward them when your campaign ends or for every referral, registration or site visit.
Image via ReferralMagic
ReferralMagic is a referral marketing software that helps SaaS companies track their referral programs and increase sales.
This referral software is a fully-integrated API that offers the most flexible and customizable referral tracking platform. The referral marketing software is designed for rapid integration and optimal referral program building. It comes with a quick and effortless install, along with ready-to-use widgets to optimize your experience.
You might want to increase sales, grow your user base, or boost brand awareness. Whichever your goal, ReferralMagic can be the right referral marketing software to help you achieve it with its easy-to-use and customizable features.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Image via ReferralMagic
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: Optimize your ReferralMagic experience by focusing on building strong relationships with referrers. Offer attractive rewards and incentives, and communicate transparently about program details.
Image via Genius Referrals
Looking for referral marketing software with all the features you need to run a successful referral program? One of the referral marketing software solutions you can try is Genius Referrals.
This referral software has everything you need to get started, including automated referral campaigns, easy link sharing on various platforms, insightful analytics and streamlined campaign management.
What’s more, you can set up your referral marketing program in minutes once you sign up for a free trial. You can select the tiers and restrictions and pick referral templates from the design center to design your custom referral campaigns.
Let’s see what other features the referral marketing software solution offers.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Image via Genius Referrals
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: Leverage the referral marketing software to share links, leads, referrals, image assets, and statistics with your referral partners and kickstart your B2B partner program.
Image via Referral Rock
Marketers who want a referral marketing software solution that doubles as a CRM tool will find Referral Rock an ideal tool.
The robust integrations with popular CRMs and marketing platforms is one of the strengths of this referral marketing software.
In addition, you can use Referral Rock, to create beautiful referral pages, track leads and conversions, and incentivize your customers and ambassadors with rewards.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Small Businesses & B2B Companies
Image via Referral Rock
E-Commerce & Consumer Apps
Image via Referral Rock
Enterprises & Franchises
Image via Referral Rock
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: Give your referrers pre-drafted messages and personalized advocate codes that are easy to share.
Image via SaaSquatch
If you are in the telecom, SaaS, consumer apps, or other tech-related field, you can rely on this referral marketing software by SaaSquatch.
Created for tech businesses, SaaSquatch offers a wide range of tools you can use to easily create custom referral campaigns. Apart from creating and tracking referral programs, you can incentivize customers and employees to refer your business.
This referral marketing software has an easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder and a library of templates you can use to craft a branded user experience.
Wait, there’s more. Detailed tracking and integration with popular CRM and marketing platforms such as Salesforce and Zapier are the other USPs of this referral marketing software solution.
In short, if you're looking for a referral marketing solution that can help your SaaS/tech business grow, SaaSquatch is a great option.
Take a closer look at its features to confirm that it is one of the best referral marketing software for your business.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Price
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: Leverage SaaSquatch’s loyalty program to reward customers for special events such as birthdays and renewals.
Image via Extole
Extole is a robust referral marketing software for large enterprises. The platform has an easy-to-use interface that allows brands to create seamless referral programs and generate more ecommerce sales while boosting customer engagement.
The referral marketing software offers refer-a-friend, ambassador, nominate-a-friend, influencers, and friends & family programs to simplify customer acquisition for brands.
Besides their robust referral platform, Extole makes it easy for users to target with precision and build trust with their target audience.
Focused on helping brands turn existing customers into brand advocates, Extole offers personalized experiences that combine in-app and online programs with rich targeting.
It also offers a wide range of rewards to encourage users to take action.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
A bit expensive for small businesses
Pricing
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: As a ready-to-use platform, Extole has dedicated account managers to help brands design, launch, and maintain their referral programs to increase conversions
Image via GrowSurf
The final addition to this list of best referral marketing software is GrowSurf. This is a powerful referral platform that allows you to create fully automated referral programs and drive recurring revenue with ease.
GrowSurf is particularly designed to provide referral marketing solutions for SaaS, B2C, and FinTech marketers. It offers intuitive builders, which you can use to create a fully white-labeled referral program that matches your branding.
Let’s look at some of its key features.
Pros
Cons
Pricing
Image via GrowSurf
Tool Level
Usability
Pro Tip: You can connect GrowSurf with payment systems like Stripe so referrals can be automatically recognized when payments come in
Q1. What is referral marketing?
A. Referral marketing is a tactic that relies on word of mouth and recommendations. In simple words, referral marketing involves a person recommending a product (or service), and the referee making a purchase based on that recommendation.
Q2. What are the best referral marketing software?
A. Some of the best referral program software are:
Q3. How do I set up a referral for marketing?
A. Referral marketing is a powerful tactic to win new customers and grow your business. Here are some steps you can follow to set up a referral for marketing:
Q4. What are the top 3 referral marketing software?
A. The top 3 referral marketing software are:
Q5. What type of marketing is referral?
A. Referral marketing is a type of word-of-mouth marketing. It’s a tactic that focuses on incentivizing existing customers to introduce a business to their friends, family, and contacts.
Q6. How do you automate referrals?
A. Automation can help you scale your customer referral programs seamlessly. While there are several ways to do this, the easiest and most effective one is to invest in a referral marketing platform of your choice.
Q7. How do you market a referral program?
A. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for marketing your referral program. However, here are some ideas you can consider:
Q8. Are there any free referral marketing software?
A. There are several free referral marketing software you can choose from. However, they might not be as effective as paid ones. Paid referral tools not only come with better features but will also ensure that your data is secure.
What’s more, the new customers you acquire through these software will compensate for the costs.
Q9. What are the benefits of referral marketing software?
A. Referral marketing software can help you set up and launch a referral program in just a few hours. They can track each referrer’s performance and payments. What’s more, they also act as lead generation software to help you generate quality leads for your business in a way that’s both easy and cost-effective.
Q10. Which is the best referral software for small business?
A. Some of the affordable referral software designed for small businesses and startups include:
Referral marketing is an extremely powerful tactic for businesses to grow.
Still wondering why?
Long story short: it’s a win-win situation for all—the referrer, the referee, and of course, the business itself.
So, the sooner you start building your own referral campaigns, the better.
To ease the process, invest in a referral marketing software of your choice.
Lay down your needs and budget, and compare the best available referral marketing software using this listicle.
Think we’ve missed any specific referral marketing software platforms in this article? Tell us in the comments below!
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