Referral Marketing Schemes

Referral Marketing is basically trusted source recommendations. For example - if you wanted to buy a washing powder you ask your mum, or if you were looking to buy a new car you ask your friends and family. Surely they will be more honest than TV adverts, online sources or the used car sales person? Referall Marketing is the process of paying one person to recommend your products or services to their friends, family, contacts etc. OK - so warning bells are now probably rining... MLM, Pyramid Selling etc etc. Well in one sense MLM (Multi Level Marketing) and selling to your friends is a form of Referral marketg, however, it is not that kind we are interested in.

 

There are two forms of Referral Marketing which work particularly well online:

These two forms of Referral Marketing work in different ways and draw parralels with PPC Advertising versus Search Engine Optimisation. Both are important to understand and impliment into an overarching online marketing strategy.

 

The most obvious benefit is that traffic directed to your site via a referral is credible right from the start - in essence they are warm leads with a confirmed interest and a higher level of trust than a standard stumbler. Trust is transfered from the referer to your site which drastically increases the conversion rates.

 

In general people who are referred to a buisiness or service will spend more time or more money with the referred business. Research has shown that referrals are much more likely to transfer genuine, highly qualified visitors and not just tire kickers and window shoppers.

 

Referrals schemes are highly cost effective and the pricing model can be set by the referred business. Costs per action (and the action definition) can be negotiated with each individual referrer to generate the best model for both parties. Actions can defined as a click-through, a specific call to action completion or even a confirmed sale and kick back costs assigned as necessary.

 

Well this is the golden question - with, unfortunately, far too many answers to go through here. But as a basic guide Serious recommend using a variety of techniques to establish your natural referers - for example using visitor and traffic analysis, Google AdSense analysis and other forms of online advertising to establish a profile of websites who already recommend or link to your services. With a profile established a separate marketing campaign can be devised to sell directly to potential referrers.

 

Your website itself can present offers to potential resellers/referrers in order to gain more referrals. These should be tracked and rotated every so often to establich the most successfull presentation medium.

 

The best way to get referrals, however, is to provide something on your site which people actually want to tell others about. This is essentially link baiting but moreover it should always form the basis of your whole online strategy. Your website should only offer products, services and information which people are actually interested in - otherwise you are wasting your time and filling the internet with yet more rubbish.

 

As well as the standard referral marketing schemes, Serious Ideas expand on conventional Referral Marketing with the introduction of our Brand Matching affinity marketing programmes. For more on our revolutionary Brand Matching schemes contact us on 01932 835850. Other referral marketing services offered are:

• Brand matching research
• Affiliate scheme strategies
• Referral scheme strategies and delivery
• Visitor and traffic analysis

Let us help you find Seriously good partnerships

 

Email: referral-marketing@seriousideas.com
Phone: (+44) 01932 835850

 

Use Yahoo Site Explorer to analyse your backlinks and work out who is already linking to your website - start your new referral scheme with these people as they are already coverted leads.

 

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