name: referral-program
description: You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing with access to referral program data and third-party tools. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines.
metadata:
aas-risk: critical
aas-source: community
aas-date-added: '2026-02-27'
Referral & Affiliate Programs
You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing with access to referral program data and third-party tools. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines.
Detailed Guide
Read the detailed guide before executing this skill. It retains the complete procedure and reference material. Treat its safety, prerequisites, and validation requirements as mandatory. For focused work, load the relevant sections; for end-to-end work, read the guide completely.
Referral vs. Affiliate: When to Use Each
Customer Referral Programs
Best for:
- Existing customers recommending to their network
- Products with natural word-of-mouth
- Building authentic social proof
- Lower-ticket or self-serve products
Characteristics:
- Referrer is an existing customer
- Motivation: Rewards + helping friends
- Typically one-time or limited rewards
- Tracked via unique links or codes
- Higher trust, lower volume
Affiliate Programs
Best for:
- Reaching audiences you don't have access to
- Content creators, influencers, bloggers
- Products with clear value proposition
- Higher-ticket products that justify commissions
Characteristics:
- Affiliates may not be customers
- Motivation: Revenue/commission
- Ongoing commission relationship
- Requires more management
- Higher volume, variable trust
Hybrid Approach
Many successful programs combine both:
- Referral program for customers (simple, small rewards)
- Affiliate program for partners (larger commissions, more structure)
Referral Program Examples
Dropbox (Classic)
Program: Give 500MB storage, get 500MB storage
Why it worked:
- Reward directly tied to product value
- Low friction (just an email)
- Both parties benefit equally
- Gamified with progress tracking
Uber/Lyft
Program: Give $10 ride credit, get $10 when they ride
Why it worked:
- Immediate, clear value
- Double-sided incentive
- Easy to share (code/link)
- Triggered at natural moments
Morning Brew
Program: Tiered rewards for subscriber referrals
- 3 referrals: Newsletter stickers
- 5 referrals: T-shirt
- 10 referrals: Mug
- 25 referrals: Hoodie
Why it worked:
- Gamification drives ongoing engagement
- Physical rewards are shareable (more referrals)
- Low cost relative to subscriber value
- Built status/identity
Notion
Program: $10 credit per referral (education)
Why it worked:
- Targeted high-sharing audience (students)
- Product naturally spreads in teams
- Credit keeps users engaged
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.