Frequently Asked Questions

Getting started with referrals

How much does it cost to run a referral scheme?

We know you're looking for a figure here, but every business is different.

We’ll develop an understanding of your specific requirements and goals before providing a quote that’s right for you.

This will be part of a business case and forecast, so you can feel confident that referral will be a cost-effective marketing channel when you sign on the dotted line.

Get in touch to find out more.

What development resource do I need to launch a referral program?

You can be up and running with your referral scheme by implementing just two javascript tags on your site.

Some marketing teams can do this themselves if they have a tag container, otherwise it is something your developer should be able to do rapidly, and means that on average you can be driving referral sales in a matter of weeks!

The official Mention Me record is just 7 hours from kick-off to live referral scheme!

Does Mention Me integrate with eCommerce shopping carts?

Yes. You can easily integrate our platform by adding our tags.

Many of our clients have integrated Mention Me with ecommerce solutions such as Magento, Shopify, Demandware and Hybris.

How does the referral process work?

A referral programme incentivises existing customers (referrers) to introduce your brand to their friends (referees). Rewards are given for successful introductions that convert into new customers.

 

Here’s a basic example of the referral journey:

What if I don't yet have a website? Is it too early to get in touch?

In a nice way, yes. We want to make sure our programmes deliver measurable value, and that requires AB testing. If your business doesn't yet have order volumes that we can test for statistically significant results, it'll be tricky to optimise your programme for the best performance. 

Referral Rewards

What are the best referral rewards?

Your referral offer and how you promote it can make or break your referral scheme. Our sophisticated AB testing by cohort capabilities mean you can discover what best motivates your customers and optimise your programme. Strategic AB testing can improve programme performance by as much as 30%.

We recommend offering a referral incentive that can't be found elsewhere on your site. Customers, for example, are unlikely to share 10% off with friends if first-time customers can claim 10% off using a code on the homepage. 

You can test referral rewards including:

  • Free gift vs money off
  • Third party vs own brand reward
  • Framing offer - referral vs. referee offer first

Download our guide to AB testing for more ideas.

How do you fulfil customer incentives?

We can fulfil rewards in a number of ways:

  • Coupon codes. The most frequently used method of fulfilling a reward. The customer is given a unique code to use at checkout. It also enables auto-coupon functionality so the coupon is automatically applied to the basket if the offer is shared by name or via a link.
  • Coupon links. This drives customers to where their account has credit applied on your site.
  • Link to a dedicated landing page. Some clients build a dedicated landing page where the offer is promoted, and we can drive customer to that page to place their order.
  • Third party vouchers - for retailers such as Amazon, M&S and others.

If you require a different method of fulfilment, get in touch.

Do I need to provide single use coupon/voucher codes?

Single use codes are the most suitable for refer-a-friend but if you are not able to provides these due to limitations of your system or your shopping cart provider let us know and we can suggest some alternatives.

How can I be sure that we are not rewarding existing customers?

That’s simple. Just provide us with a list of existing customers (or customers who have ordered in a certain period of time) and they will be excluded from redeeming an introductory offer. If they try, they’ll receive a notice letting them know they are not eligible

How do we monitor referrals for fraud?

We make it easy for our clients to monitor use of referrals to minimise any fraudulent reward claims.

We will provide you with advice and the tools to help you manage any fraud that does arise.

Sharing Methods for Referral

What sharing methods work best for refer-a-friend?

We offer 14 different ways for your customer to share your brand. Which ones work best depends very much on the profile of your customers. We’ll work with you to identify the methods best suited to offer at the start of your programme. Over time you might want to test something new.  Which sharing methods you choose and how you display them are customisable for desktop and separately for mobile and fully AB testable.

We offer the ability for your customer to share their referral via email and personalised link, as well as a number of popular social channels, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn,  Pinterest, vKontakte (great for brands with a presence in Russia), Weibo, Viber & LINE (great for brands with a strong Asian presence). We are constantly adding to the list as new social channels develop.

In addition, we offer name sharing, letting customers tell friends to mention their name at checkout for exclusive rewards. This supports word-of-mouth, a much more natural form of sharing in real life conversations.

How can Mention Me help me capture word-of-mouth?

Our name sharing feature lets customers easily share brands in everyday conversation. Across our 450+ client base, it accounts for 34% of all referrals.

You can read more about it in our name sharing blog.

Reporting on Referral

How can I measure how successful my referral program is?

As a client you have access to the Mention Me Dashboard. Here you will find information on all aspects of your scheme so you can make informed decisions about your referral strategy.

  • You can see general performance of your referral funnel (e.g. offers shared, new customers introduced and purchases made)
  • You will also find a wealth of data on the performance of any AB tests you’ve run
  • Information about how each of your sharing methods has performed (e.g. comparing facebook with email)
  • And lots more!
Resourcing & Support

What would my own customer service team need to do?

Typically, where a client runs a referral scheme utilising a coupon code/link mechanism, their customer service only gets involved in a limited number of processes.

Fulfilment of  coupon codes takes place automatically , but there will be some cases where a customer enquires about receiving their reward. In these instances the customer service team have access to a special  customer administration system, where they can check on the status of purchases and rewards.

Do we need design resource for our program?

Every element of the journey through the referral process can be tailored to your brand. We can work with your designer if you have the resources, but it isn’t always necessary.

Our client success team will work with you to get your programme up and running, you’ll need to provide them with a logo, font, brand colours and some imagery that reflects your brand.

How much support does Mention Me provide its clients?

As part of the Mention Me service, you will be partnered with a Client Success Manager. They will ensure that your referral programme launches swiftly and professionally to achieve your referral goals.

Once your programme is live they will continue to support you to make the best use of the AB testing capabilities and optimise your campaign. You will receive regular performance reviews and best practise sharing, which are a great way to come up with new ideas to maximise your new customers from referral.

International Referrals

Does Mention Me support referrals in all languages?

With a fully flexible CMS, our platform can support refer-a-friend in any language.  We currently run referral programmes in 17 languages.

If you require a referral programme in a language we don't currently support, we will work with you to try to implement it.

What currencies does Mention Me support?

Mention Me supports a number of different currencies. If you use a currency we don't currently support, we are sure we can implement it.

Does Mention Me work with International clients?

We work with a number of International clients who operate their referral programme in different languages and currencies.
Non transactional websites

Can I have a referral programme if my website is non-transactional?

If you have a non-transactional website but are interested in referrals as a marketing channel, get in touch. We can talk you through the options.

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