How do you encourage app users to invite others?

1 Offer incentives

One of the most common and effective ways to encourage app users to invite others is to offer them incentives, such as rewards, discounts, credits, or access to premium features. Incentives can be given to both the referrer and the referred user, creating a win-win situation for both parties. However, you need to make sure that your incentives are relevant, valuable, and easy to redeem for your target audience. You also need to communicate them clearly and prominently in your app and marketing channels.

2 Make it easy

Another key factor to encourage app users to invite others is to make the referral process as easy and frictionless as possible. You can do this by providing multiple ways for users to share your app, such as email, SMS, social media, QR codes, or links. You can also pre-fill the referral messages with catchy and personalized texts that highlight the benefits of your app and the incentives. Additionally, you can integrate your app with the native sharing features of the device, such as the share sheet or the contact list, to make it more convenient and seamless.

3 Leverage social proof

Social proof is the phenomenon where people tend to follow the behavior of others, especially when they are uncertain or influenced by peers. You can leverage social proof to encourage app users to invite others by showing them how many people have already used or recommended your app, how satisfied they are, and what positive outcomes they have achieved. You can display social proof in your app and marketing channels using testimonials, ratings, reviews, badges, leaderboards, or counters.

4 Create urgency

Urgency is another psychological trigger that can encourage app users to invite others by creating a sense of scarcity or fear of missing out. You can create urgency by setting a deadline, a limit, or a countdown for your referral incentives or offers. For example, you can offer a limited-time bonus for the first 100 referrals, or a 50% off coupon that expires in 24 hours. You can also use words and phrases that convey urgency, such as "now", "today", "hurry", or "don't miss this chance".

5 Segment and target

Not all app users are equally likely or willing to invite others. Some may be more loyal, engaged, satisfied, or influential than others. Therefore, you need to segment and target your app users based on their behavior, preferences, feedback, or demographics, and tailor your referral programs accordingly. For example, you can offer different incentives, messages, or channels for different user segments, or target users who have reached a certain milestone, such as completing a task, making a purchase, or achieving a goal.

6 Track and optimize

Finally, you need to track and optimize your referral programs to measure their effectiveness and improve their performance. You need to define and monitor key metrics, such as referral rate, conversion rate, retention rate, lifetime value, or cost per acquisition, and analyze the data to identify what works and what doesn't. You also need to test and experiment with different variables, such as incentives, messages, channels, or timing, and optimize them based on the results and feedback.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?