How to Create a Referral Program with HubSpot’s Marketing Tools

Referral programs are a powerful way to grow your business by turning satisfied customers into brand advocates. When done right, they drive high-quality leads, boost customer loyalty, and deliver measurable ROI. With HubSpot’s Marketing Tools, you can create, manage, and optimize a referral program that seamlessly integrates with your existing workflows, automates repetitive tasks, and tracks performance with precision. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of building a referral program using HubSpot’s Marketing Hub, free tools, and integrations, ensuring you maximize customer advocacy and business growth.

Why Referral Programs Matter for Your Business

Before diving into the "how," let’s explore why referral programs are a game-changer. According to a 2023 Nielsen study, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family over traditional advertising. Referred customers also have a 37% higher retention rate and are four times more likely to refer others, per Wharton research. These stats highlight the potential of referral programs to deliver high-value leads at a lower cost than paid ads.

HubSpot’s Marketing Tools make it easier than ever to tap into this potential. With features like email automation, workflows, forms, landing pages, and analytics, you can create a referral program that’s scalable, trackable, and aligned with your brand. Whether you’re a small business using HubSpot’s free tools or a larger organization with Marketing Hub Professional, this guide will show you how to build a referral program that drives results.

Step 1: Define Your Referral Program Goals

Every successful referral program starts with clear objectives. Ask yourself: What do you want to achieve? Common goals include:

Increasing lead generation: Attract new customers through word-of-mouth.

Boosting customer retention: Reward loyal customers to strengthen relationships.

Driving revenue growth: Convert referred leads into paying customers.

Expanding brand awareness: Leverage advocates to reach new audiences.

Use HubSpot’s CRM to analyze your current customer data and identify opportunities. For example, segment your contacts to find your most engaged customers, those with high Net Promoter Scores (NPS) or frequent purchases—are prime candidates for your referral program. HubSpot’s free CRM lets you track customer interactions and identify advocates without needing a paid plan.

Step 2: Design Your Referral Program Structure

A referral program needs a clear structure to motivate participation. Decide on the following elements:

1. Incentives

Choose rewards that appeal to both the referrer and the referred customer. Common incentives include:

Discounts or coupons: E.g., “Refer a friend and both get 20% off your next purchase.”

Gift cards or cash rewards: E.g., “Earn a $50 Amazon gift card for every successful referral.”

Free months of service: Ideal for subscription-based businesses.

Exclusive perks: Early access to new features or products.

2. Referral Process

Make the referral process simple and user-friendly. A typical flow might look like this:

Customer signs up for the referral program via a landing page.
They receive a unique referral link or code to share.
The referred friend uses the link/code to make a purchase or sign up.
Both parties receive their rewards automatically.

HubSpot’s Workflows tool can automate this process, from sending referral links to delivering rewards, saving you time and ensuring consistency.

3. Eligibility

Decide who can participate. Will it be open to all customers, or only those who meet specific criteria (e.g., made at least one purchase)? Use HubSpot’s List Segmentation to create dynamic lists of eligible customers based on criteria like purchase history or engagement level.

Step 3: Create a Referral Program Landing Page with HubSpot

A dedicated landing page is the heart of your referral program. It’s where customers learn about the program, sign up, and access their referral links. HubSpot’s Landing Page Builder (available in free and paid plans) makes this process seamless.

How to Build Your Landing Page

Choose a Template: HubSpot offers customizable landing page templates optimized for conversions. Select one with a clean design and strong call-to-action (CTA) placement.

Craft Compelling Copy:

Headline: Make it clear and enticing, e.g., “Refer a Friend, Earn Rewards!”
Benefits: Highlight what’s in it for the referrer and referred friend.
Instructions: Explain the referral process in simple steps.
Visuals: Add images or videos showcasing your rewards or happy customers.

Add a Form: Use HubSpot’s Form Builder to collect participant details like name and email. Enable the form to trigger a workflow that sends a unique referral link.

Include a CTA: Add a button like “Join Now” or “Get Your Referral Link” to drive action.

Step 4: Automate the Referral Process with HubSpot Workflows

Automation is where HubSpot shines. Use Workflows to streamline the referral process, reduce manual work, and ensure a smooth experience for participants.

Workflow Example

Trigger: A customer submits the referral program form on your landing page.

Action 1: Create a contact in HubSpot’s CRM and assign them a unique referral link using a third-party integration like ReferralCandy or HubSpot’s API.

Action 2: Send a personalized email with the referral link and program details using HubSpot’s Email Marketing tool.

Action 3: When a referred friend makes a purchase (tracked via a custom event or form submission), trigger a follow-up email to both parties with their rewards.

Action 4: Update the referrer’s CRM profile with a custom property like “Number of Referrals” to track their activity.

Step 5: Promote Your Referral Program

A referral program only works if people know about it. Use HubSpot’s marketing tools to spread the word across multiple channels.

1. Email Campaigns

Send targeted emails to your customer base announcing the program. Use HubSpot’s Email Marketing Tool to:

Segment your audience (e.g., loyal customers or recent purchasers).
Personalize emails with merge tags (e.g., “Hi [First Name], earn rewards by referring friends!”).
Include a clear CTA linking to your referral landing page.

2. Social Media

Promote your program on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram using HubSpot’s Social Media Tools. Schedule posts, track engagement, and use HubSpot’s analytics to see which platforms drive the most signups.

3. Website Integration

Add a referral program banner or pop-up to your website using HubSpot’s Website Pages or Pop-up Forms. Place it on high-traffic pages like your homepage or checkout page.

4. In-App or Post-Purchase Prompts

Use HubSpot’s Service Hub to send post-purchase emails or in-app messages encouraging customers to join the referral program after a positive interaction.

Step 6: Track and Optimize Your Referral Program

To ensure your referral program delivers results, track key metrics and optimize based on data. HubSpot’s Analytics Tools make this easy.

Key Metrics to Track

Signups: Number of customers joining the referral program (tracked via form submissions).

Referrals Generated: Number of referral links shared or clicked (tracked via custom events or integrations).

Conversions: Number of referred leads who become customers (tracked via deal stages in HubSpot’s CRM).

ROI: Compare the cost of rewards to the revenue generated by referred customers.

How to Track in HubSpot

Create a Custom Report: Use HubSpot’s Reporting Dashboard to monitor referral program performance. Add metrics like “Referrals by Source” or “Revenue from Referred Customers.”

Set Up Goals: In HubSpot’s Workflows, define goals like “Referred customer completes a purchase” to track conversions automatically.

Analyze Campaign Performance: Use HubSpot’s Campaign Analytics to see how email, social, and website promotions contribute to program signups.

Step 7: Reward and Engage Your Advocates

Keep referrers motivated by delivering rewards promptly and fostering ongoing engagement. Here’s how HubSpot can help:

Automate Reward Delivery: Use Workflows to send reward emails (e.g., discount codes or gift card links) as soon as a referral converts.

Gamify the Program: Create tiers (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold) based on the number of referrals. Update tiers using HubSpot’s Custom Properties and notify participants via email.

Thank Your Advocates: Send personalized thank-you emails or feature top referrers in your newsletter using HubSpot’s Email Marketing Tool.

Conclusion

A referral program can be a game-changer for your business, and HubSpot’s Marketing Tools make it easier than ever to build one. By defining clear goals, designing a user-friendly program, leveraging automation, and tracking performance, you can turn customers into advocates and drive sustainable growth. Whether you’re using HubSpot’s free tools or the full power of Marketing Hub, the steps outlined in this guide will help you create a referral program that delivers results.