Turns happy customers and aligned partners into a steady acquisition channel. Customer referrals run on loyalty and a small reward; affiliate programs pay outside promoters a commission to reach audiences you cannot. Both only work if the reward fits the economics, the ask comes at the right moment, sharing takes one click, and abuse is designed out. The result is a program design, a profitability check, the rules, and a launch and measurement plan.
When to use
- Starting a refer-a-friend program, an affiliate or partner commission program, or both.
- "Nobody uses our referral program", "affiliates signed up but never promote".
- Choosing reward size, commission rate, attribution window or payout terms.
- Not for: joint campaigns with a partner company (
cmo-co-marketing), paid creator sponsorships (cmo-influencer), or keeping existing customers (cmo-churn-prevention).

