Overview
Referrals 2.0 is a feature designed for E-commerce and B2C platforms to amplify sales through customer-driven referrals. It involves setting up a referral program, enabling advocates to share unique links or codes, and integrating API calls to track and reward successful referrals. This system not only incentivizes existing customers to promote products but also simplifies the process of sharing referrals and completing purchases through these links.
Information
What is this useful for?
If you want to award advocates for referring people to take action on an external site.
For instance, say you run an online store called SmartHome Widgets. You want your advocates to refer their friends to purchase your new laser air purifier on the online store, and in return the referrer get 500 points for each purchase made. You would use this feature.
How do I set this up?
Part 1 - Enable the Influitive API
1.1 Enable Influitive API in your AdvocateHub and gain access to your Authorization Token and X_ORG_ID which you will need later on. You can find details on how to do this in this article, Enabling our Influitive API page .
Part 2 - Enable Referrals 2.0, "External URL for Sharing" feature
2.1 You must first have Referrals 2.0 Enabled to have access to this feature. Speak to your coach to see whether you are eligible for Referrals 2.0
2.2 Next create a referral campaign for your specific referral promotion.
2.3 Under Referrals > Manage Campaigns > Edit > Branding , check the box that says "Use an external URL for sharing" Input the link you want people who access a shared link to be directed to.
When that link is clicked, Influitive will send that user to the URL specified and will append the Referral Campaign ID and a unique Share token for that user which will be used to attribute the referral back to the Advocate who shared the referral link.
Part 3 - Set up your E-commerce Provider to update Influitive when a purchase is based
Now you need to configure your external page or e-commerce store so that when relevant purchases are made for which you want to generate a referral, an API call is sent to Influitive similar to the one you see here under Example 2: Create a referral from a share token .
3.1 These instructions will vary by E-commerce provider and you will need to contact a developer on your e-commerce team to do this.
3.2 Send the developer these instructions in this support article so they get familiar with using our API.
Referrals 2.0: Using the Referrals API
3.3 Provide the developer with the X_ORG_ID and Authorization Token you received in part 1 above. They will need this to make API calls to Influitive.
3.4 The developer will want to trigger an API call to the AdvocateHub including the Referral Campaign ID and Share Token to indicate that the product was purchased and the referral has been complete.
What is the advocate experience?
1. Log into the hub as an advocate and either click on the referrals tab or visit the URL of the referral campaign you'd like to share a link for .
2. Scroll down to the section where you can Refer by sharing . This section contains a unique link that each advocate has that will generate points for them, or can be posted on social media:
3. Let's suppose you click the Twitter icon, and are then taken to this page to post:
4. Next, your friend Joe notices your shared unique link and wants to learn more. Joe clicks through the link and will be directed to your referral campaign.
5. Joe is now brought to your e-commerce site.
6. Joe chooses to add a product to his shopping cart and purchases it.
7. The purchase will now be recorded automatically in the admin referral dashboard, with the referrer listed as Imran.
FAQ
How does Referrals 2.0 benefit my E-commerce business?
Referrals 2.0 turns your existing customers into advocates who promote your products to new potential customers, expanding your reach and driving more sales through trusted recommendations.
What is required to set up Referrals 2.0 on my platform?
Setting up Referrals 2.0 requires enabling the Influitive API, configuring a referral campaign with an external URL for sharing, and setting up your E-commerce provider to update Influitive when a purchase is made through a referral link.
How do advocates share their unique referral links?
Advocates can log into the hub, navigate to the referrals tab, and share their unique referral link found in the "Refer by sharing" section on social media or directly with friends and family.
What happens when someone clicks through a referral link and makes a purchase?
When a purchase is made through a referral link, the transaction is automatically recorded in the admin referral dashboard, crediting the advocate who made the referral with the appropriate rewards or points.
Do I need technical knowledge to implement Referrals 2.0?
While basic setup can be guided by platform wizards, integrating API calls for tracking purchases will likely require assistance from a developer on your E-commerce team.