A referral email incentivizes loyal customers to refer friends, family, colleagues, or social media followers to engage with your brand.
An effective referral email program contributes to increased sales. For instance, Charlie Bowes-Lyon, cofounder of cosmetics brand Wild, says on Shopify Masters that his business grew thanks to referrals. “I think about 25% to 30% of our sales is through referral now,” he says, “And that’s such a valuable channel because those people have been sold to by their friend who they trust and who already wears the product.”
Read on to learn the key elements of effective referral emails and the steps to launch and promote a referral email program.
What is a referral email?
A referral email encourages existing customers to refer new customers to your business. Referral emails typically offer an incentive to the referring customer, new customer, or both.
The psychology behind referral emails is that people trust the recommendations of their friends and loved ones. A 2025 Statista study found that word of mouth was the top source of brand discovery among US internet users. Referrals use a psychological phenomenon called social proof to inspire confidence in your business from new consumers by securing endorsement from people they already know and trust.
How to launch a referral email program
- Identify satisfied customers
- Choose your incentives
- Automate your referral email program
- Craft compelling subject lines
- Write your email copy
Here are the steps to launch and promote a referral email program:
1. Identify satisfied customers
Determine your target audience for referral requests. For example, you can use Shopify Forms to generate customer surveys to find people who report the highest customer satisfaction. Once you’ve collected this data, segment these customers as a primary audience for your referral program. Additionally, you might set up a trigger in Shopify Flow so that when a customer makes a repeat purchase, they are automatically added to this audience segment.
For example, humidifier retailer Canopy identifies satisfied customers as those who have demonstrated loyalty. They send a referral email a little over four months into the customer’s air filter subscription after they receive two deliveries and have not canceled their subscription, signaling that they are satisfied with Canopy’s product.
2. Choose your incentives
Use rewards to encourage referrals. Reward types include discounts, store credit, gift cards, premium upgrades like free shipping, and extra points for loyalty program members
For example, Lens company Lensabl offers a reward by giving referring customers a $20 Amazon gift card in exchange for a referral. The gift card is likely more useful than store credit to existing customers, who may not need to replace their lenses frequently.
Similarly, mattress brand Polysleep provides a $25 to $50 gift to referrers that can be transferred to their PayPal account, received as a prepaid Visa card, used as store credit, or even given to a charity.
3. Automate your referral email program
Referral apps like Conjured Referrals, Referral Candy, and Smile.io integrate with Shopify Messaging to create automated referral email workflows and generate referral codes and unique referral links. Referring customers share these codes or links with friends, and the app tracks each successful referral back to the original customer.
Referral apps allow you to set up trigger-condition-action logic to automatically send referral emails when your target customer segments take certain actions, like placing their first order, making a repeat purchase, or upgrading their service.
4. Craft compelling subject lines
Your subject line acts as a hook that encourages customers to open the email. Consider teasing the reward in the subject line to pique interest. For example, “Give $10, Get $10,” “Refer a friend and get 25% off your next order,” or “A free gift is waiting for you.”
Use email A/B testing within Shopify Messaging to identify which subject lines lead to the best open rates. Email personalization tools allow you to automatically tailor subject lines to each individual recipient.
5. Write your email copy
Write enticing email copy that captures your recipient’s attention immediately. Make your call to action (CTA) crystal clear, and include straightforward directions so customers know what to do and understand the terms and conditions.
Men’s skin care brand Huron includes their CTA, “Refer a friend,” in big, bold letters right beneath a lifestyle photo showing their products in use. The email includes a breakdown of the offer’s terms and a CTA button that reads, “Get free Huron,” that readers can click to follow the next steps.
Referral email FAQ
How do I write an email for a referral?
To write a referral email, inform the recipient of what they’ll gain from referring a new customer to your business, include a clear call to action, and include details and terms and conditions of the referral process.
What is an example of a referral program email?
An example of a post-purchase referral email could read as follows:
Subject: Refer a friend for 20% off your next purchase!
Dear [Customer Name],
We love that you love our products! And we’d love it if you’d spread that love!
Refer a friend, and if they make a purchase using the unique referral code below, you both get 20% of your next order!
Follow the link to send a referral email, or simply share the code with your friends
How do I promote my referral program?
You can promote your referral program through email, SMS, social media, and your business’s website. Set up automated email and SMS campaigns to invite customers to your referral program after they’ve completed a purchase.
