9 Email Marketing Tips to Grow Your Newsletter Referral Program

Growing a newsletter referral program is no easy feat. However, it can significantly expand your audience and increase engagement. Email marketing can help you achieve these goals. 

According to Hubspot, there are four billion email users worldwide. 64% of small businesses also use email marketing to reach customers. Email marketing is predicted to generate almost 18 billion in revenue by 2027 – an important component of lead generation.

Source

What does this mean for your business and growing your newsletter referral program? Let’s find out. 


How Does Email Marketing Grow Your Newsletter Referral Program?

While a newsletter referral program is an email marketing strategy, many other email marketing strategies, such as email personalization, can help to grow both your newsletter referral program, and overall email subscribers. We often talk about how newsletter referral programs can help your email marketing, but email marketing can also help to grow your newsletter referral program. They both go hand-in-hand. But wait, how does that work?

Giveaways, social media, landing pages, webinars, podcasts, email sign-up forms, lead magnets, opt-in forms, and pop-ups can promote your newsletter, too. However, when it comes to reaching your target audience, a newsletter referral program is the best way to get to them. 

An email newsletter without a referral program and the help of email marketing campaigns will fail to reach potential customers or improve your branding. For many brands, an email newsletter is where they put out their best branded content. For many brands, this is also the most cost-effective way to reach their target audience. 

Here are some ways email marketing can help to grow your newsletter referral program: 

Accelerate the growth of your newsletter

By incentivizing your current subscribers to share your newsletter with their network with your email marketing campaigns, you tap into a new audience pool that might not have been reachable. This approach not only expands your reach but does so at a pace that organic growth or promotional emails alone cannot match.

Increased revenue opportunities

With every new subscriber added through email marketing, you enhance the potential revenue of your newsletter and overall email marketing. Whether your income streams are from advertisements, subscription fees, or the sale of digital products, a larger subscriber base broadens your revenue opportunities. You can promote your newsletter referral program to each new subscriber.

Simple to set up

Email automation and integrations have made it incredibly easy to promote your newsletter referral program. This technology automates critical processes and reduces the manual effort required to remind subscribers about your newsletter referral program. You can also integrate a simple promotion box into your email signature in your communications to continuously drive ‌your newsletter referral program.

Source

Cost-effective marketing 

Email marketing is a cost-effective way to grow your newsletter referral program, especially in SaaS and ecommerce. Customers acquired through email marketing tend to be more loyal and willing to share your newsletter referral program, too. 

Email Marketing Tips to Grow Your Newsletter Referral Program

There are many referral and email marketing templates, but how do you leverage all of them to grow your newsletter referral program? Here are nine essential tips, with examples, to boost your newsletter referral program through strategic email marketing.

1. Personalize Your Emails & A/B Test

Personalization goes beyond addressing a subscriber by their first name, especially in your welcome email. First impressions matter. 

Tailor your subject lines, copywriting, and content based on user behavior, preferences, and past interactions. For instance, if a subscriber often reads articles about SEO in your newsletter, send them a personalized email suggesting they share your newsletter with others who are interested in SEO to earn rewards. You can also carry out some A/B testing to see what works best.

2. Offer Incentives for Referrals

Incentives can significantly boost your referral rates. Offer exclusive coupons, content, discounts, freebies, or access to special events as rewards for subscribers who refer others. For example, Chexy offers a fee waiver for x amount of months to pay your rent on your credit card, depending on how many referrals you manage to get. 

Source


You can set a timeline, like Chexy, or even make it a competition and engage your subscribers even more!

Source

3. Create a Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA)

Your CTA should be clear, compelling, and easy to find, even in your email subject line. Use action-oriented language that motivates subscribers from your header to footer. This encourages subscribers to participate in your referral program. Place your CTA prominently in your email layout. Position it ‌at the top and bottom of your email content.

Source

4. Use (Social) Proof

Social proof, or proof in general, can reassure potential referrers that others are finding value in your newsletter. Include testimonials or case studies from subscribers who have benefited from your content or referral program. For example, feature a subscriber’s quote on how they enjoyed a bonus or discount they received through your referral program.

Source

5. Segment Your Email List

Segmentation allows you to target specific groups or demographics within your subscriber list more effectively. Create segments for those who have already referred others, those who have shown interest but haven’t referred yet, and new subscribers. Tailor your messages and offers based on these segments to increase relevance and engagement.

6. Take Advantage of Automation

Automate your email marketing and newsletter referral program emails to make sure timely and consistent communication. Set up an email sequence that thanks subscribers for their referral, informs them of their rewards, and encourages them to keep referring. Automation tools in email marketing software and referral software can help manage this process efficiently, guaranteeing no subscriber or action goes unnoticed.

7. Optimize Email Design for All Devices

Ensure your emails are responsive and look good on all devices, especially mobiles, where a significant part of emails are read. A well-designed email that displays correctly on various screens can improve readability and engagement, thereby increasing the chances of subscribers acting.

Source

8. Track and Analyze Your Results

Use analytics to track the performance of your referral emails. Track deliverability through open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to understand what’s working and what’s not. You can also ask ‌readers how they found your email content at the end.

Source

This data can help you refine your strategy, making informed decisions to improve your referral program. For example, if you notice a particular incentive isn’t resonating with your audience, consider changing it. 

9. Educate Your Subscribers

Regularly educate your subscribers about the benefits and workings of your referral program. This is partner onboarding. In this case, your partners are your subscribers!

Include it in your email campaigns and a small section in your regular newsletters that explains how the program works and what they can gain from it. This ongoing education can keep the program in mind and encourage more active participation. You should also share updates on your newsletter referral program!

Source

Integrate Partnero to Grow Your Newsletter Referral Program

An effective email marketing strategy can significantly enhance your newsletter referral program, helping you grow your subscriber base, new customers, and increase engagement. By personalizing your emails, offering compelling incentives, and leveraging tools like automation and analytics (a key component in your overall marketing automation kit), you can create a powerful referral program that benefits both your subscribers and your brand.


Remember, the key is to keep testing and optimizing based on subscriber feedback and performance metrics to continually improve your approach. You should also calculate your subscriber lifetime value so you can set rewards that align with each new subscriber. 


Subscribers may also exhibit varying levels of engagement and value to your newsletter.. By understanding their engagement patterns, you can tailor the rewards of your email marketing campaigns and your newsletter referral program to better match the actual value these subscribers bring to your platform. 


Did you know that in SaaS and ecommerce, the average open rate is 39-41%? That’s pretty high. This means that email marketing can really put your newsletter referral program front and center of your target audience. Through that, you’re guaranteed to also increase your revenue in time.


You might have a lot to think about, but Partnero is here to make things easier! Whether you’re using MailerLite, MailChimp, Klaviyo or ConverKit, you can integrate Partnero to grow your newsletter referral program. 

We know pricing is a big factor. That’s why we’re offering a free trial. Sign up now. Your first month is on us, and you can cancel anytime. No hard feelings. 

Manage your partnerships like never before.

Start your free 30-day trial today. Sign up in seconds. No credit card required.