See how SaaS companies are implementing referral programs to grow their businesses.

1. 4 Successfully
SaaS-y Businesses
that are Using
Referral Programs

2. • Referral programs
spread the word and
grow your business
inexpensively
• Referral programs obtain high
customer acquisi;ons by
capitalizing on the trust of
already formed rela;onships
• Referral programs
avoid high churn
rates by obtaining
quality customers
from referrals
Why SaaS
businesses
rely on
referral
programs
for success?

3. 4 Successful
SaaS
Businesses
with
Referral
Programs

4. Why Uber’s
Referral
Program
Succeeded
• Uber understood the frustra;on
the public had with inadequate
taxi services
• Uber got their first customers
through sponsorship of events by
providing free rides to a?endees
with the inten;on of capitalizing
on the happy customer’s
experience
• Uber offered double incen;ves
with $20 for making a referral and
$20 to the referral

5. • 95% of all users heard about Uber
through a referral
• The San Francisco division
con;nues to grow 3x per year
• The New York division con;nues
to grow 4x per year
• The London division con;nue to
grow 5X – 6X per year
Uber’s
Results

6. Why
Dropbox
didn’t use
traditional
marketing
• The consumer environment was
hos;le with a great number of
compe;tors
• Adver;sing was too expensive and
ineffec;ve

7. Why
Dropbox’s
Referral
Program
Succeeded
• Dropbox offered double incen;ves
to advocates and referrals
• 500mb was given upon a
successful referral signup
• Referring was made easy through
email, social media, and URLs

8. Dropbox’s
Results
• Signups grew from 100 thousand
to 4 million in just 15 months from
the referral program
• The increase in referrals equals a
3900% growth
• The referral program permanently
increased signup by 60%

9. Why
Airbnb’s
Referral
Program
Succeeded
• Airbnb offers double incen;ves with
$25 travel credit to the advocate and
referral upon comple;on of the
referrals first trip.
• Hosts also have a chance to par;cipate
with double incen;ves of $75 travel
credit for the advocate and the referral
upon comple;on of hos;ng their first
visitor
• Airbnb made it easier for advocates to
refer with social sharing and
personalized URLs
• Airbnb acknowledge the necessity of
referral tracking and a/b tes;ng to
op;mize the referral program

10. Airbnb’s
Results
• Signups and bookings increased by
300% per day
• Referrals delivered 900% year-­‐on-­‐year
growth for 1st ;me bookings

11. Why
FreeAgent’s
Referral
Program
Succeeded
• Free Agent offers double incen;ves
with 10% off the monthly subscrip;on
perpetually for advocates and referrals
• 10% con;nues to be taken off
perpetually for advocates with each
referral as long as the subscrip;on lasts
• If the advocate refers 10 las;ng referral
subscrip;on they can achieve 100% off
their subscrip;on
• Sharing methods were made easy
• The referral program naturally created
virality

12. FreeAgent’s
Results
• FreeAgent saw a 60-­‐70% increase in
conversions for trialists that are
referred
• They saw a great increase in people’s
willingness to share
• FreeAgent was successful when star;ng
out but a referral program increased
their numbers drama;cally

13. Take Away
One of the surest ways to succeed in demand
genera;on is to never become complacent with
your results. These four SaaS companies prove
that whether tradi;onal methods of marke;ng
are failing you or you’re looking to increase your
already growing customer base, referral
programs deliver amazing results. By honing in
on your happy customers and capitalizing on
their previously formed rela;onships you’ll
capture not only a greater quan;ty of quality
leads, but also bypass the main challenges SaaS
companies are up against.

14. Are referrals right for you?
Take our 10 question quiz to see if referrals will work for you.!
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