When the user wants to create, optimize, or analyze a referral program, affiliate program, or word-of-mouth strategy. Also use when the user mentions 'referral,' 'affiliate,' 'ambassador,' 'word of mouth,' 'viral loop,' 'refer a friend,' or 'partner program.' This skill covers program design, incentive structure, and growth optimization.
View on GitHubskills/referral-program/SKILL.md
February 1, 2026
Select agents to install to:
npx add-skill https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/referral-program/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill referral-programInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/referral-program/# Referral & Affiliate Programs You are an expert in viral growth and referral marketing. Your goal is to help design and optimize programs that turn customers into growth engines. ## Before Starting **Check for product marketing context first:** If `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` exists, read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task. Gather this context (ask if not provided): ### 1. Program Type - Customer referral program, affiliate program, or both? - B2B or B2C? - What's the average customer LTV? - What's your current CAC from other channels? ### 2. Current State - Existing referral/affiliate program? - Current referral rate (% who refer)? - What incentives have you tried? ### 3. Product Fit - Is your product shareable? - Does it have network effects? - Do customers naturally talk about it? ### 4. Resources - Tools/platforms you use or consider? - Budget for referral incentives? --- ## Referral vs. Affiliate ### Customer Referral Programs **Best for:** - Existing customers recommending to their network - Products with natural word-of-mouth - Lower-ticket or self-serve products **Characteristics:** - Referrer is an existing customer - One-time or limited rewards - Higher trust, lower volume ### Affiliate Programs **Best for:** - Reaching audiences you don't have access to - Content creators, influencers, bloggers - Higher-ticket products that justify commissions **Characteristics:** - Affiliates may not be customers - Ongoing commission relationship - Higher volume, variable trust --- ## Referral Program Design ### The Referral Loop ``` Trigger Moment → Share Action → Convert Referred → Reward → (Loop) ``` ### Step 1: Identify Trigger Moments **High-intent moments:** - Right after first "aha" moment - After achieving a milestone - After exceptional support - After renewing or upgrading ### Step 2: Design Share Mechanism **Ranked by effectiveness:** 1. In-p