--- title: "How Online Learning Businesses can Supercharge Growth with Referral Programs" id: "35352" type: "post" slug: "referral-in-online-learning-businesses" published_at: "2024-01-18T10:41:56+00:00" modified_at: "2024-08-23T09:42:04+00:00" url: "https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referral-in-online-learning-businesses/" markdown_url: "https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referral-in-online-learning-businesses.md" excerpt: "Against a need for life-long learning, both for personal development and to remain competitive in an ever changing and ever more demanding workplace, coupled with the desire to work from home driven by the recent COVID Pandemic, it’s unsurprising that..." taxonomy_category: - "Services" - "Thought Leadership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "E-Learning" - "Education" - "marketing strategy" taxonomy_translation_priority: - "Optional" --- [Back to Articles](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/) - [Services](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/services/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) # How Online Learning Businesses can Supercharge Growth with Referral Programs Last Modified: 23/08/2024 **4 min read** [https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/author/alex-pandya/](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/author/alex-pandya/) **Author:** [Alex Pandya](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/author/alex-pandya/) - Marketing Manager Against a need for [life-long learning](https://www.valamis.com/hub/lifelong-learning) , both for personal development and to remain competitive in an ever changing and ever more demanding workplace, coupled with the desire to work from home driven by the recent COVID Pandemic, it’s unsurprising that [demand for e-learning](https://elearningindustry.com/elearning-market-size-and-growth-unleashing-its-power) has continued to grow year on year. And so with already over 5.5 million American students already partaking in either part-time or full-time online education it’s already a huge industry. But as you’d imagine that kind of growth has attracted a plethora of e-learning platforms and courses, to the extent that it’s difficult for providers to stand out from the competition and for prospective students to tell the merits of one program or platform from the next. That’s why referral marketing is key for online learning providers to acquire good new customers at a cost that makes sense. And that’s because [referral marketing](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referral-program-examples/) harnesses the [credible and trusted testimony](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/88-of-consumers-trust-word-of-mouth/) of a student who has already completed or part completed a course and can vouch for the efficacy of the program and the quality of the learning experience, with the power of that student’s own trusted social network. And given that people tend to socialise with others who resemble them in terms of demographics, income, life stage and values, a good student is often ideally placed to identify and recommend an e-learning course to a friend, colleague or family member. In other words it’s about turning satisfied customers into [brand advocates](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/how-to-turn-customers-into-brand-advocates/) , and the advocacy of an actual customer who is also a [trusted friend](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referral-marketing-in-customer-acquisition/) is more powerful than any other kind of e-learning marketing like certifications, celebrity endorsements or ratings and reviews from people unknown to the prospective student. And when you consider that our [Reward Revolution research](https://labs.buyapowa.com/reward-revolution-report) found that 95% of respondents reported having referred a friend to a brand in the past year, the enormous potential of this channel is evident for all to see. ## **How to maximize referrals for your e-learning business** **Identify potential advocates** Every satisfied customer is a potential advocate, and so by asking your students by polls or NPS if they’d be willing to recommend your course to friends, then you can gauge the scope you have for a powerful referral program. Of course, customers who’ve already journeyed through multiple courses on your platform are highly likely to be satisfied and represent the easiest pool of customers to engage with. Particularly if you’re already engaging with them to get their feedback on how to improve the program as part of a [Customer Led Growth strategy](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/9-step-blueprint-for-customer-led-growth/) . **Introduce a referral rewards system** Once you’ve identified your potential advocates, you need to market your referral program to them, ideally at moments when they’re likely to be highly satisfied with your offering, for example after graduating or signing up for the next part of the course. Then you need to offer them[rewards that will spark their engagement](https://www.buyapowa.com/solutions/digital-rewards/) . We’ve written at length about tailoring the perfect reward choice for your customers and you can find everything you’ll ever need to know about rewards in [this article.](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referral-rewards-and-incentives/) But for now, whether it’s a discount on tuition or credits for future courses, or simply a cash bonus, these incentives can turn your satisfied customers into proactive promoters. It’s a win-win: your customers get rewarded, and their friends get motivated to join your e-learning family. And hopefully, in turn become satisfied customers willing to promote you in turn. **Keep it simple** Straightforward, visible, and authentic. Ensure your customers easily grasp how to refer. Prominently, showcase your referral program across various channels: think homepage highlights, social media shoutouts, and email campaigns. The essence here is a program that is easy to find and understand. The moment your customers even think about referring, they should have a link or code in their email inbox or in their memberzone to jump to. Furthering that, outsourcing a sophisticated referral solution that is 100% white-labeled, customizable and optimized will make it as smooth and natural as possible for your customers to refer. Provide your customers with everything they’ll need to shout from the rooftops about your brand: sharing messages and native sharing are a must. Allow your customers to share everything their friends will need to know, in one click and via any application on their phone. ## **Join the revolution** With the right approach, your platform can join the ranks of major educational brands like ICS Learn, [Skill and You](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/skill-and-you-launch-referral-program/) , Immerse Education, and BPP’s StaySharp in turning happy customers into advocates. Ready to write your own success story? [Get in touch](https://www.buyapowa.com/book-a-demo/) to discover how a best-in-class referral marketing strategy can revolutionize your enrollment figures this year and beyond. ## Free eBook Referral Codebreakers Fill in the form & Unlock the science behind the world’s most successful & influential referral marketing programs ##### Categories ## Related Articles ### [Credit Unions Have Always Grown Through Trust. 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