Features

Referral Program

Thank-you page example

The Waitlister referral program helps you grow your waitlist exponentially by incentivizing subscribers to refer others. Our points-based system rewards users for joining and sharing, creating a powerful viral loop that can significantly boost your subscriber count.

The referral program feature is available on Pro and Scale plans.

How the Points-Based System Works

The referral program uses a straightforward points system.

  1. Signup Points: Awarded when someone joins your waitlist
  2. Referral Points: Awarded when someone successfully refers a new subscriber
  3. Custom Points: Optionally awarded for other actions via the API

Subscribers with more points are placed higher on your waitlist, creating a strong incentive to share your waitlist with others. This transparent system shows users exactly what they need to do to improve their position.

Setting Up Your Referral Program

Enabling the Referral Program

  1. Go to your waitlist dashboard
  2. Find "Referral Program" on the main info card and click on the highlighted value
  3. Toggle the switch to "Enabled"
  4. Configure your point values
  5. Click "Update" to save your changes

Referral Program settings

Configuring Point Values

You can customize how many points are awarded for different actions.

  • Signup Points: Default is 50 points (range: 0-1000)
  • Referral Points: Default is 30 points per referral (range: 0-1000)

The optimal point values depend on your specific goals.

  • To prioritize initial signups, set higher signup points
  • To emphasize referral behavior, set higher referral points
  • For most balanced growth, keep signup points slightly higher than referral points

Advanced Features

API Integration

For even more flexibility, you can use our API to award custom points for any action.

curl -X PUT "https://waitlister.me/api/v1/waitlist/your-waitlist-key/subscribers/[email protected]" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: your-api-key" \
  -d '{
    "points": 200
  }'

For example, you could reward your subscribers for:

  • Completing product surveys
  • Engaging with social media content
  • Participating in beta testing
  • Any other valuable action for your business

See the Update Subscriber API documentation for more details.

Best Practices

Optimizing Your Referral Program

Based on results from successful waitlists, here are some recommendations to get maximum benefit out of your referral program.

  1. Communicate Value: Clearly explain how users benefit from moving up the waitlist
  2. Set Achievable Goals: Make point thresholds attainable to maintain motivation
  3. Recognize Top Referrers: Display a leaderboard or feature them in your communications to encourage competition
  4. Create Urgency: Consider running time-limited bonus point promotions

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Too Many Initial Points: If signup points are too high, referrals seem less valuable
  • Too Low Referral Points: If referral points are too low, sharing isn't incentivized
  • Unclear Instructions: Always make the referral process obvious and simple
  • No Follow-up: Send reminder emails about referral opportunities

Help and Support

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