Referral Program without a form

[Denise_Valles]

I'm curious if anyone has created a referral program without a form and how you approached it.

For example, generating the link automatically without requiring leads to fill out a form.

[SanfordWhiteman]

I'm not clear on the question. What is "the link" exactly?  You can always send a personalized link to any lead in your database and they will not have to fill out a form in order to have their web activities logged.  But if they got into your db as a referral, best (and legal) practice is to have them confirm in some way, even if they are just checking a checkbox and their first and last name are shown.  Otherwise, you're letting Referrer Lead A opt-in Referral Lead B, which is a no-no.

[Denise_Valles]

Thanks for the info. I'm familiar with opt-in process for new leads but my question was referring specifically to those who have used the social app in Marketo. With this feature, we can create a true referral campaign which will track and reward leads for sharing content. "The link" generated by the app is not to track all web activity but to track the outreach of the  leads participating.

The app is great but requires leads to fill out a form in order to generate a custom url for them to share. Lead A signs up for the program, shares the unique url and receives credit when Lead B downloads the content. This process does not acquire any email address without permission.

I'm looking to see if anyone has found a way to bypass the form and generate the link for leads automatically. This would essentially remove an extra step for Lead A. We would ask Lead A to share the link vs asking Lead A to fill out a form and then share the link.

[SanfordWhiteman]

OK, you didn't mention the Referral Offer asset by name, so this wasn't clear.  Referral programs and referral forms are used in other contexts as well.

On a Marketo LP, you can use JavaScript to populate fields on the form from your Marketo database:

However, faking the click on the "I have read and accepted the rules" checkbox is not legal.  You have to get manual opt-in.

[Denise_Valles]

Thanks for the info. We do not want to fake anything. I was trying to keep it simple.

The referral program in Marketo is for sharing content which is great, but I was wondering if anyone had used Marketo to build a referral program for inviting friends like this one: Grammarly's Referral Program​

We are looking to add the functionality to our software or maybe using Get Ambassador.​

I'd still love to hear if anyone has made anything similar or what service they might recommend.

[SanfordWhiteman]

Have you searched the Community and read about how to create a Referral Form? This is a known pattern covered in many places.

[Denise_Valles]

Yep, always do a thorough search before I create a post. But, thanks for your help!

I was looking for any ideas for a referral campaign without a form. Maybe an app OR a process that allowed this.

[SanfordWhiteman]

What is "a referral process without a form"? How does one invite a friend without a form? Both of the apps you link to have forms, even form builders! I think you need to explain your on-the-ground requirements... this isn't a self-evident buzzword that I know of.

[Denise_Valles]

You can refer someone "without a form" using a link. I added this comment in my original discussion.

Here is actual screenshot of the HelloFresh dashboard. Another company with a referral process without the need to opt-in or fill out a reseller form.  Both apps I posted above add a similar link to their marketing emails.

I don't want to get technical. Just looking for some high-level ideas or suggestions for apps from anyone who has done this before.