Telecom companies enjoy a strong, steady stream of engaged users via their referral marketing programs. Brand advocates signaling new users with word-of-mouth messaging is the only effective way to sway brand loyalties and long-term contract obligations.
In the hyper-competitive industry of internet, cellular and cable giants, there’s no room for static interference or feedback. And telecom companies know a thing or two about effectively using multiple channels. Their optimized referral campaigns deliver crystal clear messaging to consumers through a combination of website, landing pages, FAQ sections and email outreach.
However, this isn’t a game of telephone. Take a look at these 7 prime referral marketing examples from telecom brands.
#1 AT&T – Landing Page
Borrowing from Facebook for a landing page, AT&T features their “Refer-a-Friend Program” amidst the simple ease of sky-blue design aesthetic. The color choice keeps appearances sparse and calming while creating a natural, visual ease for landing page visitors.
Bright symbols enhance the minimal design layout, reminding us of AT&T’s essential offerings and made more appealing by an alluring value statement above. Leading with an action verb (“Earn”) and putting forth in bold lettering that $575 is up for grabs, reaffirms the value of the 5 distinct reasons for us to make a referral.
From here, AT&T does a great job of showing visitors exactly “How to earn.” Following the storyline principles of self-affirmation psychology, the 4-step process effectively illuminates how easy it is for customers to help both themselves and newcomers they know and love. Letting the landing page formatting guide our eyes from the list to the call-to-action (CTA) buttons below, the color-coded CTAs within the flawless design hierarchy make conversions a simple call to answer.
#2 Virgin Mobile – FAQ Page
Virgin Mobile talks directly to their target audience with this bold, lively FAQ page. Customers in search of support are greeted by bright red icons showcasing the value and suggesting the action to follow: Talk about this message! Copy language here is powerful, action-oriented and full of promise, lots of youth-centric benefits such as more music and free data. Offering double-sided rewards when a new member joins increases connectivity and overall in-network satisfaction.
The page is clearly separated by the red diagonal slash, a great design technique bringing much-needed energy into any unmoving picture. On the left, all the copy benefits and details amidst a sea of happy music lovers are colored a passionate, exciting red. On the right, the dual-action CTAs are split neatly above and below the Q&As.
Driving engagement with a question is a great way to optimize a referral campaign. On both sides, the copy is concise and centers around delivering immediate value to both givers and receivers. Extra points to Virgin for providing social share icons at the bottom right – and the clarifying fine print about how rewards are awarded.
#3 T-Mobile – Landing Page
Geared towards millennials, this T-Mobile landing page focuses on action, attitude and few words. No worries, though, boss: The copy and conversions take center stage. Breaking up the page in a block layout, the quadrant design hierarchy balances vivid pink with black and white.
Everything on the page guides our eyes to the loud and actionable “Start Referring” CTA at bottom right. This performs well and practically screams for conversions. Supporting copy uses words such as “grow,” invite,” “bring” and “share” which perform well in creating a sense of belonging with the cellular community.
At bottom left: the soft, inquisitive corner for those just arriving. Equally actionable in its language but less eye-catching is the space for those referred. Again, we see a simple inquiry that prompts user response. Consumer psychology promises that humans, well, we just want to find answers. Especially when there’s value to be had. Neatly done up in punctuation case and silky smooth against the overall design, those landing here are just beginning a fun UX with T-Mobile that precedes plenty of engagement … and future conversion possibilities.
#4 Rogers – FAQ Page
Wireless provider Rogers brings it home with a very humane FAQ section on their website. People are really fond of seeing pictures of other people, so it’s psychologically savvy to emphasize referral rewards for users as a human experience between people. Aimed at an older demographic, the picture itself focuses viewers’ attention on the exchange of information between two happy relations amidst a clear-cut design aesthetic.
Though “Refer Your Friends” says it all, there’s more print and more information to be had here. Question-oriented copy guides readers to learn how the referral program works, neatly separating the steps necessary from the benefits below. In the gray boxes, all that’s needed is one sentence to give users the incentive.
Rogers makes it easy to convert after reading, positioning bright stop sign CTA boxes nearby the copy. Doubly sure to remind their users that the benefits don’t apply to business accounts, the company makes good by emphasizing that “Save $25 off your bill” is about connecting with friends and family first. And is thereby very worthwhile.
#5 Sprint – Website
Starting with a bold value statement, Sprint’s website proposes instantaneous value to visitors. The outstanding copy of different sizes makes it clear as day and night: If you’re part of the Referral Rewards programs, you will save money – and lots of it! Each sentence on this page begins with an actionable verb. Language such as “Make,” “Refer” and “Share” are key to any optimized referral program. Equally important is being clear on how users and their friends can achieve the reciprocal rewards.
Scrolling down, Sprint gives 1-2-3 instructions for easy referrals. The use of numbers, symbols and creative layouts should not be overlooked. Anything that readily emphasizes the CTAs, offers direct copy and an appealing layout (that can be optimized for mobile) is worth trying. At the bottom are large, appealing dollar amounts which conveniently underscore the registration CTAs. For both referrers and referent customers, it’s as simple as black and white to receive the benefits of referrals with their wireless brands.
#6 DirecTV – Website
DirecTV offers a subdued yet enticing design to communicate the personal and invitational nature of their referral program. As an interesting flip in tactics, the cable brand wants to know who made the referral before new users can claim their rewards. This is clever because now DirecTV knows who’s acting as a brand advocate.
Immediate attention lands on the bright, optimistic “Get DIRECTV” call to action placed atop the invitation card. By double framing the conversion step, this section is both emphasized and offset from the rest of the page design. This website could be busy if it wasn’t so well balanced. The italicized words play off one another while the all-caps bolded blue $100 value statement parallels the CTA. The copy box at balances with the square at right – yet both tell readers how to immediately get their rewards. And that’s the crucial simplicity.
#7 DirecTV – Email
To communicate how much value is available to referral customers, DirecTV uses strong visual cues in their emails. Who would forget a $100 bill floating in their inbox? The cable company is straightforward and numerical about enticing shares. “100” shows up five times and the “Refer friends and Family” is a perfect banner to announce the net savings. Benefits-driven copy like this is the core of any email sequence because readers anticipate a return from a brand after a click-through. If they’re let down even once, perceived value drops and so does engagement. By handing their consumers a crisp digital reminder of the reciprocal gains for everyone involved, DirecTV is effectively pulling at the wallets and heartstrings of viewers. Here’s a brand that knows showing is better than telling. And that driving conversions is all about putting money in people’s hands.
Conclusion
This has been a list of telecom brands bringing their best to the referral marketing game. With massive numbers of customers and entrenched lines of brand loyalty, moving users from one company to another can be intensely challenging for these brands. However, as we’ve seen, their efforts across websites, landing pages, email and FAQ sections are well up to the task.
Within these referral programs, we’ve seen common threads to success: actionable CTAs, concise copy, clearly defined rewards structures and appropriate, compelling design hierarchies to emphasize and coordinate these unique elements. When all these components work well together, referral programs deliver a message of value to consumers that comes in bright, crystal clear and is impossible to ignore – every time.
