---
title: "The science of referral marketing"
id: "16931"
type: "post"
slug: "the-science-of-referral-marketing"
published_at: "2020-07-21T08:00:00+00:00"
modified_at: "2024-08-31T12:33:48+00:00"
url: "https://buyapowa.positivedesign.dev/blog/the-science-of-referral-marketing/"
markdown_url: "https://buyapowa.positivedesign.dev/blog/the-science-of-referral-marketing.md"
excerpt: "As the world’s most advanced referral marketing platform, we spend all day every day digging into what makes people share invites to their favourite brands and retailers and what makes their friends shop. Over the years, we’ve acquired a vast..."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Thought Leadership"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "Best Practice"
  - "Referral Program"
  - "science"
taxonomy_translation_priority:
  - "Optional"
---

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# The science of referral marketing

Last Modified: 31/08/2024  
**1 min read**

[https://buyapowa.positivedesign.dev/blog/author/peter-cunningham/](https://buyapowa.positivedesign.dev/blog/author/peter-cunningham/)

**Author:**  
[Peter Cunningham](https://buyapowa.positivedesign.dev/blog/author/peter-cunningham/)
- Marketing Director of Buyapowa

As the world’s most advanced referral marketing platform, we spend all day every day digging into what makes people share invites to their favourite brands and retailers and what makes their friends shop. Over the years, we’ve acquired a vast wealth of insight from working with over 350 leading global enterprise brands… now it’s time to share it with you.

In this dispatch from our labs, you’ll learn which sharing channels, rewards and incentives work best. We’ll identify which kinds of customers refer the most, the best time to get them involved and how long their referrals can take to come in. And we’ll debunk a myth or two along the way.

All the data in this guide is gathered from studying the results and trends across our hundreds of clients over a 12 month period.

Ready? Just put your lab coat on and click through the slides below to get started…

If you’re thinking about launching or improving a referral programme, or you fancy even more insight from our experts, just [get in touch](https://buyapowa.positivedesign.dev/about-us/)
. We’ve got a lot to share.

## Free eBook

Referral Codebreakers

Fill in the form & Unlock the science behind the world’s most successful & influential referral marketing programs

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## Free eBook

Referral Codebreakers

Fill in the form & Unlock the science behind the world’s most successful & influential referral marketing programs.
