Referral Programs for Advertising AI/ML (Seed)
Referral Programs playbook for advertising AI/ML companies at Seed. Tailored to the advertising business model with implementation steps and expert guidance.
Timeline: 2-4 months
Prerequisites
- ✓ Working MVP
- ✓ Analytics tracking key events
- ✓ Budget for 2-4 months
Step-by-Step Guide
Discovery & Audit phase for referral programs in ai-ml. Focus on understanding the landscape and planning.
Strategy Design phase for referral programs in ai-ml. Focus on understanding the landscape and planning.
Initial Implementation phase for referral programs in ai-ml. Focus on execution and iteration.
Measurement Setup phase for referral programs in ai-ml. Focus on execution and iteration.
Optimization Cycle phase for referral programs in ai-ml. Focus on execution and iteration.
Scale & Systematize phase for referral programs in ai-ml. Focus on execution and iteration.
Expected Outcomes
- ✓ Validated referral programs for advertising AI/ML
- ✓ KPI baselines established
- ✓ Growth process documented
KPIs to Track
- ● Time to First Referral
- ● Referral Rate
- ● Referred User LTV
- ● Program Participation Rate
- ● Viral Coefficient
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Ehsan's Growth Commentary
Most AI/ML founders over-invest in infrastructure and under-invest in Referral Programs. My recommendation: spend 80% of your time on the first 20% of activities that drive results. The companies reaching $1M ARR through Referral Programs all share this pattern.
The first 90 days of Referral Programs for AI/ML at Seed: weeks 1-2 audit and baseline, weeks 3-6 first experiments, weeks 7-12 double down on winners. Do not skip the baseline step.
Ehsan Jahandarpour
AI Growth Strategist & Fractional CMO
Forbes Top 20 Growth Hacker · TEDx Speaker · 716 Academic Citations · Ex-Microsoft · CMO at FirstWave (ASX:FCT) · Forbes Communications Council