Congrats! 🎉 You’re now an advocate and can start earning referral rewards (if not, email us and we’ll set you up). There are some key things to remember when sharing your referral link so folks know you’re starting a store to showcase local farmers and food makers.  In this article, we’ll discuss how to share your referral links. We’ve also included some additional places to share your referral link.

Copy the Link

The first step that you’ll take in earning referral rewards is to copy the link that is unique to you. This is the link that you will share in emails and on social media. When your friends click on the link, you are credited with the sale if they make a purchase. A cookie is placed on their computer and when they make a purchase with your link, you’ll receive credit for the referral.

Start with the Social Media Buttons

Once you’ve copied your social media link, look for the sharing buttons on the page. These buttons are there to make sharing faster and easier. In the Instagram example, the shop buttons are on the top of the page. They give you the option of instantly sharing to your store. The Facebook function allows you to share as a post and send it in a private message to a friend.

Start sharing your link with these buttons immediately. It is fast and easy and you won’t accidentally lose the link between now and the time you think of the perfect referral.

Where to Share Your Referral Links

While you can share the referral link with everyone and anyone, it is most likely your co-workers, friends and family who will purchase through your referral link. When sharing your link, mention what you loved about the product or the experience with the brand.  Or build posts on your new social media account around your new store – highlight the farms, producers, etc.  Often times, you’ll find that by doing so, you’re building a relationship with the brands you highlight.

Send the link in a  personalized email to friends and family members that may need the product or service first. These are the people that will most likely check it out and make a purchase.

Share your referral link on social media. You may want to share them in groups that have a similar interest – LinkedIn business groups, etc. However, be mindful of the rules of the group. Some groups do not allow referral or affiliate links. Make sure that you read the rules first.

When sharing your link on social media, you may want to include some of the things that you love in the post along with your affiliate link (we made sure that the Photo, Text, Description looks extremely professional). This will pique the curiosity and interest of the post readers. You can share on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.  You can even break down each product, or each producer – which will create 100s of posts for you.

Social media sharing will be most effective if you have a following of people who enjoy your posts. The more people who read your posts, the more likely one of your friends will click on the referral link and make a purchase.

You can create new social media account “brands” that highlight each of the new dietary restrictions, food innovations, every year we have new diets and product categories that emerge – that are looking for new leaders like yourselves.  Our goal is to help make you a pro!

Sharing in Online Groups

Facebook and LinkedIn groups and other online forums can be good places to share your link if you are an active participant. However, do not spam your link to the group. There is a tasteful way to share your link in groups. Don’t simply join a group and post your link.

If someone is asking for advice and the product or service would be of help to them, you can reply with information about the product or service that you used and share the link with them. Group members will be grateful for your experience and willingness to share the resource.

Share your referral link in a post with the group after you have participated in a variety of discussions. If you simply post your referral link without participating in the group, you risk being viewed as a spammer and possibly banned.   Also, participating will allow you to learn and stay up to date on the new subjects.  Becoming a leader means being the most knowledgeable person in your space.  Regular contribution to the group can help establish you.

Create a Review Video

Reviews help customers make buying decisions. If you have the talent and feel comfortable in front of a camera, why not make a review video? You should share with the audience what you purchased, the customer service experience, the quality of the product and who would it benefit from using it.

When you finish the review video, you can include the referral link in the description. Direct viewers to the description to receive a discount and click on your referral link.

Many YouTubers have an entire channel dedicated to reviews of products and services that they absolutely love. You’ll have the best results if the channel is related to the product that you are reviewing. For example, a channel that is dedicated to tea drinking could review tea subscription services, cups, and kettles for making tea.  Another channel on innovative plant focused baked goods.  Another on sustainability or seasonal products.  Get creative!

Write a Review Blog Post

Bloggers have a great opportunity to share their opinions with friends and family. Even if you don’t have a considerable about of traffic, a review blog post is a great idea.

If you loved your experience with the company, write a review about it. Many people Google “product + review” when they are trying to decide if they want to try out a product. If people discover your review, you can help them make a decision about whether or not to try our product and earn a referral reward in the process.

The review post should include a photo of the product, description, the pricing, who the product is for, and your honest opinion of the product. You should include a rating of the product and whether or not you recommend other people try it as well.

Why Share Referral Links?

“Word of mouth can be as important, if not more important, for neighbourhood businesses as traditional advertising.” – Ekaterina Walter

As an ambassador or customer, it isn’t your job to get the word out about a new company or product. It is nice to earn a referral reward once in a while. However, the real reason that you should be proactive in sharing your referral links with friends and family is to ensure that the brands and farms stick around. If you truly love their products or services, you probably want to purchase from them in the future.  We need to fight for what we want!

Share referral links with friends and family. Get the word out about companies that you love. It spreads good karma. It also helps to ensure that the company will have some business and be around for a while, so you can buy from them in the future.