Let’s see some numbers

What happened between 2008 and 2010? Well, Dropbox managed to double its user base every 3 months, resulting in their users sending 2.8 Million invites in April 2010.

But how they really did it?

How the team behind Dropbox did it

Even the best referral program in the world isn’t enough by itself to create such a growth. Therefore feedback was essential, giving them the tools to continually improve their product. The key factor in their endeavor, of course, was requiring efficient funding, a non-stop ‘battle’ with the VC’s to trust their money to them.

The 2-side reward philosophy of Dropbox’s referral program was very plain.

they reward people with more free space not only for referring their friends but also for accepting an invitation.

In conclusion, the referral program was an overall success because:

  • Offered an extended version of the same product.
  • It was part of the on-boarding process.
  • People had a clear view of the benefits.
  • It made it ridiculously easy for people to invite their friends.
  • People knew their referral status at any given time.
  • They managed to build a Viral Loop.

But how we can do it?

You need just to follow these simple steps:

  1. First of all, use the existing users and give some gift to them.
  2. In addition, provide a clear view of their benefits.
  3. Create a very – really- very simple process.
  4. Make known their referral status.
  5. Finally, put new users in the loop.

See you next time!