Industry · Newsletters

Reward the readers who bring you readers.

Start with the Newsletter Referral. Every subscriber gets a personal link inside each issue, sent through the email platform you already use, and readers earn the rewards you set at each milestone.

Start for free14-day free trial · No credit card requiredBook a demo

Used by newsletters and publishers

How do newsletters and publishers run referrals?

Rewards at milestones, featured readers, giveaways and paid subscriptions, with a real newsletter program where there is one.

Milestone rewardsThe China GuysChina-watcher newsletters and research
Subscribers refer subscribers up a ladder of rewards: a bonus newsletter at 3, stickers at 5, a mug at 20 and a hat at 50.
TemplateThe Milestone Referral
Featuring your readersRealism TodayFree art newsletter
5 referred subscribers get a reader's art featured.
TemplateThe Milestone Referral
Giveaways
Readers enter a prize draw and invite friends for more chances to win. Every friend who subscribes through their link is one more entry.
TemplateThe Tempting Giveaway
Paid subscribers
Count the referral only when the friend starts a paid subscription in Stripe, and reward the reader with credit or a coupon. Stripe is on the Growing plan and up.
TemplateThe Universal Referral

What counts as a referral for newsletters and publishers?

You decide where a referral counts. This is the usual route, with the tools that report each step.

All integrations

A reader shares their link
From the email widget in each issue, or from their own sharing page.
A friend subscribes
On the subscriber page Viral Loops hosts, or your own form. Substack writers add new subscribers from a daily digest.
It counts when they confirm
With double opt-in, a friend counts only after confirming their email. They join your list in your email platform, such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Kit, ActiveCampaign or Ghost.
Kit
The reader gets their reward
At each milestone you set, by email the moment it is reached: bonus content, a shout-out, merch, or a gift card through Tremendous.
Tremendous

Works with

MailchimpEmail
KlaviyoEmail
KitEmail
GhostNewsletter
SubstackNewsletter
AWeberNewsletter
Campaign MonitorNewsletter
BirdSendNewsletter
ActiveCampaignEmail
HubSpotCRM
Zapier500+ more apps
Webhooks & APIDevelopers

Which template should newsletters and publishers start with?

All templates

How did it go for the DONUT?

Customer storythe DONUT, a daily news newsletter, was one of the first to run the Newsletter Referral, rewarding its readers.From zero to tens of thousands of subscribers

FAQ

Newsletters FAQ

Which email platforms does it work with?

Any email platform with merge tags that lets you add HTML blocks. The Newsletter Referral connects to Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, HubSpot, Kit, Ghost and Substack, and to others through Zapier. Every subscriber gets a personal sharing link, and the email widget shows it in each issue.

Do existing subscribers get a link too?

Yes. Import your list or connect your email platform, and every subscriber gets a personal sharing link. With Mailchimp, new subscribers to the connected audience join the program on their own.

What rewards work for a newsletter?

Exclusive content or online events, shout-outs, a private community, or merchandise for your top referrers. The China Guys gave a bonus newsletter at 3 referrals and a mug at 20.

Does a referral count before the friend confirms?

Not with double opt-in. Friends verify their email before they become participants, so unconfirmed sign-ups don't count and aren't on the dashboard. Double opt-in is on the Growing plan and up.

Which plan do we need?

The Newsletter Referral is on every plan, from Start-up. The Milestone Referral is on Plus and up, and double opt-in and automatic rewarding come with Growing.