# Scripter Referral Program

**Issue:** FRE-582  
**Priority:** Medium  
**Owner:** CMO  
**Status:** Draft  
**Launch:** Post-launch (Week 3+)

---

## Program Overview

**Program Name:** "Write Together"  
**Tagline:** Invite your writing partners. Everyone wins.  
**Goal:** Drive 30% of new signups through referrals by Month 3  
**Budget:** $5,000/mo (credits + cash rewards)

---

## Referral Mechanics

### How It Works

1. **User gets unique referral link**  
   `scripter.app/ref/username` or `scripter.app/r/abc123`

2. **Share link** via email, social, or direct message

3. **Friend signs up** using the link

4. **Both get rewarded** when friend reaches activation milestone

### Reward Structure

#### Tier 1: Free Users
| Action | Referrer Gets | Referee Gets |
|--------|---------------|--------------|
| Friend signs up | — | Free (always free) |
| Friend writes 5 pages | 1 month Pro | 1 month Pro |
| Friend upgrades to Pro | 2 months Pro | — |

#### Tier 2: Pro Users
| Action | Referrer Gets | Referee Gets |
|--------|---------------|--------------|
| Friend signs up | — | 14-day Pro trial |
| Friend writes 5 pages | $10 credit | $10 credit |
| Friend upgrades to Pro | $25 cash or 3 months free | 1 month free |

#### Tier 3: Premium Users
| Action | Referrer Gets | Referee Gets |
|--------|---------------|--------------|
| Friend signs up | — | 14-day Premium trial |
| Friend writes 5 pages | $15 credit | $15 credit |
| Friend upgrades to Premium | $40 cash or 4 months free | 1 month free |

### Milestone Bonuses

| Referrals | Bonus |
|-----------|-------|
| 5 successful referrals | $100 bonus + "Super Connector" badge |
| 10 successful referrals | $250 bonus + lifetime Pro |
| 25 successful referrals | $750 bonus + lifetime Premium |
| 50 successful referrals | $2,000 bonus + "Legend" status |

---

## Viral Loops

### Loop 1: Collaboration Invite
**Trigger:** User invites collaborator to script  
**Flow:**
1. User clicks "Share" on script
2. Enters collaborator email
3. Collaborator receives email: "[User] invited you to collaborate on 'Untitled Script'"
4. Collaborator clicks link → signup/login → gains access
5. If new user: referrer gets credit

**Goal:** Every script = potential new user

### Loop 2: Watermarked Exports
**Trigger:** Free user exports PDF  
**Flow:**
1. User exports screenplay as PDF
2. PDF includes footer: "Written with Scripter — Write Faster at scripter.app"
3. Recipient (producer, director, actor) sees branding
4. Curious recipient visits site → signup

**Goal:** Every exported script = marketing asset

### Loop 3: Public Script Links
**Trigger:** User shares public read-only link  
**Flow:**
1. User generates public link for script
2. Shares with network
3. Recipients see "Read this script on Scripter" branding
4. CTA: "Start writing your own script — free"

**Goal:** Script sharing = discovery channel

### Loop 4: Social Sharing
**Trigger:** User hits milestone (10 pages, finished draft, etc.)  
**Flow:**
1. In-app celebration: "You wrote 10 pages! 🎉"
2. Option to share: "I just wrote 10 pages on @Scripter — Write Faster!"
3. Pre-populated tweet with image
4. Followers click → landing page → signup

**Goal:** Writing achievements = social proof

---

## Technical Implementation

### Tracking Requirements

```javascript
// Referral link structure
scripter.app/ref/{userId}?utm_source=referral&utm_medium={channel}

// Track events
- referral_link_generated
- referral_link_shared (channel: email, twitter, facebook, link)
- referral_signup (referralId, newUserId)
- referral_activation (referralId, milestone: 5_pages, upgrade)
- referral_reward_issued (referralId, rewardType, value)
```

### Dashboard Features

**User View:**
- Current referral count
- Pending referrals (signed up, not activated)
- Successful referrals (activated)
- Total earnings (credits + cash)
- Referral link with copy button
- Share buttons (email, Twitter, Facebook)
- Referral history timeline

**Admin View:**
- Total referrals (all-time, this month)
- Conversion funnel (link → signup → activation)
- Top referrers leaderboard
- Fraud detection (self-referrals, abuse)
- Payout queue (cash rewards)
- ROI analysis (referral LTV vs cost)

### Fraud Prevention

| Risk | Mitigation |
|------|------------|
| Self-referrals | Block same IP, same device, same payment method |
| Fake accounts | Require email verification, activity threshold |
| Bot signups | CAPTCHA on signup, rate limiting |
| Credit card cycling | Track payment methods, limit per card |
| Abuse reports | Manual review for >10 referrals/month |

---

## Payout Mechanics

### Credits
- Applied automatically to next billing cycle
- Visible in account dashboard
- Expire after 12 months (encourages use)
- Non-transferable, non-refundable

### Cash Rewards
- Minimum payout: $25
- Payment method: PayPal, Stripe, or account credit
- Processing time: 30 days (fraud window)
- 1099 required for >$600/year (US users)

### Lifetime Plans
- Granted after 10+ successful referrals
- "Lifetime" = life of product or 5 years, whichever is longer
- Transferable once (gift to friend)
- Does not include enterprise features

---

## Promotion Strategy

### Launch Tactics

#### 1. Founding Members Boost (First 1,000 Users)
- 2x rewards for first 1,000 users
- "Founding Member" badge on profile
- Exclusive access to referral leaderboard

#### 2. Launch Contest (Month 1)
- Top referrer wins: $1,000 + lifetime Premium
- Top 10 win: 1 year Pro
- All participants: exclusive swag

#### 3. Email Campaign
- Announcement email to all users
- "Your referral link is ready" with instant share CTA
- Weekly leaderboard updates during contest

#### 4. In-App Promotion
- Banner on dashboard: "Invite friends, get Pro free"
- Modal after writing milestone: "Share your success!"
- Permanent referral section in settings

### Ongoing Promotion

| Channel | Frequency | Content |
|---------|-----------|---------|
| Email | Monthly | Referral tips, leaderboard, contest reminders |
| In-app | Always | Referral CTA in settings, post-milestone |
| Social | Weekly | Success stories, top referrer spotlights |
| Blog | Quarterly | "How I got 50 referrals" case studies |

---

## Success Metrics

### 90-Day Goals

| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| Users with referral link | 50% of active users |
| Referral signups | 30% of all signups |
| Referral conversions | 20% of paid upgrades |
| Viral coefficient (k-factor) | 0.5+ |
| Cost per referral signup | <$5 |
| Referral LTV | 2x organic LTV |

### KPIs to Track

```
Referral Rate = Referral Signups / Total Signups
Referral Conversion = Referral Paid / Referral Signups
Viral Coefficient = Invites per User × Conversion Rate
Referral ROI = Referral Revenue / Referral Program Cost
Time to First Referral = Avg days from signup to first referral
```

---

## Budget

### Monthly Costs (at scale)

| Item | Cost |
|------|------|
| Pro credits (500 referrals × $8) | $4,000 |
| Cash rewards (50 payouts × $40) | $2,000 |
| Lifetime plan grants (5 × $100 value) | $500 |
| Contest prizes (amortized) | $500 |
| **Total** | **$7,000/mo** |

### Conservative Launch (Month 1-2)

| Item | Cost |
|------|------|
| Pro credits (100 referrals × $8) | $800 |
| Cash rewards (10 payouts × $40) | $400 |
| Contest prizes | $1,000 |
| **Total** | **$2,200/mo** |

### ROI Calculation

```
Assumptions:
- 500 referral signups/month
- 20% convert to paid (100 users)
- Avg revenue: $10/mo per user
- Monthly revenue: $1,000
- LTV (12 months): $12,000
- Program cost: $7,000/mo
- ROI: 71% (positive at scale)
```

---

## Competitive Analysis

### Dropbox: "Give 500MB, Get 500MB"
- Result: 35% of signups from referrals
- Key: Simple, instant, valuable
- Lesson: Make reward immediate and clear

### Airbnb: "$25 for you, $25 for them"
- Result: 2x bookings in some markets
- Key: Cash value, two-sided reward
- Lesson: Cash > credits for some users

### Robinhood: "Get a free stock"
- Result: Massive viral growth
- Key: Gamified (random stock value)
- Lesson: Add surprise/delight element

### Calendly: "1 month free"
- Result: 15% of upgrades
- Key: Simple, product-native reward
- Lesson: Match reward to product value

---

## Implementation Timeline

### Phase 1: Foundation (Week 1-2)
- [ ] Build referral link generation
- [ ] Create tracking infrastructure
- [ ] Design referral dashboard
- [ ] Set up fraud detection
- [ ] Write email templates

### Phase 2: Launch (Week 3)
- [ ] Soft launch to 100 beta users
- [ ] Test full flow (link → signup → reward)
- [ ] Fix bugs, optimize UX
- [ ] Prepare launch announcement

### Phase 3: Scale (Week 4+)
- [ ] Full launch to all users
- [ ] Start launch contest
- [ ] Monitor fraud, adjust thresholds
- [ ] Weekly optimization based on data

---

## Risks & Mitigation

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|------------|--------|------------|
| Low participation | Medium | High | Gamify, add contest, improve promotion |
| Fraud/abuse | Medium | Medium | Strong detection, manual review |
| Negative ROI | Low | High | Cap rewards, optimize conversion |
| Spam complaints | Medium | Medium | Limit emails, easy unsubscribe |
| Complex UX | Low | Medium | Simplify flow, clear instructions |

---

## Next Actions

1. **Finalize reward structure** - Confirm economics with finance
2. **Design referral dashboard** - Mockups for user and admin views
3. **Build tracking infrastructure** - Event tracking, attribution
4. **Create email templates** - Referral invites, rewards notifications
5. **Set up fraud detection** - Rules, monitoring, manual review process
6. **Plan launch contest** - Prizes, rules, promotion calendar
7. **Write help docs** - "How referrals work" FAQ
8. **Coordinate with CTO** - Technical requirements, timeline

---

**Related Issues:**
- FRE-577: Marketing website (referral landing page)
- FRE-580: Email marketing (referral email templates)
- FRE-581: Launch campaign (referral contest)
- FRE-585: Analytics dashboard (referral metrics)

**Dependencies:**
- User account system (CTO)
- Payment/credits system (CTO)
- Email infrastructure (Ops)
- Analytics tracking (CTO)
