Managing Gaming Within a Referral Marketing Programme
Referral marketing programmes are powerful tools for businesses aiming to drive profitable growth by acquiring high-quality customers and maximising their lifetime value. However, the success of these programmes can sometimes lead to individuals attempting to take advantage of the system—a practice known as "gaming." Understanding and addressing this issue proactively ensures that your referral marketing efforts continue to deliver real value.
What Is Gaming and Why Does It Occur?
Gaming occurs when individuals manipulate a referral programme to gain rewards in ways that were not intended. This can happen due to overly generous incentives, lenient verification processes, or loopholes within the programme’s structure. While some participants may be unaware they are bending the rules, others may seek to maximise their rewards in ways that don’t align with the spirit of the programme.
Common Pitfalls in Referral Programmes
- Self-Referrals and Fake Accounts – Some individuals create multiple accounts using different email addresses or identities to refer to themselves, collecting rewards meant for new customers. This not only skews customer data but can also impact overall marketing strategies.
- Collusion – Groups of individuals may work together to refer each other, artificially inflating referral numbers without bringing in truly new customers. This coordinated effort can make it difficult to assess the true impact of the programme.
- Incentive Misuse – Some participants take advantage of programme structures by signing up multiple times to access welcome offers, without the intention of becoming long-term customers.
- Broadcasting Referral Links – Instead of sharing referral links with personal contacts, some users post them on public forums or coupon sites, attracting participants who may not be genuinely interested in your brand.
How Mention Me Helps You Tackle Gaming
At Mention Me, we believe in supporting businesses to ensure their referral programmes remain effective, fair, and rewarding for genuine advocates. Our platform provides a range of tools to identify and address gaming concerns before they become an issue.
- Intelligent Detection Tools – Our system uses machine learning and behavioural analytics to identify unusual activity patterns, such as repeated referrals from the same device, email domain, or IP address. These are flagged for further review, helping businesses stay ahead of potential gaming risks.
- Gaming Score System – Mention Me's gaming score system evaluates referral behaviour based on various risk indicators, such as referral frequency, IP duplication, and account creation patterns. Each participant is assigned a score that reflects the likelihood of gaming activity. If a user’s score exceeds a predefined threshold, their participation in the referral programme may be limited or subjected to additional verification checks.
- Dynamic Rewarding Rules – Mention Me allows businesses to set specific eligibility criteria for rewards, such as purchase validation periods or referral thresholds. This ensures that incentives go to genuine referrals rather than those looking to take advantage of the system.
- IP and Device Tracking – Our technology monitors IP addresses and device fingerprints to detect unusual patterns, such as multiple accounts created from the same location. If abnormal behaviour is detected, our platform can automatically adjust eligibility or apply further verification steps.
- Controlled Reward Distribution – Businesses can implement a waiting period before rewards are issued, ensuring referred customers remain engaged beyond their initial sign-up. This approach helps encourage genuine participation in the programme.
- Customisable Terms & Conditions – Mention Me supports businesses in defining and enforcing clear referral programme rules, ensuring transparency and setting expectations for participants.
- Ongoing Monitoring & Support – Our dedicated team works closely with businesses to provide ongoing monitoring and expert guidance, helping to refine referral strategies and ensure continued success.
By leveraging these features, businesses using Mention Me can confidently run referral programmes that drive authentic customer growth while ensuring that rewards go to genuine advocates.
Final Thoughts
Referral marketing should be a positive experience for both businesses and customers. By taking proactive steps to manage gaming activity, businesses can ensure their referral programmes remain fair, rewarding, and effective. With Mention Me’s intelligent detection tools and expert support, you can confidently grow your customer base while maintaining the integrity of your programme.
Be sure to speak to your Client Success Manager if you have any further questions about gaming and how you can optimise your programme to prevent it.