How to Promote Your Referral Program via SMS (Through Braze)

Connor Johanning Updated by Connor Johanning

Overview

Drive more referrals and generate incremental revenue by sending automated SMS messages encouraging customers to refer friends after they’ve made a purchase. Braze’s Canvas allows you to personalize the message with each customer’s Friendbuy referral link when available, or send a fallback message linking to your Refer-a-Friend landing page.Step 1: Create Your Canvas

Step 1: Create Your Canvas

1. Navigate to Canvas

In Braze:

  • Go to Messaging → Canvas
  • Click Create Canvas
2. Choose Build From Scratch

Select Start From Scratch.

3. Name Your Canvas

Example:

Post Purchase — Refer a Friend SMS

Step 2: Select Your Entry Trigger

You want to send this SMS after an order has been delivered or completed.

In Braze:
  1. Under Entry Audience, choose Action-Based
  2. Select your relevant purchase event:
    • order_delivered (recommended if your ecommerce integration supports it)
    • order_fulfilled
    • order_completed
Best Practice Tip:

If your ecommerce platform sends a Delivered event, choose that trigger. This ensures customers receive the referral prompt only after the product has arrived.

Step 3: Add a Time Delay

  1. Click the + icon under the trigger
  2. Select Delay
  3. Set your desired delay timing
    • Example: 10 days

A delay gives customers time to try the product before receiving a referral prompt.

Step 4: Add a Conditional Split

Not every customer will have an associated Friendbuy referral link (PURL) yet. Your goal is to send:

  • SMS #1: to customers with a PURL
  • SMS #2: to customers without a PURL (fallback to your RAF landing page)
To set the split:
  1. Click + under the Delay
  2. Choose Conditional Split
Configure the logic:
  • Select Custom Attribute
  • Search for friendbuy_referral_link
  • Choose: Exists

Your split logic should read:

IF custom_attribute.friendbuy_referral_link exists

Step 5: Add SMS Under the “YES” Path (Referral Link Available)

  1. Under the YES branch, click +
  2. Select SMS
  3. Click Edit Message

Use Braze’s Liquid attribute syntax:

{{custom_attribute.${friendbuy_referral_link}}}

Example SMS copy:

Love your recent purchase? Share your link and give friends a reward: {{custom_attribute.${friendbuy_referral_link}}}

  1. Under the NO branch, click +
  2. Select SMS
  3. Click Edit Message
Link to Your Referral Landing Page

Example:

Love your recent purchase? Refer friends and get rewards → yourstore.com/refer

This ensures customers without a PURL still receive a referral prompt.

Step 7: Review and Turn Your Canvas Live

  1. Review each SMS message
  2. Confirm both messages are marked Active
  3. Click Launch Canvas
  4. Confirm the launch

Your SMS referral campaign is now live, and Braze will automatically determine whether a customer should receive the PURL version or the fallback version.

🚀 Get Ready to Drive More Referrals

Once your Canvas is live, every customer who meets the trigger event will automatically receive an SMS encouraging them to refer friends and family.

How did we do?

How to Email Coupon Codes Through Braze to Advocates and Friends After They Are Distributed by Friendbuy

How to Trigger a Text to Remind Advocates to Redeem Referral Rewards (Through Braze)

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