REFERRALS
Smart links guide
10 min
roster's smart links feature allow ambassadors to have their own unique link(s) to share with their community purchases made by customers who click ambassadors' links are attributed back to the referring ambassadors (see docid\ uwop1nebkqwrk6caqzrkv for a detailed explanation on how roster assigns attribution to ambassadors ) unlike traditional referral links that are long, complex, and difficult to manage, smart links streamline the referral process by offering a shorter, cleaner, and more customizable option this enables brands to create dynamic links that are not only visually appealing but also packed with features that enhance tracking, discount management, and program specific configurations by leveraging smart links, brands can offer ambassadors a more intuitive experience with fewer steps for sharing links, while gathering critical performance data on each link variant whether used at a program level, smart links empower both brands and ambassadors to make data driven decisions and maximize their impact smart links are one of three methods by which roster tracks referrals made by brands' ambassadors see docid\ m9u vgnqurpevfrzliwpt within the programs > program setup section of this site to understand how referrals are tracked at a program level key benefits of smart links program specific referral links smart links can be customized per program, giving brands more flexibility with landing pages, customer discounts, and referral tracking capabilities branded and shortened urls smart links use the rstr co short link, creating clean, easy to share links that put the focus on your brand leakproof discount codes prevent the misuse of discount codes by automatically applying unique codes tied to the smart link itself this keeps codes secure and prevents potential revenue loss from leaked or shared codes dynamic link management smart links can be updated at any time without requiring ambassadors to change the urls they’ve already shared this ensures seamless updates for promotional campaigns or changes in tracking parameters advanced tracking and reporting smart links automatically integrate utm parameters and custom fields, giving brands powerful insights into where traffic is coming from, how different channels are performing, and the impact of each ambassador increased sharing options for ambassadors ambassadors can generate their own channel specific and product specific referral links from the ambassador portal, allowing them to track and optimize performance on each platform they use (e g , instagram, tiktok) before smart links prior to smart links, an ambassador's referral link might look like 🤨 bellenutrition com/?rstr=janeskiis which although isn't terrible, the ?rstr=janeskiis is ugly, and the link lacks any utm parameters, limiting a brand's ability to gain a richer set of website analytics if a brand enables utm params in roster, an ambassador's referral link now looks like 🤮 bellenutrition com/?rstr=janeskiis\&utm source=organic referral\&utm campaign=jane 345312\&utm medium=ambassador yuck ! nobody wants to put that link on their instagram bio smart link example with smart links, that same ambassador's referral link now looks like 🤩 rstr co/bellenutrition/janeskiis this new link appearance keeps both the brand and the ambassador front and center upon clicking an ambassador's smart link, a customer would be seamlessly redirected to the destination url, packed with valuable info, like utm parameters, link variants, and optional customer discounts how smart links work smart links are created on a per program basis and are comprised of three main parts 1) destination url, 2) link appearance, and 3) customer discount these three components are crucial because they determine where customers land, how the link looks, and whether any incentives are offered—providing brands with control over the entire customer journey destination url this is the website that loads when somebody clicks an ambassador's smart link this is often the brand's website, but can also be dynamic, like an ambassador specific landing page link appearance the link appearance determines how ambassadors' links appear in their bio, their linktree, or when shared via text or messenger apps by default they appear like the example above, but you can select different options as well customer discount shopify brands are able to optionally apply a discount to an order placed from an ambassador's smart link we recommend the leakproof code option, but brands can opt to have ambassadors' shareable code automatically applied to the order as well for ambassadors, smart links give them the ability to create channel and product specific variants, such as for posting on instagram or tiktok, or to direct followers to their favorite product, while being able to see detailed metrics about each variant next steps docid\ ambvb at8xje4wy49t9pe to get started with smart links for your roster programs docid 3dyvftf3tw3ulct2wquen for brands using roster's legacy referral links docid\ oliee0ssliv8a95njtips to make for a seamless transition from your previous platform docid\ fejnmn6qyvtiqggobu yz to see what questions other brands are asking about smart links