Referral marketing involves leveraging existing customers to attract new ones, often through incentives such as discounts or rewards, and can be automated using various platforms and tools like GrowSurf, Rocket Referrals, and Zapier. A great referral program typically has five core elements: referral incentives, referral emails, promotion channels, tracking and analytics, and automation. Incentive-based programs reward both parties, while referral emails share program details with prospective participants, promotional channels promote the offer, and tracking and analytics monitor performance. Automation simplifies management by reducing manual work and scaling growth. Launching a referral campaign can be daunting but offers cost-effective growth, builds brand awareness, identifies loyal customers, and pays off in the long run.