Most referral platforms are still living in the past. Their core focus is email and, at best, Facebook. But customer behaviour has changed. People are no longer just sharing offers in their inboxes. They are sharing them in DMs, private chats, and on the social platforms like WhatsApp and TikTok that they use every day.
At Soreto, we’ve built a referral solution that reflects how people actually share today. That means giving customers the freedom to refer via WhatsApp, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and beyond. Because if your referral programme isn’t where your customers are, it isn’t working as hard as it could be. In 2024, Soreto’s campaigns reached a potential of 247m social media accounts spreading the word of great brands authentically and organically where their target customers are engaged and discovering new brands every day.
Referral Tools Are Stuck in the Past
Too many referral platforms rely on limited sharing options. Typically, they offer email, Facebook, and maybe SMS. But these are no longer the channels where people spend most of their time.
Today’s consumers are messaging friends on WhatsApp, watching product reviews on TikTok, and posting their latest finds to Instagram Stories. These are the spaces where real recommendations happen. If your referral programme doesn’t reach those spaces, you are missing out on organic, high-trust word of mouth.
Soreto Meets Customers Where They Are
That’s why Soreto is different. We are the only referral platform offering out-of-the-box sharing across all major modern channels. This includes WhatsApp, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, email and more. No custom builds or integrations needed. It’s built in from the start.
Adding TikTok to our sharing options, has opened up even more potential for our brands to tap into short-form, high-reach content. This is especially powerful for younger audiences who are already using TikTok to discover and recommend products in their day-to-day life. Easily accessible in their bios, link trees and direct messages.
By making referral sharing seamless on these platforms, we help brands unlock more engagement and grow their community through the channels that actually matter.
WhatsApp Leads the Charge
The numbers speak for themselves. In the last year, 40% of all referrals made through Soreto were shared via WhatsApp. That makes it the most-used channel across our entire platform. It also highlights the importance of private, message-based sharing in driving referral success.
Most referral providers do not offer WhatsApp sharing at all. That means their users are limited to outdated or less personal methods of communication. Soreto solves this by letting customers refer in the same places they chat with their friends every day.
Why Social-First Sharing Works
Referrals are most effective when they feel natural. When a customer shares something they love in a group chat or social post, it carries more weight than an email. It feels real. It feels trusted. That kind of authenticity cannot be replicated by traditional ad formats.
Social-first sharing also delivers more reach. One TikTok post or WhatsApp message can drive dozens of new visits or conversions. And because these channels are often visual and mobile-first, the content is more likely to get noticed and acted on.
At Soreto, we help brands build referral programmes that work within these behaviours, not against them.
Final Thought: Stop Limiting How Customers Can Share
If your referral platform is still only focused on email, you are limiting your growth. Soreto is built for the way people share now. That means private messages, group chats and real conversations between friends.
With TikTok and WhatsApp fully integrated, and support for all major sharing channels, Soreto helps brands grow through real advocacy on the platforms that customers already trust.
Book a demo here to see how Soreto can bring your referral programme into the social-first era.
