And needless to say, when those users begin inviting the people they know to the platform, your growth propels.

“Sense of belonging is recognized as an important determinant of psychological and physical well-being.”

Relationship building – 78%,
Involvement – 69%,
Identity building – 68%. (source)

The trouble is that at the same time, many platforms are only useful if you use them with friends and connections.

94% of us make sure to share things that are useful.
And 49% of customers want to tell others about products or services they care about.

You need to ensure that new users will quickly realize the magical moment. Or at least understand the importance of bringing in a couple of friends to the platform to fully avail of the benefits it offers.

According to the NYT, involvement is the 3rd most common reason for sharing or referrals.

“[…] social capital is the absolute key to successful referral campaigns. If you can generate confidence in the imminent and inevitable social reward of making a recommendation your customer will be won over.”