Welcome to Yorkshire launches referral scheme with ongoing rewards

Welcome to Yorkshire has rolled out a referral scheme on Yorkshire.com that pays businesses 10% of member payments for eligible introductions and gives new members 10% off their first payment. The move is meant to help more Yorkshire businesses market themselves on the platform while giving agencies, councils and membership groups bulk discounts of up to 50%.

Why it matters: - The scheme creates a recurring revenue stream for businesses that refer new members to Yorkshire.com. - It also lowers the cost for new businesses joining the platform. - Welcome to Yorkshire is tying the referral offer to broader efforts to expand Yorkshire.com usage across the county's business network.

What happened: - Welcome to Yorkshire launched a new referral scheme through Yorkshire.com. - Businesses that introduce an eligible business to Yorkshire.com earn 10% of every payment made by that business. - The payout continues for as long as the referred business remains a paying member. - The business being referred gets 10% off its first membership payment. - Rewards can be taken as cash or converted into Yorkshire.com promotional credits at twice their cash value. - Linda Scott, CEO of Yorkshire.com (International) Ltd, said the scheme was designed to turn everyday business introductions into an ongoing benefit.

The details: - Yorkshire.com offers dedicated listings and promotional opportunities across destinations, accommodation, attractions, events, food and drink, shopping, property and services. - The website reports more than five million annual visitors. - Yorkshire.com says it has more than 100,000 business listings. - Referrers can use rewards as Yorkshire.com credits to fund future promotion on the platform. - The referral offer is available through Yorkshire.com. - Welcome to Yorkshire is also promoting an organisation-led model for agencies, local authorities, Business Improvement Districts and membership bodies. - Qualifying organisations can access discounts of up to 50% when arranging listings for the businesses they represent. - The arrangement can be used as an added membership benefit, business support perk or client benefit. - The programme is aimed at groups of independent businesses, visitor economy operators, high street businesses and other organisations seeking a stronger online presence. - Yorkshire.com already works with organisations on bespoke and large-scale arrangements, including local authorities and other strategic partners. - More information is available at yorkshire.com/for-agencies.

Between the lines: - The referral scheme gives Welcome to Yorkshire a way to grow membership through word-of-mouth instead of direct advertising alone. - The doubled credit value is a built-in incentive to keep rewards inside Yorkshire.com rather than cashing them out. - The agency and council discount programme suggests the company is also targeting institutional buyers that can bring multiple businesses onto the platform at once.

What's next: - Welcome to Yorkshire is steering interested agencies, councils, BIDs and membership organisations to the Yorkshire.com agencies page for more details. - The company appears to be using the new program to widen its business base while giving existing members a reason to recruit others. - Yorkshire.com is likely to market the referral and group-discount offers alongside its wider membership pitch.