Use this free viral coefficient calculator to estimate the potential growth of your product or service based on its viral coefficient. A viral coefficient of 1.0 or higher means that your product is growing virally. This means that the number of new customers you are gaining through referrals is greater than the number of customers you are losing. A viral coefficient of less than 1.0 means your product is not growing virally.

Viral Growth or K-Factor Formula:

Viral Coefficient 🟰 Number of Customers ✖️ Average Number of Referrals per Customer ✖️ Average Conversion Rate for Referrals ➗ 100

This is the formula our viral growth calculator is using. Let’s say you have 100 customers, each of whom refers an average of 2 people. If the average conversion rate for referrals is 50%, then your viral coefficient would be:

Viral coefficient = 100 x 2 x 50 / 100 = 100

This means that for every 100 customers you have, you can expect to gain 100 new customers through referrals.

What is Viral Coefficient, Anyway?

The viral coefficient, often referred to as the k-factor in the context of growth metrics, is a measure used to describe the rate at which a product, service, or information spreads. In the simplest terms, it quantifies how many new users each existing user can convert or “infect” (hence the term “viral growth”).

Viral coefficient, or k-factor, is calculated by multiplying the average number of referrals per customer by the average conversion rate for referrals.

A high viral coefficient means that a product or service is very likely to spread quickly and widely. Companies with high viral coefficients can achieve exponential growth with relatively little marketing investment.

Here are some examples of companies with high viral coefficients:

• Company A is a social media platform that allows users to share photos and videos with their friends and followers. Each user can invite up to 10 friends to join the platform. If 50% of the invited users join, then the viral coefficient for Company A is 5. This means that for every 10 users who are already on the platform, Company A can expect to gain 5 new users through referrals.

• Company B is a ride-sharing app that allows users to request rides from other users who are nearby. Each user can invite up to 5 friends to sign up for the app. If 20% of the invited users sign up, then the viral coefficient for Company B is 1. This means that for every 5 users who are already on the platform, Company B can expect to gain 1 new user through referrals.

As you can see, Company A has a much higher viral coefficient than Company B. This means Company A is much more likely to experience exponential growth.

Here is a table showing how the number of users would grow over time for Company A and Company B, assuming a starting user base of 100:

Loop	Company A	Company B
1	100	100
2	150	20
3	225	40
4	337	80
5	506	160

Company A’s user base grows much faster than Company B’s user base. This is because Company A has a much higher viral coefficient.

TL;DR: Viral coefficient is an important metric for companies to track, especially those that are focused on growth. By understanding their viral coefficient, companies can identify areas where they can improve their product or marketing strategy to achieve even more rapid growth.