Referrals allow your list members to invite their friends to join your list. You may track how many friends were referred by list members, how many opened or clicked on a tracking link in the invitation, and how many ultimately joined the list.
Here's how it works:
1. You send out a mailing to your list with a referral link asking members to invite their friends to join the list.
2. List members click on the link and enter the email addresses of those they'd like to invite. They can also include an optional message.
3. The invited members receive an email message telling them how to join the list. If they follow the instructions in the invitation, they become a list member.
To use the referral feature, you must first create an invitation—a message that will be sent to those referred telling them how to join the list. This can be accomplished easily using the Invitation Template in Content, which can be customized to fit your needs. Next, you must create a referral form—the web page members are taken to when they want to invite a friend to join the list. Finally, you must insert a referral link into your mailing (or into the mailing content).
1. Create an Invitation
The invitation is sent to those who are invited to join your list by your members. Referrers can optionally add their own message (if your referral form allows it). Note that you can include clickthrough links in the invitation message.
1. In the left Navigation bar, click Content, then click View Content, and then click the Create from Template button.
2. Click the Your Templates box, and then select Built-in Templates.
3. Click the Select command for the Invitation Template.
4. Enter the Content Name.
5. Click Text Message, and then edit the text body.
6. Click Save. You have now created your invitation which will be sent by referrers to others to join the list.
2. Create a Referral Form
The referral form is a web page where your list members will enter in the email addresses of people they would like to invite to join your list. Only members can refer others to join a list.
1. In the left Navigation bar, click Utilities, point to Web Forms, and then click Referral Forms.
2. To use a pre-existing referral form template, click Create From Template.
3. Click the Choose a Template box, select Referral Form Template, and then click OK.
4. Enter a Title and Description for the referral form, and enter the HTML for the form.
5. Click the Applies To box, and then select the list, site, or server you want the Referral Form to apply to.
6. To preview the form, click Preview.
7. When you are finished, click Save.
3. Create a Referral Link
In order for your members to be able to invite friends to join your list, you must insert a referral link into your mailing.
1. Create content as you normally would for a mailing. While on the New Content page, click Text Messageor HTML Message.
2. Click Insert URL, and then click the Referral tab.
3. Select the Invitation Content—the message you created in the "Create an Invitation" procedure above that should be sent to those invited by your members.
4. Select whether or not you want the invitation to track opens and detect HTML capability.
5. Select the Referral Form—the form you created in the "Create a Referral Form" procedure above that members should go to when they want to invite members.
6. Enter the Destination URL—the URL your members should be taken to after inviting members. If blank, they will be taken to a default web page thanking them for inviting members.
7. Click Insert. This will create a link at the bottom of the message. You can then move this link to wherever you want it in your content.
8. Continue to create your content as usual. When you are finished, click Save.
9. Create a mailing, and insert the content you created with the referral link.
You can view the results in Reports: Mailings: Referral Statistics.
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