Isn’t it great when someone loves an article from your newsletter so much that they want to send it to everyone they know? Most times, your readers will just grab the page URL and email that over to their friend themselves.  Unfortunately, with this method, you as a publisher aren’t aware this is happening and you lose important information about how your readers are interacting with your newsletter. 

This is where the "Tell a Friend" link comes in.  It’s a clear and identifiable link that is tracked in the IMN reporting and analysis system, letting you know exactly who is forwarding what, and what actions people take as a result of that forwarding.  

To start gathering this important data, you can place the “Tell a Friend” link in various places within a layout by using one of two layout elements:  either the "Page Footer" or the "Custom Links" element.  

The “Page Footer” Option

If you edit the layout of your newsletter, you probably already have a "Page Footer" element on the bottom of your pages. If there isn't currently a "Tell a Friend" link there, click on “Layout” from the Main Menu, then go to the “Page Footer” at the bottom of your layout.  Once you click on that, you can then change the "Show Tell a Friend Link" setting to "Yes."

You’ll see that you can also put in a custom text label for the link. And you can change other settings as well, including the Tell a Friend Message, Subject, and Thank You Message.  Make any changes you would like, click on save and now “Tell a Friend” will appear in the footer of your newsletter. 

The “Custom Links” Option

The “Custom Links” element allows you to put the “Tell a Friend” link anywhere in your newsletter with a bit more flexibility than the Page Footer element.  In the Layout Editor, go to the “Page” dropdown menu at the top and select the page you wish to add the link to, such as the “Article Page.” Then click “Go.”  Once on the editor for that page, click the "Add" button where you would like the link to appear and then elect "Custom Links" from the options provided. You will be brought to a page where you can set up links.

From the "Link Type" dropdown menu, you can select the "Tell a Friend" option. You’ll see much of the rest of the information, such as the URL, automatically populated in the next few fields.   You can change the other options, such as the "Link Text," position, or whether or not you want a picture with this link.  

Note:  if you would like to change the Tell a Friend Message, Subject, and Thank You Message mentioned about, you will need to go into the “Page Footer” element and make those changes there.  

Once the options in the “Custom Links” section are configured, be sure to click the "Add Link" button. This adds the link, which will then appear in the "Current Links" area, and stores the information in the system.   You can then go to the bottom of the page to click "Save."

Once you save your layout changes and post your issue, the link will be in place. Be sure to place the link where it will be easy for the subscriber to find, such as at the very bottom of the Single Article element on the Article Page template, or, if you use a two- or three-column layout, place it next to the article in one of the other columns.

With the link in place, you can now begin to use the IMN reporting system to track both its usage and effectiveness. The number of times a “Tell a Friend” link is used will appear right in the Overview Report. This gives you a good indication of how often it's being used.  You can also see what article was forwarded, as well as the "Referral actions," which is the number of clicks that occurred as a result of these referral links.

All of this information not only gives you an idea of how often your newsletter material is being forwarded, but also what content your subscribers are sending to their friends, and whether or not those friends act on the information once it is sent to them.

If you have any questions about this, contact me. 

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