The Advantages of a

Refer-A-Friend Script

Viral marketing is a buzzword coined to describe various marketing techniques that use social networks to increase brand awareness of a certain product or services. It got its name for the fact that it spreads itself the same way as viruses do: from one person to another.

Viral marketing spreads information and media about a brand and attract potential customers to it.

Refer-a-friend script is a HTML script embedded on a website or blog which visitors can use to refer the site to friends and family.

It is simply composed of a simple web button with the words “Refer a Friend” or “Tell a Friend” written on it.

How it works:

1.The person clicks the button;

2.A page or a new browser window containing an online form with attached media and information will open up;

3. The visitor would fill out the form;

4. The recipient will receive an email.

What are the advantages of using the refer-a-friend script to advertise and market a product?

1. the script uses the tried and tested method of propagation of social networking. If given the right conditions a simple refer-a-friend script can geometrically spread awareness about the target brand, doubling with every iteration.

And because the spread of information relies on referrals, the script attracts people who actually have genuine interest about the product, service, or website that is being advertised. Also, unlike spam mail which comes unsolicited from unknown senders, the messages from the script contain the name and other personal details from the sender, thus creating trust in the recipient and increasing the chances that he or she will visit the website.

Another major factor why the refer-a-friend script is a great viral marketing tool is that it easy to set up in a website. It is usually in the form of PHP or HTML, and can be downloaded from a variety of web development sites. Once the script has been placed properly onto the programming of the website, it can be immediately used.

The length of code varies from one script variant to another, with simple scripts consisting of a few lines of code to a hundred or more lines for advanced scripts.

Although it is not as well known as conventional advertising or marketing tools, the refer-a-friend script is nevertheless-as-effective in creating brand awareness. And given the ever-expanding internet economy, this indispensable online gadget will soon be commonplace on the web.