Are you interested in using tell a friend script for your website? Then again, you would not be reading this if you weren’t. One of the hottest viral marketing gadgets, viral marketing programs encourage awareness of the target website over large online networks while at the same time helping people recommend the site to their friends and family.

By definition, tell a friend script are special computer codes which are embedded onto websites for use in helping people visiting that site import contacts and recommend it to their friends via e-mail. The program is usually composed of a web banner which redirects to a short online form or the form. The transmitter simply has to fill up the form with necessary details (name, e-mail address etc.) and click the send button. The tell a friend forms program will then automatically forward the message to the target acceptor with the sender’s details and information regarding the site.

The advantage of using tell a friend script to market websites is in two forms: it can promote awareness of the site from person to person and it is very cheap to run. The program uses word-of-mouth to pass on the marketing message online to people, which they in turn pass on to others. Free items and other benefits are usually included with the marketing message to motivate the continued propagation. And because it relies solely on e-mail, the marketing message costs almost to nothing to initiate and control. This cost-effective method has made it a favorite amongst start-up companies, who have little or no resources for conventional marketing methods.

However, there are also disadvantages to using viral programs to promote websites. Because it uses people as the mouthpiece for marketing, the marketing message often gets distorted or diluted as it is passed along. Also, viral software and other similar mass-mailing programs have been controversial for being used as devices for spamming.

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