Forward to Friend Deep Dive

[Brian_Law_MKTO]

An overview of the native Forward to Friend functionality in Marketo.

Using the Forward to Friend token in your emails allows you to track leads who have received a forwarded email through this link, and automatically adds them as a new lead if they are not already in the database. The token used in the hyperlink in the email is {{system.forwardToFriendLink}}. When you click the Forward to Friend link in an email a light box appears on a web page. The Forward to Friend feature is in English only and can’t be edited.

• If the friend’s record is already in Marketo and is unsubscribed, email invalid or marketing suspended the Forward to Friend email will not be sent if it is an non-operational/promotional email. The Forward to Friend email will be sent if it is an operational email. 
• The friend’s First Name and friend’s Last Name are automatically blocked from field updates. Thus, if the friend’s record is already in Marketo the name fields won’t be overwritten.
• The Marketo activity log will capture the Forward to Friend request and when the email is sent and delivered to the friend.

• The Marketo activity log will capture if the friend’s email address bounces.

New Records

• A new record is created in Marketo if the email address of the friend is not already in Marketo.
• Marketo sets the new record’s email address by default as unsubscribed. You can use a triggered smart campaign to change the unsubscribed field.
• Marketo sets the lead source automatically to Forward to Friend.

• If the email is a local asset of a program, the program is marked as the lead’s Acquisition Program.
• Unfortunately the Original Source Info and Registration Source Info will be empty and there is no way I know to use Marketo to set these fields.

Marketo activity log

• Marketo will capture that a Forward to Friend email was sent from the person who received the original email.
• Marketo will capture which Marketo ID was sent the forwarded email however no personal information such as name or email address will be captured.

There are two Forward to Friend triggers in Marketo

• Sent Forward to Friend Email trigger can be used to increase the score or write an interesting moment for the person who forwarded the email.

• Received Forward to Friend Email trigger can be used to increase the score or write an interesting moment for the person who received the forwarded email.

Sales Insight

• Emails sent to the friend will automatically be displayed in Sales Insight if the record is already synced to SFDC.

• Emails sent by the friend will not automatically be displayed in Sales Insight. You can create a campaign to write an interesting moment.

For additional information see the Forward to Friend article on docs.marketo.com

Here are some suggestions you can vote on to improve Forward to Friend

• Customize form
• Additional languages
• Reporting​