Some content sites add a Tell A Friend or 'Email this to a Friend' link at the end of each article or passage of content.

Ecommerce sites may add the Tell A Friend link on a product purchase page. "This product isn't for you? Then maybe you know someone who would like it."

And from time to time you'll see that Tell A Friend link in an email or newsletter.

What is surprising is that companies don't use the power of Tell A Friend more often - and that they don't do a better job of it.

Why It's Such a Great Idea

The concept of Tell A Friend is valuable because it taps into the spirit of the Web so exactly. The Web, whatever ecommerce companies may wish, is principally about individuals sharing their thoughts, passions and views online. Billions of messages are sent by individuals online - through emails, instant messages and posts to discussion list. Not to mention weblogs and one-person newsletter publications.

The noise online that you hear is not the sound of virtual cash registers, it's the roar of individuals talking with one another. That's what the Web is about. Transactions come in a poor second. Transactions are driven by the roar, not the other way around.

That's why Tell A Friend is such a powerful means to spread the word. Telling friends is what people are doing online anyway. So when you add that link at key points on your site and in your emails and newsletters, you are tapping into an existing and powerful passion.

So why don't you have those Tell A Friend links on more pages on your site? Why don't you have them in every newsletter - or even at the end of every article or feature in that newsletter?

For one client I am working with right now, we place a Tell A Friend link next to every product that is featured in their outbound promotional emails. We also add links at the end of every article in their newsletters.

The result? Hundreds of readers 'Tell A Friend' every single week. That's a powerful form of promotion for the company involved. Recommendations through friends and colleagues carry a lot more weight than recommendations through your marketing department.

Which brings us to the next major issue when it comes to Tell A Friend programs.

Let Them Use Their Own Words

When someone clicks on that Tell A Friend link, they are typically taken to a screen that asks them to enter their name, the recipient's name and the recipient's email address. And then there is a box for the message.

Sometimes that box is empty, with an invitation for the user to type in a message. On other sites the box includes a pre-written message, created by your own writers or marketing department.

This latter option is almost always a bad choice.

The idea of providing a pre-prepared script for that message of personal recommendation undermines the foundations of what makes Tell A Friend so great. People use this service because they have something to say. So let them say it.

It's tempting to think that you 'know better'. It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that your professional words will sell harder than your customers' personal words.

Not so.

The Tell A Friend message field is not a promotional opportunity. It's not ad space. It's not your space. Whatever you put there will not only be less effective than a personal message, but it will also reduce your customers' faith both in the Tell A Friend process and your company.

So draw a deep breath and let go a little. Let your customers do what they want to do. Leave that field blank.

Tell A Friend is a powerful thing. It facilitates the easy growth of word of mouth. It gets people talking about your site. So let them talk.

Use Tell A Friend more. And use it right.