4 Proven Tactics to Boost Your Email Forwarding Rates

When you receive an email that feels tailor-made for your current interests, you often don’t just read it—you share it. Whether it is a local event, a helpful resource, or a critical update, the act of forwarding an email bridges the gap between passive consumption and active advocacy. For any brand, this behavior is a powerful metric. When your subscribers hit the forward button, they are essentially endorsing your brand, helping you reach new audiences, and potentially driving conversions without you spending an extra dime on outreach.

We at AEO/GEO recognize that high-performing email marketing goes beyond simple open rates. While deliverability and clicks remain important, the true marker of an engaged community is the willingness of your subscribers to spread your message. A truly successful email campaign works to delight the reader so deeply that sharing it becomes a natural next step. By understanding the data-backed reasons behind why some emails go viral while others are ignored, you can start crafting messages that inherently invite engagement.

Recent analysis of nearly half a million email sends reveals distinct patterns in what compels people to pass a message along. If you are looking to increase the reach and impact of your communications, you must move beyond generic templates and focus on the specific elements that trigger sharing behavior.

Targeted and Segmented Messaging

Targeted email is a message strategy that relies on list segmentation to deliver content relevant to a recipient’s specific behaviors or attributes. In an increasingly crowded digital landscape, generic “blast” emails are frequently ignored or marked as spam. Our analysis suggests that subscribers are far more likely to engage with content that reflects their unique relationship with your brand.

When you group your subscribers based on factors like engagement history or demographic data, you ensure that the content they receive is meaningful. Data indicates that targeted emails can be up to 90% more viral than untargeted, one-size-fits-all messages. This is because relevancy is the primary driver of curiosity. When a person receives information that directly applies to their life or work, the barrier to sharing that information with a colleague or friend drops significantly.

To implement this effectively, consider these two foundational approaches:

1. Behavioral Triggers: Set up automated messages that fire in response to specific user actions, such as signing up for a webinar or abandoning a cart.
2. Attribute Segmentation: Organize your master list by subscription levels, interests, or industry focus to ensure you are only sending content to those who need it.

When the content perfectly aligns with the recipient’s expectations, you stop being a sender and start being a resource. This shift in positioning is exactly what turns a standard newsletter into a high-value asset that people feel comfortable sharing with their own professional networks.

The Power of Strategic Personalization

Personalization is the practice of tailoring email content to individual subscriber attributes, moving well beyond simply inserting a first name. While addressing someone by name is a standard practice, it rarely influences whether they share your content. True personalization involves using the data you already have—such as purchase history, specific product interests, or past interactions with your website—to customize the core experience of the email.

In studies of email virality, we have found that the most shared messages are 4.5 times more likely to include deep, meaningful personalization than the average email. Think of this as the difference between sending a generic flyer and delivering a personalized summary of services. When an email reflects a user’s specific context, it feels less like a marketing automation task and more like a personal recommendation.

Consider these ways to elevate your personalization:

• Dynamic Content: Display different images or product suggestions based on what a user has previously purchased.
• Contextual Data: Reference specific details about an account update, a recent purchase, or an upcoming event specific to that user.
• Visual Customization: Where appropriate, include details that are visually unique to the user, such as a model of a product they have reserved or a personalized report based on their activity.

By showing your subscribers that you understand who they are, you build trust. When that trust is coupled with information that they find valuable, they are naturally more inclined to pass that value on to their peers.

Incorporating Explicit Sharing Calls-to-Action

Sometimes the most effective way to encourage a behavior is to simply ask for it. A clear, well-placed call-to-action (CTA) specifically designed for sharing can significantly increase the frequency with which your emails are forwarded. If you are already asking subscribers to download an ebook or register for a trial, there is no reason not to extend that same clarity to the act of sharing.

Our research indicates that the most frequently shared emails are 13 times more likely to contain explicit “Share With Your Network” CTAs. It is not enough to hope that a reader will find your email interesting enough to forward; you must remove the friction from the process. If a subscriber has to copy, paste, and reformat your content to share it, they likely won’t bother.

Follow these best practices to optimize your sharing CTAs:

• Make it accessible: Ensure that your sharing buttons are touch-friendly and clearly visible on mobile devices.
• Simplify the process: Use links that pre-populate email drafts, tweets, or social posts with relevant content, saving the user from having to write the post themselves.
• Provide clear value: Frame the CTA not just as a request, but as an opportunity for the subscriber to add value to their own network by sharing your high-quality information.

By making the sharing process nearly instantaneous, you cater to the “on-the-go” nature of modern professional life. Subscribers appreciate when you make it easy for them to share information that they deem important, as it helps them remain helpful and relevant to their own contacts.

Prioritizing Naturally Shareable Content

Beyond technical tactics, the core subject matter of your email is the final arbiter of its viral potential. Certain types of content possess inherent qualities that make them more likely to be passed along by a reader. When you align your content strategy with these themes, your emails are far more likely to gain traction.

Event Information

Emails detailing event logistics, registration links, or attendee information are 3.2 times more likely to be shared. People naturally want to invite their peers to events, and they often use the official email to facilitate that connection. By ensuring event-related emails are information-dense and easy to read, you support your audience’s natural desire to coordinate with others.

Newsworthy and Helpful Content

Content that informs rather than sells is highly shareable. If you can provide high-quality updates or helpful educational resources, you position your brand as a leader in your field. The key here is to remain non-promotional. When the primary goal of the email is to provide value to the reader, they are far more likely to see the benefit in sharing that value with their colleagues.

Announcements and Product Updates

Subscribers often act as gatekeepers of information for their own teams. Emails regarding product launches, store openings, or even product recalls are 6 times more likely to be shared than generic promotional content. This is because the information is often essential for others who may be affected or interested.

Charitable and Fundraising Initiatives

Finally, emails highlighting charity and fundraising are 3 times more likely to be shared. These messages tap into the altruistic motivations of your subscribers. When you make it easy for them to evangelize a cause they care about, you strengthen your brand’s relationship with your community.

As you look at your upcoming email calendar, consider these categories. While sales and promotional messages are necessary, finding a balance with shareable, high-value content will expand your reach far more effectively than constant, direct-sales messaging ever could.