What Problem Does This Solve?

The user receives an invitation from a friend or connection to join a site.

When to Use This Pattern

• Use when the experience is enhanced by having a network of connections.
• Use when growth of the service is dependent on friends of friends.
• Use when you want to supplement traditional user acquisition with user based referrals.

What's the Solution?

• The invitation should have personal messaging from the sender.
• The sender should be clearly identified to the recipient.
• The benefits of joining and participating should be clearly articulated to the recipient.
• A very clear Call to Action button or link should be available for the recipient to easily step right into the site to try it out.

Why Use This Pattern?

Having a formal invitation in place for your users to send to their friends allows you to combine a controlled marketing message from your site with a personal message from the user to their friend. This process also guarantees a consistent call-to-action for viral growth.