There are two ways one of your campaigns can get forwarded.
The first is simply that an excited recipient thinks your email is useful, they forward it directly onward. In this case, the entire original email along with the trackable links and embedded ‘beacon’ image that is used to track HTML email opens are forwarded to the recipient in its original form. When the recipient opens the email or clicks a link, this will register as an open or click for the original recipient. When reviewing statistics, what you’ll see is repeated opens (or clicks) registered for the same recipient.
Here’s an example from Pinpointe’s reporting:
The second way an email can be forwarded is when the email includes an embedded ‘forward to a friend’ link or form. The recipient clicks on ‘forward to a friend’ and is then asked to input one or more recipient addresses. Once entered, the email is forwarded onward, and each individual recipent can now be tracked separately. Only problem is, most people who find your email interesting enough to forard, usually just forward it with a note like ‘Yo Bob – this looks interesting’. ‘Nuf said.
