Understanding Social Share vs. Social Follow in the Email Designer

Delivra’s drag-and-drop email designer includes two built-in social media content blocks: Social Share and Social Follow. While both add clickable social network icons to your email, they serve distinct purposes and offer different engagement benefits.

What’s the Difference?

Social Share

The Social Share block allows recipients to share your email content to their own social media accounts. It’s a way to amplify your message beyond your email list by encouraging users to post your campaign to their followers.

• Supported Networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Email

• Purpose: Encourages recipients to share the email with their network

• Reports As: “Social Shares” and “Impressions” in campaign reporting

• Customization Options:

  • Select specific networks

  • Edit share label text

  • Adjust icon orientation (horizontal/vertical)

  • Customize icon spacing and order

Social Follow

The Social Follow block links recipients directly to your organization’s social media pages. It’s a simple way to grow your audience across channels by promoting your branded accounts.

• Supported Networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube

• Purpose: Directs recipients to follow your brand’s official social pages

• Reports As: Part of standard campaign click reporting

• Customization Options:

  • Choose included networks

  • Change label text (e.g., “Follow us”)

  • Set icon orientation and spacing

  • Reorder buttons via drag-and-drop

How to Use Social Share & Follow Blocks

1. Drag and Drop: From the left-hand content panel, drag either the Social Share or Social Follow element into your email layout.

2. Customize: Click the newly added element in the canvas to open the editing panel on the right. Here, you’ll:

   • Change the label text

   • Choose your platforms

   • Adjust spacing between icons

   • Set layout orientation

   • Reorder icons via drag-and-drop

Styling Tips

You can tailor the appearance of both Social Share and Social Follow buttons to match your branding:

• Change Icon Style: Use the “Icon Style” drop-down for each platform to select a new style or upload your own icon.

• Replace Icons: Click “Change Icon” to upload a custom image from your Media Library. Ideal icon sizes range from 25–40 pixels wide.

Best Practices

• Be Clear with Labels: Make sure your call-to-action is clear—e.g., “Share this with friends” vs. “Follow us on social.”

• Limit Platforms: Only include platforms relevant to your audience. Too many icons can clutter the email.

• Match Your Brand: Use custom icons or styling to align with your visual identity.

Common Use Cases

• Social Share:

  • Launch announcements or product updates you'd like shared widely

  • Referral campaigns that benefit from peer-to-peer promotion

• Social Follow:

  • Welcoming new subscribers with links to your social channels

  • Email footers that consistently offer ways to stay connected

License Level Requirements

Both Social Share and Social Follow are available in all license tiers: Starter, Professional, and Enterprise.