Abstract: A status messaging service is used as an online channel for indirect messaging in a word-of-mouth marketing campaign. A user of a web service is prompted to endorse the web service to the user's friends or other connections by submitting a status message to one or more status messaging services to which the user belongs. The status message contains an endorsement of the web service and may further contain a link to a personal invitation page for the web service. By submitting the status message to a status messaging service, the endorsement contained therein is then communicated to the user's connections in the status messaging service.