How to Refer Someone

What does it mean to refer someone to a survey company? Like many people, you probably don’t know where to start. Here are some tips on how to refer people:

What is a referral program?

A referral program is an agreement and rules to follow when you recommend a friend, family member, blog follower, or otherwise join a website at your request and in connection with your account. For example, with survey companies you are generally agreeing to get paid per person you refer who joins or you may be paid for certain activities such as completed surveys.

How can you share with others?

Once you have agreed to the terms and conditions of the referral program, you will become a referrer (which may also be known as an affiliate). Most sites will have some kind of dashboard, and they will generate links you can share with others in different formats.

We generally recommend trying a variety of ways to refer others:

• Email your friends with a link and a give a reason for why they should participate. Tell them about the program and let them know the benefits they can enjoy by joining or participating.
• Write an article on the web on a blog platform such as blogger.com. Create a blog about your experiences with the website and the benefits you receive. Write compelling content that will be shared with others.
• Comment on others’ blogs and articles on the web. Find content that is compelling and make a relevant comment with a reference to the website and possibly your referral link.
• Ask a friend if you can advertise on their blog. Most blogging platforms allow the blog owner to post links and ads on the side of the articles. Here you could create an image or use the resources of the affiliate site you are using and post an image with a link to your referral link.
• Talk to people. Tell them what you are doing and ask them to try it out.

Customize your message

Be creative with the messages you share via email or on a web page. Be personable. Show your personality. Include descriptive content explaining how the site works.

Before becoming an affiliate, check your agreement for details

Do the points you earn expire?

Some companies pay you in points, and if you don’t cashout your points in a year they will expire. These companies use this trick to keep from having to pay you.

What cashout limits are there with the referral program?

Some companies let you cash out only when you have earned certain amounts. These can be high amounts, which does not allow you to cash out if you aren’t referring enough people.

How long you get credit for the referrals?

Some companies will offer payments for survey completes but only allow you to earn for the first year of their membership.

What do the people signing up as your referral have to do for you to get credit?

Check to see if they have to just sign up or if they have to also confirm an email or do anything else.

What form of payment will you receive?

Some companies pay in subscriptions services or sweepstakes. Make sure they pay you in cash.

If paid in points, what are those points worth in currency values?

Some companies offer thousands of points for having someone sign up. Check the conversion ratio to see if it is worth it. Sometimes the points do not add up to much in a dollar amount.

Does the company have a history of changing their point value system?

Most companies who have a point value system have a clause in the agreement that they can change the point values at any point. Read up on the affiliate program and read reviews to find out if they have done this in the past, because this may indicate a likelihood of it occurring again.

What restrictions are there with sharing with others?

Some companies are restrictive on the method by which you can share. Some companies only allow web banners and don’t allow you to email your referrals.

Do they allow incentivized leads?

If you are looking to refer others and you are offering your own sweepstakes to people who sign up, check to make sure that you are allowed to offer incentives to people signing up.

How many people can you refer in a given time period?

Some companies have restrictions on the number of people you can sign up under your referral account. One survey company allows you to refer as many as you want, but it only pays you for the first 5 joins.

How much will you be paid per payable action?

Check how much you will be paid per join or completed survey, if it is a survey company. Make sure you read the fine print looking carefully for possible restrictions.

Do referrals have to double opt in via email?

You may be thinking that referrals only have to fill out a form and join the site, but a referral may have to confirm their email and do other things before you get paid.

Do they pay you based on drawings or sweepstakes?

Watch out for companies that offer just sweepstakes or prize draws. Remember that some of these companies have thousands of people referring others, and just one grand prize of $10,000 will only go to one person. Don’t waste your time if this is the only form of payment.

Do they have payment delays when cashing out?

Some companies agree to pay you, but in their terms of payment they wait 3 months or more to credit your account. Before you sign the agreement, find out what their responsibility is to pay out.

Do they pay you automatically or do you have to invoice?

Some companies will do everything in their power to keep your money in their hands. You should know if you have to invoice them or if you get paid automatically.

Are you contractually obligated in any way?

Are you contracted to work only with them or can you work with others at the same time? Make sure you don’t get locked out of other opportunities.

Get started referring others

Try referring a few people to see if it works for you. You never know if this is your thing or if it works for you unless you try. Remember to be patient. You will not get rich right away, but you can earn good money over time if you have patience.