surviving the recession

Many online money-making projects, such as affiliates, get-paid-to-click, sponsored posting etc also pay you to introduce people to their service. Typically, they ask you to introduce a member, and that member has to earn a certain amount before you get your introduction fee. Many bloggers get very excited at this and plaster referral links all over their blogs. But how successful if this as a money-making project?

In my experience, nine out of ten referrals earn you absolutely nothing, as they give up way before they earn enough for you to get your introduction fee. Occasionally you might be able to refer someone who is absolutely great, and you earn a lot from introducing them, but this is very rare. And then you get referral schemes where the scheme owner changes their mind about paying for referrals, so all the work you have done introducing people to their site is for nothing.  

My advice is, sure, put the referral links on your blog, as you never quite know if one of those rare diligent referrals will turn up. But don’t count on the money - it’s a very nice-to-have iceing on the cake, if and when you get paid, nothing more. And don’t be so foolish as to neglect your real sources of online earnings because you are too busy promoting referrals.