So you have signed up for Swagbucks, you are scoring on the searches, you are doing some offers... but you'd still like to see the numbers in your Swagbucks account grow. How?

One great way is to refer your friends! The greatest benefit to this is that when anyone signs up under your referral link, every time they search and win, YOU win as well! That means if they win 32 Swagbucks during a search, so do you!

What is a referral link? Each member of Swagbucks has a special referral link that they can use to give to others. This link can be found on the Swagbucks page under Promote (at the top), and then Banners. Your unique referral id is at the top. Copy and paste it and keep it in a handy place so that you can use it often. (You must be logged in to get your referral id).

What are some ways that you can refer your friends?
-Word-of-mouth. Tell them about it. Tell them how easy it is, what you are saving up for, and how excited you are- because it IS exciting! What could be more exciting that winning rewards and giftcards just for searching for stuff online?
-Email. You can follow up your word-of-mouth conversations with an email with your referral link so that they can get signed up. You can also use email to tell other people about it that you might not see every day. Another good place for it? Your email signature. Saying something like "I am helping to pay for Christmas with Swagbucks- it is easy, free and anyone can join!" and then put your referral link.
-Facebook or Twitter. Social networking is a powerful tool. You can send FB messages to your friends telling them about Swagbucks (include your link), or you can use the FB options on Swagbucks to share. Did you win 15 Swagbucks during a search? Use the FB icon to let them know! You can also get a widget by going to Swagbucks-Promote-Widget, and then clicking the Facebook option. It'll post it right onto your profile. You can also keep people updated with your progress- I guarantee that when you start getting those giftcards or prizes, they will be interested!
-Swagbucks Spoofs: Swagbucks has just unveiled a new way to get referrals! You can go here and input some info about a friend- name, interests, etc. Swagbucks creates a custom "spoof" search page all about your friend, with fake "articles", etc, that makes it look like your friend has gained notoriety in their field of interest! You then email it to your friend. These are quite hilarious and are sure to generate some laughs- and if your friend decides that they want to make one of their own, they will register for Swagbucks (under your link, which is included in the form)! Then you can tell them about how to win Swagbucks and prizes once they have joined!

Some things to remember:
-You only get credit if they sign up under your link. Anything you post on FB from the Swagbucks site- like the widget or your Swagbucks updates after a search (whenyou click the icon) automatically has your link.
-You only get matching points for searches- NOT the 30 Swagbucks sign-up bonus or for special offers, shopping, Swag codes, etc. If they search and win, you win. If they buy and win, you do not.
-There is a limit of 1,000 points- so when your referral hits that 1,000 mark total, you will no longer be getting matching points.
-Encourage your referrals! If they are not encouraged, they will not search. If they are not searching, they are not winning- and neither are you. Let them know how easy it is (because it is!), and how much they can do with it. Feel free to refer them back to these tutorials so that they understand it better.
-Tell them about the toolbar. The toolbar is the EASIEST way to make sure that you and your referrals are searching- if it is right there at the top of your page, it is handy and easy to use!
-Don't spam your friends. It can be hard to get referrals, but the easiest way is just by letting them see your progress. If you are getting free diapers on Amazon with your Amazon giftcards, that is hard to ignore! If you are paying for Christmas gifts without using money from your own pocket, people want to know about it. Don't be obnoxious, just do your thing and share your excitement!

How Do You Check on Referral Status:
-Log in to Swagbucks and check your dashboard (on the right). It tells you how many Swagbucks you have earned, how many referrals you have, etc.
-If you want a more detailed account of your referrals, click View Account and then Ledger. This will give you a detailed overview of how you have earned your Swagbucks. You can also click Referrals on the left to see the list of your referrals and how they are doing (but no private info).

You do NOT have to get referrals- it is just another option for maximizing your earning potential. We all love to share great deals with our friends, and this is a great deal- which makes it easy to talk about. If the idea makes you uncomfortable, though- don't do it! There is no reason to stress over it- there are plenty of other ways to win. The great thing about Swagbucks is that there ARE so many ways to get SBs, so you are never stuck doing something you don't like. :)

Are you not signed up for Swagbucks yet? You should be! Check out the rest of my info on Swagbucks! It is easy and free AND you get 30 Swagbucks just for signing up!