Do you 'help' your referrals or leave them be?

1. 87

   WryLiltposted 14 years ago

   I'm getting a few referrals and have nearly 100 hubs written by them now. Just wondering how other hubbers approach their referrals...
   
   Do you try and help them, either person to person or in the forums/on their hubs? Or do you leave them be and hope they're smart enough to learn it all themselves and become prolific?

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   1. 92

      Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      That's a good question. I only have one so far  (I just figured out how to post the link, duh).
      I became a follower for the sake of encouragement. I normally do not do this until after reading a couple of hubs(none so far), but I could see that the subjects being followed were very much in line with my interests.
      I think it would be fine to offer help or answer questions.

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      1. 80

         mega1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         How did you do it?  I have been trying to find the help info to put that referral in my profile like you did - I understand that you make a tracker for it and add it to the hubpages url to get your own referral - but how do you insert it so it is a "click here" link in blue?  I don't know how to do that.

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         1. 0

            Website Examinerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Like this:
            
            http://hubpages.com/_xyz/user/new
            
            Simply replace "xyz" with your own referral tracker. Found under "my profile," "URL trackers."
            
            To generate the link, type the text like you want it to appear e.g. "Sign up here", then highlight it while in edit profile mode. Click on the linking icon, insert the URL as shown above, click save.

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            1. 92

               Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks for doing that-- I probably read about 16 different explanations before doing it myself and I'm still not sure I could explain it to another person.
               
               One thing I will add-- even though this seems self-evident to many people, is to go to your "my account" page-- then to "edit my profile" -- the edit box contains a linking tool, just like the one in hub capsules.
               This is the "duh"-'easy part' that I was missing in a lot of the explanations before I got it.

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            2. 80

               mega1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

               thanks, very much - finally got it!

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   2. 60

      darksideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I don't keep track of them. I won't go out of my way to contact them, I'd find that too intrusive.
      
      I'll give advice, tips and feedback to anyone in the forum, regardless of whether or not I referred them.
      
      Not everyone will convert into a prolific hubber. Only a small percentage will.
      
      According to Jakob Nielsen, 90 percent of online users are "lurkers", or users who visit online communities but don’t contribute; 9 percent contribute from time to time; and only 1 percent of online users are active contributors.

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      1. 0

         ryankettposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         We can't all be contributors, there always has to be a consumer
         
         Every one of the 90% of those who sign up and never become a 'contributor' does not learn the finer details of the site, and thus remains a 'clicker' or a 'buyer' in my opinion... so its all good.

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         1. 71

            Anna Marie Bowmanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Yes, everyone has their role in life, even here...

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2. 71

   Anna Marie Bowmanposted 14 years ago

   Absolutely!!!  Your success in money making is tied to their success.  If they do well, it helps you.  Of course, aside from the selfish aspect, I try and help anyone who asks for it.  Helping your referrals is a good idea for other reasons.  It encourages them to write, it helps bring them into the community, and it makes it easier for them to get the hang of things.

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3. 0

   ryankettposted 14 years ago

   The first time I got a decent referral (as in good quality output) I went a bit too heavy in trying to sell the site to him and I think it scared them away.
   
   I just leave them be now, although I jokingly started a thread about KimberlysLyrics as she is one of my referrals.
   
   I personally think that the effort and time is better expended seeking new referrals, as it truly is a numbers game.
   
   My 147 referrals have published 467 hubs, and I am happy with that. My goal is 1000 referrals, I will let them decide whether they wish to become skilled at money making, or poets, or just simply crap, or wish to dissapear, etc etc. Its their life and all that...

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4. 76

   sunforgedposted 14 years ago

   i have yet to contact a referral, but when a referral reaches ten hubs, I take notice of them and begin incorporating links to their relevant works into my off hub websites, they get put into my twitter feed (6k)and since I read them, I am likely to remember their work and link to it when applicable in my own works also.
   
   They would never know this but I feel some quick success is more likely to keep them motivated.

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   1. 92

      Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Sounds like a good strategy. Sensible and non-intrusive.

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   2. 82

      Dorsiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Good advice to help new referrals, and at 10 you know they are probably getting serious.

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5. 82

   Dorsiposted 14 years ago

   Very good question. I have about 35 referrals and some are very active. I always join their reader club, encourage them and then let them know they can ask me questions or even better yet - visit the forums. I think if they are serious about writing they need to be in the forums and learning as much as they can...
   And I read their hubs too!

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6. 80

   thisisoliposted 14 years ago

   I try to send some kind of constructive motivational email if they dont do anything after sign up, it has worked a couple of times but only to the tune of a couple of hubs.

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   1. 76

      sofsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Sunforged and Oli  that is some wonderful mentoring!

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   2. 70

      Cordaleposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You know you got me rollin in the bank for you Oli

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7. 87

   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

     interesting statistics.
   
   I have 5 referrals, and I've been known to tweet and share their hubs. one is not very active, the other 4 do write.

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8. 62

   Kidgasposted 14 years ago

   If I ever got a referral, I would certainly be willing to offer any level of assistance that would be desired.  I have had over 1000 clicks on my referral tracker but no sign ups.  Needless to say, I am a tremendous internet marketer with a stunning CTR.

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9. 74

   Kangaroo_Jaseposted 14 years ago

   I like to personally help out each and everyone one of my referrals, wait.
   
   I just checked, I have zero referrals.
   
   No wonder they don't answer my emails

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   1. 87

      WryLiltposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      LoL

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10. 97

    viryaboposted 14 years ago

    I got a good product, a subscription actually, through a great hubber (similar to referring IMO), got stuck and needed a few answers. Sent an email asking a couple of questions. Didn't even have the decency to reply or help me out. And i still pay for the subscription up till now.
    
    Hmm...i wasn't impressed with that attitude

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11. 82

    Benjimesterposted 14 years ago

    I used to offer assistance.  I even wrote a 20 page guide to Hubpages that I offered to new folks.  Most signed up and then never came back.  I just let them do their own thing now.  Of my 25 referrals, only 2 have ever posted any hubs.  It's a freaking catastrophe!!!!!
    
    JK

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