Got Klout? Want to get paid for your online influence? Check out Refer.ly, an online referral system for your social network, and earn rewards for your friends' actions.
First a couple of clarifications. Yes, you can use Refer.ly anywhere, it works like Bit.ly, shortening URLs and tracking the shortened URL. No, you won't get rewarded for all products purchased. To get rewarded, you need to select products from Refer.ly's Merchant Network.
Currently you can find a listing of Refer.ly's partners/participating retailers at the bottom of each page by clicking For Business and following the Partner Directory link, selecting Retailer Directory from the account drop-down menu, or on the home page, scrolling past the fold and clicking See the complete list. There are some surprising absences, for example Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, bebe, and Express are participating while White House | Black Market is not. Similarly, All Modern, Crate and Barrel, CB2, and Design within Reach are on Refer.ly, while Pottery Barn is not.
For me, figuring out who's a partner is an extra step. Shortening my links with Refer.ly's bookmarklet is the same level of effort as using Ow.ly or Bit.ly. Therefore, I'm just shortening all products I write about on the blog or mention on Twitter or Facebook. Refer.ly gives me total number of clicks, and if the company is a Refer.ly Merchant, I can earn rewards. There's not really a downside to using Refer.ly. If you want detailed data, such as when people are more likely to click through on a link, you'll need to keep using Ow.ly or Bit.ly.
How are you putting your online influence to work?
Happy Sharing!
Eden
