MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: ErickN on August 28, 2007, 09:19

Title: iStock referred members
Post by: ErickN on August 28, 2007, 09:19

Hi all,

I now have 5 reffered members (4 new ones in august) who seem to be referred buyers as I earned $10 for each of them.

What I don't understand is where they got my referral link from ? I've never left any referral link anywhere, be it on personal websites or discussion forums. Do our referral links appear automatically in search engines ?

Or is it that when a buyer's first buy happens to be one of your images, you are considered as the referrer ?

Not that I'm bothered earning more money 8), but I like to understand how things work, just out of curiosity.

Erick

Title: Re: iStock referred members
Post by: stokfoto on August 28, 2007, 09:40

same thing happened to me too.I was thinking of contacting IS about it,I had 2 referred members recently and I have no clue where they got my refferal link from?
like you said I don't mind making a few bucks out of it but I'd also like to know how  that could happen?

Title: Re: iStock referred members
Post by: sharply_done on August 28, 2007, 09:50

IS is partnered with vox.com, a free blogging service. If anyone clicks through to IS from one of your images there you get the referral fee. Maybe that's where they came from.

Pretty nice that you got money for doing absolutely nothing, huh?

Title: Re: iStock referred members
Post by: Lee Torrens on August 28, 2007, 11:05

Also, profile pages are automatically referral landing pages at iStockphoto. If there are links to your profile you are credited with the referral of any buyer arriving via that link.

You can override it by placing ?refnum=YOURUSERNAME on the end if you want to link to someone else's profile with your own referral code.

In addition to a Vox blog or similar partnership, it could be links to your profile page.

Title: Re: iStock referred members
Post by: ErickN on August 28, 2007, 12:13

Yes Stephen, this vox blog thing could be a possible source of referrals. I had forgotten about this partnership.

Lee, I didn't know that a mere link to a member's profile had the same effect as a referral link. Search engines may then be the source of my referrals, since my profile page appears in them (as any of yours too, I guess).

But then, how could that be in iStock's interest to give me $10 just because a new buyer has clicked on my profile ?

Anyway, thanks for your insights 'til now.

Title: Re: iStock referred members
Post by: stokfoto on August 28, 2007, 12:38

thank you guys for your answers,which have been very helpful.
much appreciated:)

Title: Re: iStock referred members
Post by: Perrush on August 28, 2007, 16:52

Quote from: ErickN on August 28, 2007, 12:13

But then, how could that be in iStock's interest to give me $10 just because a new buyer has clicked on my profile ?

...

signed up and bought something  ;)

Title: Re: iStock referred members
Post by: ErickN on August 28, 2007, 17:41

Quote from: Perrush on August 28, 2007, 16:52

Quote from: ErickN on August 28, 2007, 12:13

But then, how could that be in iStock's interest to give me $10 just because a new buyer has clicked on my profile ?

...

signed up and bought something  ;)

Yes I understand this  ;)

I meant that if the buyer came to my profile through a referral link that I had put somewhere on the web, I understand that iStock would like to reward me with $10 (as an incentive for me to promote the site). But if the buyer simply cliked on a google search result, iStock has no interest in giving me $10 (after all, it's their web programming that made my profile appear in web searches).

Humm... I guess I should stop wondering about it before someone at iStock reads this and decides to change their referral program !