Member Avatar for topmybux

I started a PTC (paid to click) and other forums few days ago. We have around 23 members right now. To boost things off, I decided to start a referral contest with first place winning $20.

Do you think it would actually work?

Thanks

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Quick read: referral contests can jumpstart signups, but they often trade short-term volume for low-quality members unless you tie rewards to real engagement. asked whether a contest will work; the honest answer is it can—if rules, verification, and rewards are built to encourage retention, not just signups. is right to suggest widening incentives so more people compete. 's warning about PTC-style reliance is useful too: diversify acquisition channels rather than betting everything on paid-click gimmicks.

Practical checklist to make a referral contest worth the effort:

  • Define the goal and metric up front (active users retained after X days, not raw signups).
  • Use a mixed reward structure: multiple smaller rewards plus at least one audience-recognized perk (site credit, moderated privileges, or feature access).
  • Require meaningful activity before a referral qualifies (engagement signals rather than a single click), and hold payouts until verification is complete.
  • Deploy simple anti-fraud controls: email confirmation, captcha on signup, basic IP/behavior checks, and manual review for top finishers.
  • Track outcome metrics (referral-to-active conversion, cost per acquired active user, churn) and iterate the contest rules after the first run.

If the referral stream looks low quality, pivot to content- or community-driven growth: contests that reward content creation, co-marketing with relevant sites, or social sharing incentives tend to produce better long-term members.

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Member Avatar for MktgRob

I started a PTC (paid to click) and other forums few days ago. We have around 23 members right now. To boost things off, I decided to start a referral contest with first place winning $20.

Do you think it would actually work?

Thanks

If you could give a few more details on how exactly the referral contest works we would be able to give you a better assessment.

Member Avatar for topmybux

Its actually quite simple. Using your ref link you refer members. Those members must have make atleast 10 post before they become your referral.

Contest runs till we get 500 members (or 1000, cant decide)

First winner gets $20 cash in Paypal

Member Avatar for MktgRob

Its actually quite simple. Using your ref link you refer members. Those members must have make atleast 10 post before they become your referral.

Contest runs till we get 500 members (or 1000, cant decide)

First winner gets $20 cash in Paypal

One person gets $20 might not be enough of an incentive. You may have to add a few levels of awards to make it more competitive and give people more incentive to refer people. After a few months you could probably reduce it back down to a single winner per week but initially you are probably going to have to offer an expanded prize structure.

Member Avatar for ithelp

PTC business is dead , try something else.

Member Avatar for MktgRob

PTC business is dead , try something else.

I don't know that PTC is dead but it is definitely not what you want to base your whole business model on. It is a nice occasional gimmick that you can get away with using to launch your site with along with other activities and you can use it here and there but it is not something you want to bet the farm on.

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