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"It didn't work for me, pretty sure it's not working out for everybody else." How about no? I'm sure that if you put enough effort on finding referrals, you will get active referrals. Simply knowing a friend that's interested in bitcoins gives you one potential active referral. If you don't have someone who's interested in bitcoins, then make them. Talk about bitcoins to them and tell them how much you've made so far.
You don't just post your referral link on Facebook and then expect someone to join you. It doesn't work that way. Others make blog about bitcoin just to get referrals. It's on you how are you going to make people sign up under you.
Has it worked for you though? How many working referrals do you actually have? I have a feeling that you have no idea what you are talking about.
"Others make blog about bitcoin just to get referrals." Really? Who's gonna read that blog? And even if someone will, what will keep them out of removing the referral link and go directly to the site?