Google Business Profile referral boost for painters? $500 bonus got me zero leads

Set up a referral program on my Google Business Profile last month, offering $500 off next interior job for anyone who refers a client that books. Been posting Sherwin-Williams color swatches and before/after shots of trim work, but crickets so far - spent $200 on targeted ads and nada. Funny how the algorithm buries you unless you're giving away freebies every day.

Man, same here with my cleaning referrals on Google - poured money into it and got ghosted by half the leads.

Don't tie your referrals to Google alone, it'll tank your margins - had a client game the system for free work last year, cost me $800 in lost time.