Michelle Jamieson Interiors: Custom Window Treatment Fabricator & Designer - A Day in the Life of...

Michelle Jamieson Interiors: Custom Window Treatment Fabricator & Designer - A Day in the Life of...

How and Why I Do Paid Surveys

Earning Extra Cash With Paid Surveys

Paid surveys are an excellent way to earn extra cash in your spare time! I started doing paid surveys about a year and a half ago and I love them. I can earn a few bucks here and there, whenever I find it convenient.

When I searched Squidoo for paid surveys, I noticed a disturbing fact. The majority of the results were promoting fraudulent companies! I was horrified! That's when I knew I had to make this lens!

So ignore all those lenses promoting Survey Scout and the like! You should NEVER pay for a list of survey sites! They are available for FREE all over the internet! I'm going to mention this quite a few times throughout this lens, but that's just because if you're going to remember something you read here, you should remember this.

Contents at a Glance

1. Why I LOVE Paid Surveys
2. How Much Money Can I Make?
3. Tips on How to Make the Most Cash

4. The Difference Between Paid Surveys and GPTs
5. Who Are Paid Survey Panels For?
6. Who Are Paid Survey Panels NOT For?

more...

Why I LOVE Paid Surveys

And why you should give them a shot.

• They are FUN! You can take surveys about everything from your favorite foods to upcoming movies and TV shows!
• You get to talk about yourself! Who doesn't love that?
• Rave about your favorite things or rant about what you think needs to be changed. By voicing your opinions to these important companies, you are shaping the products of the future!
• Get to see new concepts for products and services before they are made! I once got paid to read a movie script before it was even being filmed!
• Get PAID to test new products and services for FREE! Many panels ask if you would be willing to take surveys on certain products if they mail you a free sample.
• Lastly, but probably most importantly: EARN CASH!

• How Much Money Can I Make?

  This is a tricky question since it will vary depending on a few factors, which are detailed in the next section. Many survey sites will promise you huge amounts, such as $100 a survey. These companies are not legitimate! The thing is, paid surveys are good to help make ends meet or earn you some extra cash. But you will not make a living off of them, let alone get rich.
  
  However, if you follow the tips listed in the next section, and spend about 2-3 hours filling out surveys and participating in focus groups each day, you can potentially make between $100-$300 each week. It will take a while to make this much, but it is certainly possible. (After a year and a half of doing surveys, I pull in about this much.) It is a nice and easy supplemental income, but NOT a solo replacement for a real job.

  Tips on How to Make the Most Cash

  How to optimize your survey-taking experience!

  1. Join about 10 quality survey panels to start out with and gradually join more as you become more familiar with them. The more you join, the more money-making opportunities you will have.
  2. Pay attention to how many surveys you are qualifying for with each panel. Put more of your energy into the ones where you frequently qualify and save the others for when you have extra time on your hands.
  3. Check your email frequently. Surveys often tend to fill up very quickly, so I would suggest checking your email at least once a day.
  4. Keep a list of all the panels you are a member of or bookmark them. Some of them do not email you survey invites and you need to check the website often for new ones.
  5. Save your survey invites and anything proving you've taken a survey, such as screen shots, until you are credited for it. Occasionally, there are technical problems and there is no way for the company to know if you completed it or not. This is helpful evidence if you need to contact their support team.
  6. Always supply truthful information. If you are working with a legitimate company, they will not sell or use your information other than to contact you or analyze demographic information in survey results. Survey companies are pretty good at detecting fraud. Not to mention, you can't get paid if your information isn't valid.
  7. Don't rush through surveys. Many have timers, so they can ensure you are reading and thinking about the questions. Also, many will throw in some trick questions to make sure you are paying attention.
  8. Fill out your member profiles. Most companies will not pay you for these, but they allow you to receive and qualify for more surveys.
  9. Keep your email organized and regularly go through your spam folder. Make sure none of your survey invites are ending up there by mistake.
  10. Opt-in for other types of market research, such as focus groups, product tests, and in-person studies. All of these tend to offer much more money than basic online surveys.
  11. Try to qualify for surveys even if they are only for sweepstakes entries. Many panels will see that you are answering a lot of survey invites, and therefore send you more surveys for cash.
  12. Sign-up for local paid survey panels. They usually have both online and offline surveys.
  13. Some paid survey panels have referral programs. Be sure to take advantage of them because they are a great way to passively earn a little extra.

  The Difference Between Paid Surveys and GPTs

  Many people confuse the two, but they are actually very different.
  
  With GPT (or "Get Paid To") sites, you get paid to complete offers, such as signing up for free trials. In many cases, the offers will look like surveys, but the questions are clearly not market research. For example, they usually have one "This or That" type question (ie: Do You Prefer McDonald's or Burger King), then they ask for your contact information. After that, the questions are all asking you whether you would like to sign up for various services.
  
  Paid survey sites, on the other hand, are all about research. They will NEVER try to sell you something or get you to sign up for something. For example, they often ask about a specific brand, product or service. Common questions include variations of, how familiar are you with this brand, what is your impression of this brand, etc.
  
  The distinction between these two money-making opportunities is very important when it comes to avoiding survey scams. While there are many legitimate GPT sites, they will not pose as survey sites. If a site that claims to be a paid survey panel tries to get you to sign up for a bunch of offers, then the company is a scam!