Taking online surveys is an excellent (and popular) way to earn some side cash. Online survey-takers are people just like you who give their opinions on different products or services that companies offer. Surveys can be the perfect way for people to make money from home in their spare time by giving their opinion on TV shows, movies, beverages, snack products, recent purchases, services, and much more.
With paid surveys, you can work at your own pace and on your own time. Plus, once you get started (it’s super easy), you can turn the whole process into a spare cash machine and work on surveys anytime you need a little extra money.
In this article, we’ll talk about paid surveys, how to get started, and how to get paid over and over again with the right survey site.
What Are Paid Surveys?
In today’s world, brands and companies are constantly competing for your business. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. There are more products on the market than ever before in history, and consumers have a wealth of choices when making a purchase. For example, you likely have an entire aisle devoted just to breakfast cereals at your local supermarket. The options are abundant. How do cereal brands ensure that you choose their box of raisin bran over a competitor’s box?
The answer lies in market research, and it plays a massive role in how companies advertise and market to everyday consumers. To understand what appeals to the average buyer, they need to know what attracts that shopper to a particular box of cereal and why. Is it the taste? The consistency? Is it the commercials and ads? Is it the packaging itself, or perhaps the placement on the store shelf?
For big brands, the answers are vital to their success. So they work with market research firms to get the answers to those questions (and many more) in the form of consumer surveys.
Who Are Paid Surveys For?
The problem with surveys is that, as consumers, we are overrun with them. Every day, we get surveys in the mail, at the end of our cash register receipts, on social media, and everywhere else you can imagine. We even get the most dreaded surveys of all—phone surveys.
All of this survey taking has given us “survey fatigue.” We’re tired of it. As a result, we’re not as inclined to interrupt our busy days to take surveys—especially if there is no real incentive to do so. Who really has the time, anyhow?
This is how paid surveys got started. By offering consumers nothing, they are less inclined to participate. But if consumers take surveys for money, they don’t mind so much taking a few minutes to answer a questionnaire or fill out a form.
Paid surveys are for opinionated people who don’t mind sharing their thoughts and feelings about products and services with the rest of the world. They are for everyday consumers who want to influence brands and have a voice in the endless sea of goods and services available to us. But, most of all, they are for people who are tired of getting nothing in return for their valuable opinions.
Paid surveys are a win/win for everyone involved. The market researchers get the data they need to pass on to the companies. The companies get the information they want to make decisions. And consumers just like you get paid for it. It’s that simple.
You become an influencer with paid surveys. You can finally give your honest opinion on different brand’s products, share your experience, and get paid in the process!
Is It Hard To Get Into a Survey Company?
No! Many people are mistaken in thinking that finding a good survey company that pays is difficult. This is not the case. There are many survey sites out there. The problem is that not all of them are legit.
If you want to get paid for sharing your opinion, you’ve got to find a survey site that has been around for a while and has a good reputation in the industry. But, most of all, you want to sign up with a site that pays on time, every time. Otherwise, all your hard work and effort is pointless, right?
Steps To Finding a Legit Survey Site:
Don’t Fall For Overblown Get-rich-Quick Claims
When searching for a survey site online, you will encounter dozens of places that offer $25, $50, $100, or more per survey. Don’t fall for it. Companies cannot possibly stay in business with these kinds of payouts. It’s just not feasible.
A legit site will never offer you this kind of money to take an online survey. That’s because they can’t. Companies cannot possibly stay in business with these kinds of payouts. It’s just not feasible. Wouldn’t you rather work with an honest company upfront than a scammy survey site that promises you income that is too good to be true?
Real, legitimate survey sites don’t try to lure users in with false promises. Instead, they partner with market research firms to give participants a small compensation for the time spent taking surveys. This usually amounts to around $0.50 to $3.00 for each survey. So will you be able to quit your day job and do surveys full time? Not likely. However, you can make a decent amount of extra money to save, spend, or pay off bills.
Don’t Pay Membership Fees
Shady survey sites often ask their members to pay a fee to join. It makes them appear exclusive. But, then, they promise you a list of substantial money-making surveys and never deliver on those promises. That’s because companies that do this are just sophisticated phishing scams.
A membership fee to join a survey site is a huge red flag that you are dealing with a fraudulent site—one that will take your money and sell your personal information to other shady sites. So even if a site is asking you for a small fee—say, $1.00—do not do it.
Always Check Reviews
Fraudulent survey companies gain bad reviews. You only need to spend five minutes doing a google search to confirm this. In addition, people who’ve been scammed out of their money or are victims of identity theft are usually not shy about reporting the crime to consumer watchdog groups. So, keep your eyes open for reviews before you give out your personal information.
Branded Surveys, which we will be discussing next, has close to 42,000 consumer reviews on Trustpilot. Plus, they have a rating of “excellent.” These are the kind of reviews you should be looking for when searching for a reliable survey site.
Getting Started With Paid Online Surveys
If you’ve read all of the above and decided you want to try taking surveys for money, great! You’ll be joining a vast group of people from all over the globe that have an ace up their sleeves—they can make a little extra pocket change any time they want by taking surveys.
Branded Surveys is a legit survey company that has been in the business for over a decade, and they pay their users fairly and promptly. It’s easy to get started—all you need to do is sign up and confirm your email. That’s it!
How To Make Money With Branded Surveys
Sign Up and Verify Your Information
You’ll create your secure account by signing up and confirming your name, email address, and cell phone number. You’ll also complete information about how you want to get paid.
Complete Your Profile Surveys
After you have created a username and password, you can log into the survey dashboard at Branded. You’ll notice that there will be profile surveys available right away for you to complete. Get these out of the way first. You’ll earn points (to convert to cash) for answering a few simple questions about your experiences and interests. Be honest and thorough. The answers to these questions will be used to match you with the most lucrative survey opportunities for you.
Log in Often To Take Surveys
After you’ve completed your profile questions, you can start taking regular surveys. It’s easy! Just pick a survey that interests you and complete it from beginning to end. When you’re finished, you can take another survey. Log in to the site often to see what’s available. New surveys are added throughout the day, so checking frequently will ensure you dont miss the best opportunities to make money.
Cash Out Your Earnings
This is the fun part! All those points you’ve earned can be converted to cash, and you can choose from several payout methods. For example, take surveys for PayPal or Branded Pay (direct deposit to your bank account). Or, if you prefer, you can take surveys for gift cards! Branded lets you choose from dozens of gift cards from retailers all over the country. You can even earn free Amazon gift cards!
Repeat
After making your first cashout, you’ll be an old pro at Branded Surveys! Now, you can start working toward your next cashout. Keep in mind that you can continue to do this over and over again, earning whenever you would like by taking online surveys.
