Paid Surveys - Is It Worth The Effort?

We have all seen the ads scattered over the internet trying to lure us into believing that we can make hundreds of dollars a month by simply filling out survey forms. What we need to ask ourselves is this: Is it possible and is it really worth the effort?



What we must first do is study the philosophy behind the entire concept of paid survey advertising. It is just that; company advertising through the use of a series of questions geared toward the exposure of products, with the sole intent of selling those particular products to the consumer. In return, these survey companies provide compensation, either by providing monetary compensation, sweepstakes entry, or offering a prize. This phenomenon is another marketing tool used by companies to further advertise their products to the public. Let's face it, more and more people are turning to their computers to shop for products they use everyday instead of commuting back and forth to shopping malls. It is much more economical for the consumer. With this in mind, companies will spend millions of dollars a year to compete for the consumer dollar and providing a small incentive to participate in a survey is just one of the tools used today.

So we are back to the original question: Is it worth the effort filling out these survey forms we are bombarded with? It will depend on several factors. How much time are you willing to spend participating in this activity? Are you willing to be patient? Which incentive provided is more important to you, monetary compensation, a sweepstakes prize, or a prize awarded instantly? Let's examine each of these questions in more detail.

How much time are you willing to spend doing this? If you just want to broaden your knowledge of various products and are not interested in making money, then, a few hours a week will be all that is needed. If, however, you are definitely interested in the compensation side of this, then many hours a week will be required. You must sign up with as many survey companies as possible in order for the reward to be worth the time spent.

Are you willing to be patient? Patience is the key here. If you participate fully in the surveys provided, the companies may take 30 days or longer for you to be compensated. Are you willing to wait that long?

Which incentive provided in the survey is more important to you? Many companies that provide monetary compensation only require a document of completion or verification. This is generally in the form of an email sent to your email address provided by you when you initially filled out the survey. Once that verification process has been completed, the company will generate a check or send funds to an online payment processor such as Paypal or Egold. In many cases, you are entered into a sweepstakes and, if you are the lucky winner, you will be notified by email or other means stipulated in the participation terms. If you are an instant prize winner, you may also be notified by an email or by phone.

To conclude this discussion, people who have a lot of extra time on their hands, an extreme amount of patience and a strong desire to succeed can make a good part time income from paid survey sites. It may not make you rich, but it may pay a couple of bills.

Michael Russell



Your Independent guide to Paid Surveys

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