ALT-4 Reasons for Participating in Paid Surveys
When many people see advertising for paid surveys their mind starts racing. Questions such as do they work and can I make a living are very common. The truth is yes they work but no you should not seek paid surveys to make a living. If you can not make a decent income then why might you still want to consider devoting time to paid surveys?
One main reason people agree to participate in surveys is to have their opinion heard by major retailers and companies. Survey panelists can voice their experience on products they presently use or have used in the past. Your opinion is used to shape the products of the future and hang on to those you like today. New products are often tested in survey form before they are released as new products in stores.
Since many companies want to know how their product is going to survive in the industry it is common to receive brand new items unavailable to the public by survey participation. You get the product free of charge delivered to your address. You are then expected to use the product before providing the company with information about your experience through a survey. Aside from new products you may be asked to use a product the company is redesigning. This is another great reason to participate in surveys.
Most surveys will offer some type of incentive for your participation. These incentives can be sweepstakes entries, gift cards, points, or a small cash incentive. Each incentive has benefits but are not going to make you rich. Sweepstakes you generally never win but who knows one day you might, gift cards are usually around five dollars, points take time to build up to convert to cash or prizes, and upfront cash incentives are generally just a few dollars. Some companies require a minimum amount of cash before you can redeem your earnings. Most companies that have a minimum is set around ten dollars.
Paid surveys are a hobby for many panelists. They enjoy shaping the future by their opinions and do not expect a great deal of money for their time. Participating in paid surveys allows these hobbists the ability to learn about new products, shape new developments, and enjoy a small incentive and possibly a new product to try free. Surveys for these people offer a great reward of something enjoyable and useful to do with their time.
As you now well see the real reason to participate in paid surveys is not the amount of money you earn but the amount of influence you have on the future of upcoming products in production. Paid surveys can be fun and a great hobby if you have the right expectation of the experience. Now that you better understand paid surveys you can make a logical decision if this venue in one in which you would like to invest your free time. Good luck and happy surveying.
