There are plenty of opportunities to participate in paid surveys online.
But why participate in surveys? Is it just a waste of time and effort, or are there really good reasons to participate?
I have taken thousands of online surveys and tested hundreds of paid survey sites over the past many years.
In my opinion, it can be a great opportunity, but you need to do it with the right expectations.
Below, I will share my experiences with you and give you some of the reasons to participate and why it can be great to participate for several reasons. And I will also make it clear what you can expect so you can see if it will really be for you.
Is getting paid a good reason to participate in surveys?
Yes, you CAN get paid to do online surveys. And that can definitely be a good reason to do them. But this is not the only reason to do surveys.
You can make some extra nice money, but if you have read any of my other articles on this website, you will know that it will not make you rich. For this reason, you will sometimes see people online talking badly about surveys and say they are a waste of time.
In my opinion, they are not a waste of time. Not if you do it with the correct approach and with the right expectations. Then they can be great to participate.
I have seen people complain because it is not a way to become rich and not a way to make a living, and therefore not worth it. I do not think that it is a valid argument that something is a waste of time because it cannot make you rich.
One thing that is often forgotten by people who use this argument is that paid surveys are also one of the only ways to make money online that is 100% free, takes no training at all, and is sure to make you a profit from day #1.
Personally, I started doing surveys to make a bit extra, and that has been a great way for me.
But I am also not doing it with the expectation that it should make me a full-time income, and I also all the time remember the other positive aspects of participating in surveys, which I will go over below.
Voice your opinion in online surveys.
An aspect that is sometimes overlooked about online surveys is the chance to have your opinion heard.
People are participating in debates, commenting on social media, writing blog posts, etc., to have their opinions heard. Surveys are not much different – they are, however, an anonymous way of having your opinion heard.
There are many different topics surveys can be about, and you can thereby voice your opinion in different areas.
Before you take an online survey, you can mostly see the topic, the estimated time, and the reward, and then just select the ones that seem most appealing to you.
Some of these areas can be important to give feedback on and be a way to help society, a company, or a service to develop in the right direction.
Some of the areas that you will often find surveys about are:
Area 1 – Improvement of products and services:
Often, companies, organizations, or governments want to know what customers or clients think about a specific product or service. Surveys like this can, therefore, be about general attitudes toward a specific business area or even a very specific product, service, or company.
This information can be very useful to then improve existing products or services or develop new ones. This way, your opinion can be a part of influencing what the focus will be in companies and organizations.
In the country where I live, I have, for example, often participated in surveys about the satisfaction of public transportation. I think it is great to be heard about this issue and be able to tell what I think about it.
For example, do I think that the price of public transportation is too high when there is also a lot of talk about wanting more people to use public transportation? If enough people express viewpoints like this, it will be taken into consideration, and that way, it can directly be a part of influencing what the aims of companies and organizations will be.
Another example is supermarkets that want to know more about your preferences in connection to groceries. If enough people, for example, express an interest in more focus on organic and environmentally friendly products, there is a great chance the company will notice this and take it into consideration.
It is often big chains or brands that are willing to have a company do big surveys and pay to have it done, so it can have a great impact if they make a decision based on a survey, and I think it is great to be able to influence this and have my opinion heard.
Area 2 – Influence politics:
Surveys and polls are very often used in politics to get a sense of the opinion of the population. I know there have been some cases in elections where polls have turned out to give a wrong impression of the true opinion of the people.
But that does not change the fact that polls and surveys are very often used in politics and are actively used by many politicians to get a sense of the atmosphere.
I have, for example, participated in several surveys about the popularity of specific politicians – both nationally and internationally. Here, I get a chance to express who I trust and who I do not trust and if there is anything I am unsatisfied with.
I know that politicians will not look at my answers alone and then change things just because I think they should. But again, if enough people express a certain opinion, there is a great chance they will listen to it – at least if they wish to get reelected:-)
Area 3 – Used by media:
Results from surveys are very often quoted in the media. This can be about politics, as talked about above, but it can also be all kinds of other topics like relationships, food habits, health, spare-time activities, and many other topics.
These results are used to create stories in the media. And the media has a lot of power to influence what people hear about (in some countries), and also, in many cases, what politicians, companies, organizations, etc., will then focus on and what the daily debate will be about.
So, by giving general feedback and input like this, you can also be a part of setting the theme for the public debate.
Final thoughts – Voice your opinion and make money!
As you can see from the above, there are other reasons to do online surveys than just to make money.
It gives you a chance to have your opinion heard instead of just thinking about things you would like to have changed. And I actually also find it can be quite fun in some cases to participate. Of course, not always, but that is also ok:-)
As my website has a lot of info about paid surveys and how to make money by sharing your opinion, I sometimes hear people say that surveys are boring and do not make them enough money.
My opinion is that it all depends on your expectations. If you participate in surveys with the wish to have your opinion heard and to make some nice extra money on the side, it can be really great, and you will end up having success with paid surveys.
But if you do it as a job and to replace a full-time income, you will not have success. You will then end up being disappointed and feel you have wasted your time.
That is why I am writing this post – to show a side of surveys and reasons to participate that are often forgotten and to emphasize on the importance of doing it with the right expectations.
If you manage your expectations, participating in online surveys can be great – you can have your opinion heard and, at the same time, make some extra money.
Find the right survey sites!
To have success with online surveys, it is, however, also important to find the right survey sites for YOU. There are many sites, and not all of them are very good. And then there are also some that are outright scams.
Which survey sites are the best varies a lot depending on where you live, and some also pay better than others.
Even though the money is not the only focus, it is still nice to choose the ones that give the best rewards and that are the most interesting:-)
On my Top survey lists, you can get an overview of the best ones and see which sites are best for YOUR country.
Recommended: Check Out the Top Survey Sites in Your Country
Hope this post has given some clearance about why it is worth considering participating in online surveys – and also reasons that are beyond the money aspect, even though that, of course, is important as well:-)
If you have any questions or comments, just leave a comment below, and I will get back to you asap.
