In case you’re wondering, yes, you can make money online. However, not all opportunities online are made equal. There are several ways to earn money online, and all of them aren’t as good as they seem. Let’s examine each method and highlight the pros and cons of each one.
Surveys & Panel Data
The short version: You get paid to take surveys. The longer version: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates online marketing and commercial solicitations that come in the form of surveys or sweepstakes, ordering them to be clear of any deception. One of the things the FTC looks out for is whether the survey seems too good to be true. It might be, depending on the circumstances. Usually, you’ll get paid in the form of gift cards or cash. Some of the more reputable survey companies include Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, OneOpinion, Ipsos iSay and Ipsos iSay Pro.
Now, before you begin your survey-taking journey, it’s important to understand a few things. Firstly, they’re not all created equal. Some survey companies are much more legitimate than others. Secondly, you’ll need to qualify for the surveys you do end up participating in. Finally, you’ll need to be more than just a digital consumer to make money online. You’ll need to have a social media presence and be able to market yourself online.
Let’s examine each of these things in more detail.
Legitimate vs Inevitable Scams
One of the biggest concerns with regard to participating in online surveys is ensuring the authenticity of the companies you work for. Although the rewards for participating in these surveys seem too good to be true, there are several scammers out there who make a living off unsuspecting internet users. There are several tactics these scammers use, but here are a few of the more common examples.
Firstly, they may ask you to enter a fake email address to verify your identity. When you do this, you’re essentially giving the company full access to your email account. So, if they want to send you marketing emails or worse, scam emails, you’ve really got nowhere to hide. Secondly, they may ask you to take surveys in areas that are highly restricted to registered users. If you agree to take part in these restricted online surveys, you’re going to be forced to log in every day to continue taking part. If you forget to log in one day, you may find that you’ve missed out on several days of earnings. This is a real headache for anyone who works remotely, like freelancers and independent contractors. Finally, if the scammer asks you to install fake software or cookies on your computer, run virtual machines, or makes you watch YouTube videos, you’re probably being scammed.
Given the prevalence of scams in today’s world, legitimate survey companies do their best to ensure that their payouts are as trustworthy as possible. They’ll often include additional layers of security checks in the form of complex passwords and two-factor authentication. They’ll also require you to acknowledge receiving the email containing the survey link and require you to click on the link to prove you’re human.
What Qualifies You For Paid Surveys?
Unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold. Even though you’re earning money online, you may not qualify for all of it. To qualify for some of the more lucrative opportunities, you might need to have an online footprint. While it doesn’t have to be a massive presence, it does need to exist. You may also need to have some kind of a digital profile that extends beyond social media. If you don’t currently have a digital identity, then building one is a must. It might seem daunting, especially considering how much you have to learn. Don’t worry; you’re not going to have to take on the world. Building a digital identity that is separate from your personal profile is straightforward. You simply need to follow a few simple steps. First, create a Google account. Next, download the Google Authenticator app and login to your account with it. Whenever you log in with your Google account, you will see a little padlock icon in the top right corner. This is your Google Authenticator. Finally, download the account verification app from the Google Play Store and log in to https://accounts.google.com with your Google account. You’re all set!
Now that you have a Google account, you can use it to ensure that you’re responding to legitimate survey invitations. If you get a lot of spammy invitations, you can report them to Google as spam. From there, the company will take care of the rest.
How Do I Find The Best Survey Opportunities?
In the previous section, we talked about some of the common ways that scammers try to impersonate legitimate survey companies. One of the main ways that you can ensure that you’re not being scammed is by participating in only those surveys that you find to be reputable. Bear in mind, however, that this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, there are a lot of scams masquerading as legitimate surveys. So, you need to do some research before you participate in any online surveys. Here are a few ways to find the best survey opportunities.
Firstly, you can check out review websites like Trustpilot, which reviews products and services that they’re given access to. If you click on the Trustpilot link on our website, you’ll be taken to Trustpilot where you can find reviews of companies, products, and services. If you look through these reviews, you’ll see that most of them are positive, with some exceptions. This is because there are a lot of scammers out there who try to trick people into participating in fake surveys. So, it’s important to do some research before you participate in any online surveys.
Next, you can look for user-generated content in your area of interest. For example, if you’re an internet marketer, you might look for user-generated content in relation to online marketing. There are several platforms that allow for user-generated content, including Reddit, Blogger, and Facebook. If you click here, you’ll be taken to Reddit where you can find user-generated content in several categories, including marketing, business, andentrepreneurship. You can use forums like these to find people who are in your area of interest and ask them questions about the subject. This is a great way to quickly learn and identify online communities that relate to your area of interest. For example, if you’re an internet marketer, you might look for communities on Reddit and find several where people are asking questions about online marketing. You can get a sense of the general vibe of the community and whether or not this is a place you can really make money. It’s always a good idea to use a fake email address when participating in forums like these so that you can remain anonymous if you choose.
Last but not least, you can find legitimate survey opportunities by signing up for several survey companies’ email lists. When you do this, you’ll receive survey invitations from companies that you’re interested in working for. You should only participate in those surveys that you find valuable. By doing this, you’re ensuring that you’re only participating in those that are reputable. Even though you’re not required to, it’s a good practice to verify your identity by submitting your valid government-issued ID. Make sure to keep your credit cards and bank information offline, as these companies might request this information as part of their security plan.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering whether or not you can make money online, the answer is yes. However, not all opportunities are made equal. Be sure to do your research and identify those that are most profitable before you dive in.