katies hugs: January 2007

Lately I've seen a couple of ebooks come out about the secrets of surveys. A couple of times now I have been asked what I think of these books so I decided it would be a good time to just put it all in one spot. Everyone would like to make money taking surveys and get more paid surveys in there mail and of course actuall qualify for the surveys. This is what these ebooks are all about. They basically tell you how to cheat the system.

Here are my thoughts on this.. First and foremost the companies that are commissioning these studies are looking for a certain demographic, honest feedback and in some cases hoping that after the study you will tell all your friends how great their products are. If a big name company is coming out with a new sleepytime babywash they want to hear from mothers of babies not 19 year old single college guys. They want you to actually try the wash on the baby, find out if it helped your baby sleep better etc. On the other hand if they are coming out with a new cologne they may just want to hear from 19 year old college guys and not the widowed 85 year old great grandma. To lie just to get into a study and make a couple of bucks just doesn't sit well with me. I have been disqualified because my mom works at wal mart, I have been disqualified because my daughter is 6 and not 4, I have been disqualified because I don't make enough money or I make too much.. This is just the world of surveys.

Here are some of the things you get with these books.. a list of over 200 survey companies.. I bet a lot of them are actually offer companies but why buy a book for a list. Free list right here: http://www.katieshugs.com/paidsurvey.html

Find out how to easily complete surveys: Simple enough.. use roboform to get the basics..

Learn how to participate in focus groups: Umm why this is included Im not even sure.. join research groups in your area and sign up with all the online focus group companies..

These are just a couple of the promises they make. All of the same information can be found for free online. A lot of it is at my message board in the survey section at www.itsfree.proboards43.com Go into the survey section and then just click on the thread about hints and tips for taking surveys.

Now for the rest of it. I can easily tell you how to cheat and get into each and every study and it really isn't hard. Once you have been taking them for just a few months you do start to see the pattern. I just don't agree that it is the right thing to do so I won't tell you how to do it. Im afraid that is one area where you will have to buy the book.

Will it work? Maybe for a little bit but think about this. When you join a suvey company you immediately give them your age, sex, address, phone number, occupation, marital status, etc. Do you REALLY think that they just toss that information away? No.. they use it to set up their basic demographic profile. This doesn't mean they always use it when they send out a survey though.. So they send you a survey and ask if you are the mother of an infant and you tell them yes... On the next survey a month later they ask for your sex and age again and this time you are yourself, a 19 year old male. The next one comes out and amazing enough you are a 32 year old woman who works in IT and makes 80k a year. You don't think they are going to catch on?

You can make decent money and get into a ton of studies just by being yourself. Of course there are demographics that are more popular to the companies and you won't get into every study but just be honest. Here is a good list of survey companies to get you started. http://www.katieshugs.com/paidsurvey.html That is the important aspect.. stay away from the email harvesters and the offer sites and you will do just fine!