How I made £40 from surveys in just a few hours – case study
So I wanted to write about a way to earn money that people can start straight away today, without any technical knowledge or investment. As long term readers may know my main money making strategy is based around building websites but for a change I decided to see how much I could make in an afternoon filling out surveys. I thought it would be an interesting test as basically anyone can fill out a survey and it seems like an easy way to make some quick cash.
For the test I signed up to a new UK survey site called Toluna and they say they have an almost unlimited amount of surveys for people to fill out and its free to signup. You get paid in points for each survey you complete depending on the time it takes and the market they are targeting. You can then cash out your points from your rewards page for online vouchers. I choose to cash mine out for an Amazon e-voucher, some may prefer cash but you can use the e-voucher straight away on Amazon plus they sell almost everything I like anyway. I needed 30,000 points for my Amazon voucher so that was my goal.
So as soon as I signed up I started to get emails inviting me to take part in certain surveys, for the experiment I just decided to take part in every survey I could for a few hours just to see how much I could make. It’s worth pointing out that not everyone gets the same surveys because many are targeted to your specific interests (you fill out what you’re interested in when you sign-up). You can either wait for them to email you a survey or you can login to your account and go to the “my surveys” section, after you update your interests they offer you a survey straight away.
The first survey I got was about movies and what kind of films I liked to watch. Only took about 5 minutes to complete and made me 3000 points!
Next one was about games consoles and it took me a bit longer to complete (about 10 minutes) but it got me another 1800 points.
Getting into the rhythm of things now, feels like I’m doing it all on autopilot! As I finish the last survey I get an email invite for a “consumer topics” survey, no idea what that means but they are paying 4000 points so I’m in! This survey was a little more complex, some more detailed answers needed but I just powered through it in 20 min.
I’m on a roll now so decide to keep going, most of the surveys are quite interesting so it really doesn’t feel like work. Also the site has smaller polls available as well which only take few seconds to answer a basic question like “what’s your favourite TV channel”. These only pay a few hundred points but I fill out lots between the big surveys.
I keep going with a video game survey I spotted on the Toluna homepage for 3500 points. I’m interested in computer games anyway so this one was interesting, took about 10 min.
Quick food survey for 1500 points, 5 minutes.
Then I got a big survey, it’s on health care and it’s for a massive 5000 points! Survey takes 15 min to finish but pretty easy to do and I have 5000 more points!
Another consumer topics survey, 2000 points but only takes 3 min.
I think I must be a power user of Toluna now because I’m getting lots of invites for different surveys. I mentioned on my profile preferences that I use computers and the internet a lot so get invited to take an “internet use” survey for 4000 points. Its most about what ISP you use etc but it gets me 4000 points.
Then another “Food services” survey for 3000, takes 5 min.
Consumer topics – 2000 points, 3 min.
I take part in another round of quick polls on their homepage for about 1000 points, while I’m answering some question about my “favourite fizzy drink” I notice that my account balance at the top of the screen is more than 30,000 points! So I decide to redeem all of my points for the Amazon voucher just to see what happens, I’m too excited to fill out more surveys lol.
After I redeem my points I get a voucher code by email that I can use straight away on Amazon for £40. Not sure what I’m going to buy with it but been looking at this micro helicopter which charges on your pc usb:
So as you can see you’re probably not going to make millions from Toluna but it is a legit way to make some money right now. I was able to make £40 in just over 2 hours which is quite impressive since I was watching TV while filling out most of the surveys J If you’re interested just follow the link below and give them a try.
(Disclaimer – this case study is for illustration purposes only, your results my vary)
How to make money on YouTube
So YouTube is in the top 5 most visited sites on the net, it’s addictive and has many millions of viewers logging on each day. And It’s because of its global reach that many of the top advertising agencies and global brands are starting to use the site to sell to advertisers. I remember only a few years ago when YouTube didn’t even have adverts, at most there were just a few banner ads. But these days almost every time you watch a video there is some kind of advert at the start, annoying to a point but I suppose they have to earn money too!
So what does all this mean for you? Well there is money to be made on YouTube but like everything it’s not easy and you definitely need to put your own spin on things.
YouTube partner program
So as I mentioned YouTube are now showing ads before many of the videos start to play, what’s new is that you can now get paid a percentage of the money YouTube makes from the ad if they show it on your video. So before you buy that Ferrari take note that the amount per view is very low and they only way you’ll make any real £££ is if the video goes viral. The thing is if it’s possible to go viral anywhere it’s online because if you create something people like it can be all over the web in days and that’s when the real money rolls in. For example that Charlie bit my finger video (which I really don’t get) made over a £100,000 for the creator.
A few things you have to bear in mind with the partner program though:
- All work must be 100% original (you must own the rights)
- To get accepted you need to be publishing videos regularly
- Your video needs to make over £60 before you get paid for it (so you can’t make millions of low quality videos)
Sponsored videos
If you have a knack for creating viral content or even just something that gets people interested then sponsored videos could be an easier way to make money than the partner program. Big brands are really starting to embrace viral marketing as it gives them the potential to reach millions of people overnight for a fraction of the price of TV advertising. A great example is the “Old spice guy” commercials (yes they are commercials) on YouTube which went truly viral last year. Over a hundred million hits from essentially just a guy talking in a bathroom!
So how do you get these kinds of jobs? Well you have to get noticed, start by making free videos for a local business and if it works you can bet other companies/advertisers will be contacting you. But there are two important points:
- You need to promote the product/service too and not just make “a funny video”, remember it’s all about money for the advertiser!
- You need hard numbers when pitching for work, being able to show over a million views on a video will be very impressive to any business owner.
Promote your own site/blog/product
You don’t just have to promote other peoples products or rely on YouTube to pay you pennies per thousand views! You can use the video to promote your own business or website. Again with this and the other methods of earning money you do need to be able to create videos that people want to watch and share. But if have that ability it’s a great way to drive massive amounts of traffic to your site.
All you have to do is watermark your video with your website address (don’t forget to put it in the description too) and people will be able to visit your site if they like what they see. Also since YouTube is owned by Google they are starting to incorporate YouTube videos into certain search results. Indeed for some high value terms on Google a YouTube video is often way ahead of larger established sites, this is incredible opportunity to make money if you have the right skills for creating content.
That’s all folks
So that’s my YouTube roundup! As you can see making money there isn’t a simple 1-2-3 process, for a start you need a lot of people (think thousands) to hit your video before you make any real money. But there are lots of opportunities too particularly the “sponsored videos” option, could be a pretty cool gig if you had a job creating viral videos for an ad agency, would it be like madmen? Until next time.
Earn money online guide 2012
Are you looking for a legitimate way to earn money from your own home using only your internet connection? As you know over the last few years I have spent a lot of my time explaining different methods here on the blog, but one question I got all the time was “what is your method for making money?”
Well it’s taken me quite some time but I have finally managed to put my entire system into one eBook that you can download and read in minutes. But what are the main features of this eBook and will it really make you rich? The answer is yes and I am willing to show you the same secrets that I have used to clear my personal debt and create an income that even makes me money when I’m asleep!
So what are some of the main features of the system?
- Everything you need in one easy to read ebook
- Earn money from anywhere in the world
- The main investment is your time, no need to spend £££
- No technical knowledge needed, if you can turn a computer on your qualified!
- Work for yourself – be your own boss
- Unlimited earnings but it takes work (this is not a get rich quick scheme)
- Money back in 30 days if you dont agree (I believe in this system)
So as you can see this is a real chance to make money using the net that isnt a get rich quick scheme or some system that you have to pay monthly for. This is one simple ebook that contains everythnig you need to make a living on the net today! If you want to know more just head over to the ebook page and ill explain just how this eBook could change your life!
Earning money in 2012
Filling out online surveys
Pros: Can start straight away, open to most people, no investment of time/money needed
Cons: Limited payouts, shortage of surveys for certain demographics, sometimes you get paid in credit not cash
There are lots of sites offering payment for filling out surveys online but I’m going to recommend just a few, Valued Opinions, MySurvey and Justtheanswer. These three all have a good reputation for paying on time and supplying plenty of surveys to fill out. The payout per survey will vary from 10p to £3.00 and how many you get offered will depend on your profile i.e. your job/gender/age/location so surveys can be hit and miss. I think the most you can realistically make is around £200 a year which doesn’t exactly get my pulse racing but could appeal to some.
Writing content
Pros: Very scalable – write more content and you make more, huge demand
Cons: You won’t earn much in the beginning, time consuming
I’ve spoken about this before on EarningMoneyOnline but most people are unaware of it. One of the main building blocks of any website is content and with 1000s of new sites being created every day there’s a huge demand for articles/blog posts and general text to go on these sites. Some people may think “I’m not good at writing” but even so there is a demand for all levels of content and if you’re a native English speaker you will definitely get work. Content is priced per word and how much you earn will depend on your reputation and the quality you produce. To start with you will probably write for 1p per word and you can get it up to 3 – 4p if you’re good, if you can get the work you could easily be making £20 – £30 a day. To get jobs you have 2 options, go to an agency like TextBroker who will get you writing jobs but take a cut or you can promote yourself on webmaster forums like DigitalPoint or Warrior forum to webmasters who need content. Remember if you build up a reputation as a reliable writer then webmasters will keep coming back for more and you won’t have to bid/look for work.
Freelancing web design/seo/programming
Pros: Make much more money than surveys or article writing, skills that will last for years
Cons: Lots of competition, you need to have a real skill
I bet the title of this has already put some people off! It’s important to realise that there are many different levels of web design/programming/marketing and while all require you to have that skill (to some extent) often the skill isn’t a difficult one to learn. Since many businesses are outsourcing these kinds of tasks freelancing sites like elance, freelancer and fiver (all jobs are $5 lol) have sprung up which allow employers to post projects which freelancers then bid on. Now the main issue is do you have a skill that you can sell, and if not what would it take to learn one? This is very difficult to say as I don’t know your circumstances but the best route would be to try out one of those “for dummies” books as I learnt php in around a week with one (the basics). Also remember the goal with this type of work is the same as the last example, you want to build up a reputation with clients so that eventually they can give you steady work and you don’t have to bid on the freelance sites (they can be a pain).
Niche affiliate marketing
Pros: Unlimited earnings, your own boss, work on projects your interested in, no technical knowledge required
Cons: Some investment of time and money
I’ve saved the best until last (in my opinion) and it’s the one I’ve talked most about on this blog. In short affiliate marketing is the process of building small niche websites which are used to attract traffic (website visitors). Because the website is geared around a specific subject the traffic is valuable to advertisers who will pay commission on the sales we generate for them. Ok so the above statement may be simplifying things a little as the main job is getting people to the site, but the unique aspect of this system is that a successful website can be making you money even when you sleep. If you are interested in this method then I will be bringing out a new and improved ebook very soon which explains exactly how to build a website (with no technical knowledge) and get it earning money fast.
Ok so that’s 4 great ways anyone can make money from the internet in 2012, there’s something here for people of all skill levels, time and financial constraints. As with everything your results will depend on how much you’re prepared to put into any system, there’s a reason people filling out surveys are only getting 50p a time, anyone can do it. Until next time…
PS. If you’re looking for motivation check out the video below by Anthony Robbins, it’s about how Sylvester Stallone got the movie Rocky made, amazing stuff.
Another day another waste of time
You know things are getting bad when you starting seeing ads for “cashback websites” on primetime TV. The latest one I’ve noticed are “quidco” who are a UK firm (where I live btw) who offer you money back if you buy certain products/services through their site, it’s essentially a big affiliate program. Don’t get me wrong you can in theory earn some money with this but the idea of making back £5 on £1000 life insurance policy doesn’t exactly get my pulse racing. I have visions in my head of happy consumer’s spending money on sub-par products just for the cash back, don’t forget:
You still have to buy the product!
Also bear in mind that you’re handing your personal details over to these guys who will most likely be spamming you to death for the next 100 years until you finally tap-out. Am I a born sceptic or just hard to please, I can’t tell but my view on these “free for all” systems that allow anyone to make money has never really changed, it can’t work, it doesn’t work and it never will.
One thing I will say is you can’t really lose anything with these cashback schemes apart from your time, this is different from the daily “stock market secrets” eBook that gets pedalled to my junk folder. The real scams always involve some crazy up-front investment with promises of millions down the line, I wonder how many people get sucked in, probably more that you’d think.
So is it possible to earn real money on the web?
Well yes it is but as mentioned many times before it always involves time and effort. Sometimes it’s in research of the idea/concept and sometimes it’s just 100% application. My main money making “scheme” is web-development and internet marketing which in a nutshell is building websites and getting as many people too them as possible (like how I summed up a few years work in one sentence?). Well actually it’s not going to take years but at the same it’s not like you’re going to get to a certain level and quit, its lifelong learning and not in the pretend university way.
The Idea that I have a system is also a bit of a misnomer, I have concepts and ideas that are never set in stone. The web is constantly changing and how people are finding websites is too, just look at the rise of social media companies like facebook and twitter. Traditionally seo people are terrified of social media but I think it just provides even more opportunities, ten years ago if you wanted to reach a few million potential customers it would cost you thousands. Now with a good idea and some effective viral marketing you can do it for about a £10!
Still you’re not going to see any of these money making ideas that actually work in the mainstream any time soon, its way to complicated to fit into a 30 second TV spot. Until next time…
