Just want to share some of my advice and tips on paid surveys. I will make more than one post on this thread with each post for one tip topic, and add more tips later whenever I got more. And this thread will also be sticky. Please feel free to comment and share your tips too!

Here we go:

Tip #1: Keep tracking your surveys and get organized.

Here is how I track my surveys: I use yahoo email for my surveys. I created folders and save the survey invite emails after I completed them:

* Registration - for registration emails when sign up;

* Cash - for surveys that offer cash rewards

* Gift Certificates - for surveys that offer gift certificates

* Points - for surveys that offer points

* Pending - for surveys that is pending, usually a product testing survey that I qualified, but wait for the product.. (Once the product testing is done, I will move the emails to the correct folder)

* Misc - usually for communications I have with survey companies, especially for payment issues..

This way, I have a basic idea how much I make so far this month (not cash basis) and from who - since you can tell by date and sort by sender in Yahoo etc

Note: I don't have a folder for drawings, since most of the time I don't take surveys that only offer drawings.

Usually I delete the emails after I receive the payment.

I know some people use Excel to do the tracking, which I think it is a great idea. But I like my way of doing it, since it is very easy and fast. I am not looking for accurate number, a basic idea how am I doing is just fine for me.

Tip #2: Sign up with as many (legitimate survey sites) as possible.

I have heard people asking what's your top 3/5/10 (or whatever) paid survey sites? I usually tell them my favorites, but I also tell them DO NOT limit to the top ones, sign up with as many (legitimate ones) as possible, because:

1. The more legit survey sites you sign up with, the more surveys you get;

2. Everybody's favorites are different, because everybody is different.

Until today, I already have 88 on my list (US), I know it takes a while (maybe a couple of days) to sign up with ALL of them, but you got to do it, got to do your homework!

Tip#3: Sign up your spouse with some survey sites

To maximize the survey potential of your household if you are married, sign up your spouse with survey sites as well. Please note, some surveys sites limit only ONE account per household, but there are some don't have such limitation.

Here is a few I signed up my Hubby (not a complete list)

1. Greenfield Online
2. Lightspeed
3. Click IQ
4. ESearch
5. BuzzBack
6. I think Inc.

Here are a few that limited only ONE account per household (NOT a complete list), but they will send you surveys for your spouse and kids too!

Global Test Market
NFO MySurvey
SurveySpot
SurveySavvy
PineCone
E-Poll

Tip #4: Fill out profile surveys, with common sense

Some surveys companies have more details profile surveys . Generally speaking, you should take time fill out those surveys, since you are more likely get more surveys if do. If the survey companies have surveys fit your profile, you are likely get the survey invite first.

What do I mean by with common sense? Let me explain by a example: a survey site has a video game profile survey, if you don't have a game console, never play video games, when you answer this profile, all your answers are NO, never. What's likely going to happen? - it's possible you won't get any video games surveys. While you might say what's wrong with that? The problems is maybe soon later you buy a game console and start playing video games, but you completely forget about to update your profile. In this case, if you don't fill out the video game profile, when you might get video game surveys, all you have to do is just deleting the surveys, but you won't miss surveys opportunities if you start playing video games in the future, and the related surveys will remind you to fill out the profile surveys.

Tip#5:Take your time with survey, or you may not get credit/paid.

If you have received survey invitation from SurveySpot, you might/might not notice the fine print at the bottom of the email which says:

"Important: Please take your time with this survey and read each question carefully. Sometimes, if interviews are rushed through they can't be used. As a result you may not be eligible for the survey incentive or reward"

There are a few other survey sites have similar policy, such as TestSpin, GlobalTestMarket, MyView, SurveySavvy..I never have this problem, but I have heard people receiving emails from Global Test Market after taking surveys in a shorter time than they expected:

"In order to ensure quality responses, we monitor the length of time our panelists take to consider their answers. Your response times indicate that you have not read the questions thoroughly enough to provide thoughtful responses. Thus, we regret to inform you that your participation in this study is no longer necessary."

I am a fast reader and have high speed internet connection, so usually it took me less time to complete a survey. To avoid this, I sometimes take 2 surveys at the same time, although usually it isn't a problem for me since I do surveys while watch TVs/surfing the net...

Tip#6: Do NOT Sign Up With Opinion Surveys

I mentioned this in my Paid Survey Blog, just thought it should also be put in the "tip" thread.

Opinions Surveys is part of Greenfield Online. Several good paid offer sites who have daily surveys actually pay you for completing Opinion Surveys's surveys.

So, if you see any sites that list Opinion Surveys, or some even ask you to take surveys there, Don't Do it! ( notice that it's not on my survey lists), since they are the ones who make money from your signing up/taking surveys, but all you get is basically nothing!

Instead, you can make money by doing Opinions Survey's surveys at some good paid offer sites.

So I recommend you take Opinion Surveys' surveys at:

CashCrate - Get paid $0.80 for taking daily surveys - you can take two surveys every 24 hours.

Tip#7: If you are not receiving surveys, check your blocked address book and junk folder

I haven't receive surveys from TestSpin for a while, and finally I emailed them regarding this, and I got a reply the next day. They told me their records indicated that they have been sending me several surveys every week. They want to make sure my ISP is not blocking mass emails. Well, I doubt it's my ISP, so I went in my testspin account and changed the email to one of my gmail account. - there I got surveys invites from TestSpin again, so I am sure it's not my ISP.

Today by chance I checked my blocked address book in my Yahoo email account(the one just for surveys), and there is I found out about the reason. SurveyAlert@TestSpin is on my blocked address list. I also found out several other survey companies emails on the list, no wonder I haven't heard from them!

So make sure survey site's emails don't go to your bulk folder and not on your blocked address list.

Tip#8: Visit MySurvey123.com as often as you can!

Reasons:

1. Get updated on new paid survey sites;

2. Get heads up on currently good paying online surveys and focus groups opportunities - since as you can see me and others post those on the message board all the time!

Tip #9: Keep and Save the Survey Invitation Emails.

ALWAYS keep and save survey invitation emails if you qualify and completed a survey, even it's from a well known legitimate survey company. The reason is, IF, something happens (yes it can happen any time with any survey sites), you have PROVE that you did the survey(s).

I have had some survey companies didn't credit my account for the surveys I completed. One company is Greenfield Online - luckily I have saved all of survey invitation emails, and after several back and forth, I have finally been paid. Another one is NFO MySurvey (surprise) - it only happened once. Once I did a long survey for them but didn't get credit after several weeks, so I sent them an email with the original survey invite, and I got a response pretty quickly - they said they made a mistake and I should have got credits, and they credited my account with 650 points.

You don't have to save the emails forever of course. What I do is delete the emails AFTER I have confirmed that the surveys have been credited and I have been paid.

We have some good discussions lately.

Errors and Company Response & Tips for Handling Errors - tips by mayanmartha

Anyone get turned down after a confirmation call- by kmjk

Tiered thory/ it pays to have a few faves!- by mayanmartha

More good discussion thread:

How much money a month on average do you make doing surveys? - started by Golgotha