Now that you have a list of legitimate paid surveys, it’s time to start joining them! Keep the following simple tips in mind to maximum your potential income.

1. Take the Time to fill out your profile properly and honestly

When signing up on any survey site for the first time, most of them will ask you to fill out your profile, which include basic demographic info, your interests and shopping preferences etc. Make sure to complete this section completely and honestly! Doing so not only will give you the most targeted surveys that you will actually enjoy in sharing your opinions on, but also minimizes the chances of you being disqualified for a survey after they detect inconsistencies between your profile and the answers you’ve provided on a survey. It doesn’t exactly bold well when you’re a 50 year old housewife that’s into men’s shaving cream and dirt bikes.
Save yourself time and do it right the first time, by properly filling out your profile and keeping it up to date!

2. Answer Survey questions truthfully

This tip compliments the first. You may be tempted to rush through a survey by providing random or inaccurate responses, though doing so will most likely come back to bite you in the butt. You see, survey sites do a lot of cross checking to make sure you are being honest and consistent in your answers, based on your profile and past survey responses. Their reputation with the brands they work with are on the line, and that means they won’t hesitate to disqualify you from a survey after you’ve spent 20 minutes filling it out, or even suspending your account if they feel you’re providing worthless data to them.
The people who are making consistent money from survey sites are those that fill out surveys diligently and honestly, so every bit of effort they put in translates into actual money on the other end.

3. Stay on Top of New Surveys and Sign Up Fast

Once you’re signed up with a survey site, you should start receiving matching surveys in your email. It’s important to act fast, especially when you like the payout, as a lot of them have caps on the number of participants they’re looking for. Like a department store giveaway you want to be near the start of the line to ensure you get the prize.

4. Keep a trail of your earnings and cash outs meticulously

Open up a spreadsheet and keep track of all of your points and earnings each time there is a change. When you request a cashout, take a screenshot of your account page. Mistakes happen, and if you feel you’ve been shortchanged by a survey site, having a trail of evidence makes it a lot easier for you to argue your case.

5. Cash Out whenever you meet the minimum threshold

Survey sites are not the bank, and shouldn’t be the place to stockpile your earnings. Cash out as soon as you meet the minimum threshold, which for some survey sites is as low as $5. There are no guarantees in life, and should a survey site go under, all of your incurred earnings may be gone with it.

6. Have the right mentality

No one has ever quit their jobs filling out surveys, though with the right mentality you can make a few hundred dollars a month. Approach surveys like it’s a job- sign up with lots of legitimate survey sites, and allocate a certain amount of time each day to filling them out. Once you get a knack for it, you can complete each survey with optimal speed, which translates into more earnings per time spent.

7. Take advantage of other ways to earn rewards

Most survey sites listed above also include other ways to earn additional rewards, plus incentives to keep survey participants happy. SwagBucks for example also pays you to  watch short video clips, or search the web using Yahoo and playing games. Participate in these tasks to quicken your rate of earning while providing a nice respite from just filling out surveys. Some survey sites like Toluna Surveys and Pinecone hold monthly sweepstakes that give away thousands of dollars each month to members with no additional work required. Make sure you know the rules and are entered. Finally, most survey sites reward you for referring your friends to sign up, which you can take advantage of.