Nuttin' But Pimp

Online Market Research & Surveys

Canadian Paid Surveys is a website that gives you a listing of market research companies that provide incentives for completing online and/or telephone surveys. While most of them appear to be Canada specific there are a few listings open to US and international residents as well.

I've signed up for a few that offer pay-outs of between $3.00-$10.00 per completed survey. There are others that also offer contests, cash prizes, coupons etc. Most state that you can expect between 1-2 surveys per month depending on how many you qualify for.

Some of the companies also offer affiliate programs for those of us with blogs and websites. Survey Lion offers a pay-out of $5.00 per signed-up referral. At this time it is email referral only.

While no one should expect to get rich this way, you can accumulate some spare cash. Plus surveys in general are quick to complete, and fun!

On occasion I have participated in focus groups in-person too. The last one I did was approx. 2 hours and paid $60.00 for my opinion on a new cat treat. Another time too many people were booked and I was given $40.00 just for showing up and then sent home. That was sweet!

You can usually find local market research companies that offer these paid focus groups via your newspaper or phone listings.

I'll let you know more about each individual program I've signed on with, and my personal experiences with them as time goes by.

Cheers!

Wow! When I was a kid I hated that ... but these days...well lets just say it's been a very long time since I could say I'm too young for anything. And I admit it feels good!

Unfortunately it ain't me that is too young, but this blog. At least it is according to Pay Per Post. To sign-up for this program a blog must have been around for a minimum of 90 days and contain unique posts that are no more than 30 days apart.

While I am a little disappointed, I do understand why they require the above. I also appreciate that they list this along with a handful of other requirements prominently on their main page. By doing so they are not wasting my time or their own.

I'll revisit this program sometime at the end of January.

If anyone has some other suggestions for paid per post programs I'd appreciate hearing from you. Tomorrow I'll be looking into paid for online surveys.

Cheers!

A little later today I'll be checking out Pay Per Post, a program that pays bloggers to write about products and services. I'll tell you about my experiences with their sign-up in the next day or two .... Thanks to Shawn for the tip on this one!

Firstly I want to pose a question to fellow bloggers. Do you feel that writers who are being paid to blog about a specific product or service should let their readers know? Why or why not?

I've thought about this from an ethical standpoint, and I believe that writers should alert their readers to the fact it is a paid for post even if they have actually tried said product and really do love it.

So what do you think?

Next I'd love to hear from those who have signed up with Pay Per Post. What has your experience with them been like?

Cheers!

I've signed on with ExpoActive, an online advertising company that pays publishers such as us for clicks to their ads. As a publisher you can pick and choose the types of ads you want to display and their appearance. I like that kind of flexibility.

Pay-outs are in US dollars and are sent via cheque after a minimum balance of $100.00 is reached. Although, I did read on their site where they might be able to make alternate arrangements. Not certain if cashing a U.S. cheque would be a problem here in Canada, which is where I'm based? I'll have to do a bit of research on that, but ExpoActive does allow for International sign-ups.

Check out the ExpoActive links at the bottom of this page, (I actually think they look good) and if you're feeling generous maybe give them a click *hint *hint *nudge *nudge...

I've seen quite a few blogs that are displaying ExpoActive ads. If you've tried this company I'd like to hear from you, the good, the bad, and yeah even the ugly ....

I admit that I do not watch much television. I prefer books to the boob tube for the most part.

When I do watch, much like everyone else during the commercial breaks, I tend to dash for a pee, munchie whatever. It's rare that I actually pay attention to any commercial....but I did watch this one.

Not certain how to upload a YouTube video to the blog itself, so if you want to see what I'm talking about click here.

Basically the ad shows a cartoon chicken out for a graze that bumps into an old (friend?) now in the form of a chicken sandwich?!!

My first reaction to this was..."I'm never going to be able to eat a chicken sandwich again!"

My second thought: "Who thought this was a good idea?"

I can see the absurd, and dark humour in this ad...but it really does not make me want to run out and purchase a chicken souvlaki from this or any other company for that matter.

Is the person/s who came up with this ad secretly on the P.E.T.A payroll?

Or....is it actually a clever marketing ploy designed to create a buzz around the company itself? After all I'm not getting paid by them, but I have just taken the time to blog about their rather unappetizing ad.

What is the worst commercial you have ever seen?

After getting about halfway through the LinkShare sign-up I decided against it.

The first part was basic enough and easy to fill out. However, the legalise used in the terms of service was rather off-putting. It is quite lengthy and in the "seemingly obligatory" small text. Some of the wording was a little disturbing to myself as well. Perhaps I need wait until the middle kiddo obtains her law degree so she may be able to explain it all a little better to me. I admit I did throw caution to the wind so to speak and completed their requested online signature to move to the next stage of the sign-up process.

The next page explains how their first pay-out is done through a postal mailed cheque. Fair enough ...but then they go on to force you into a direct banking deposit. You must fill in your current banking information, and again use an electronic signature. There appears to be no option on this. Without filling in my banking info I was not allowed to complete their sign-up.

To me this was the final turn-off .... and I quit the sign-up session.

Call me paranoid...but since the legalise already called out to the little voice in my head saying, "don't" .... this seemingly forced page to get my bank account was the final straw.

Are you a Linkshare affiliate? Has it been working out for you? Am I being too much of a nervous Nelly over this?

In the end I chose my own personal comfort zone over whatever pay-outs this affiliate program may provide.

Cheers!

While surfing around the web for early Christmas gift giving ideas I came across the Amazon.com Associates Program. So naturally I HAD to check it out. I'm a book junkie and love to pimp my favourites to friends and family anyway. It's also no secret to those that know us that I already order quite a few books through them.

This program offers several options, the most interesting and FUN to me personally is the creation of your very own online bookstore! The sign-up is straight forward. And the creation of the bookstore itself quite fun and easy, even for those with very limited experience in creating a web page.

You can choose your own titles, and customise your own colours, text, and fonts. They give you the ability to create your very own look and feel. You can even add your own custom graphic if you wish.

Perhaps the best part of all is that they allow you to pick and choose the products you wish to promote.

Pay-outs are handled via cheque, direct bank deposit, or gift certificate. I appreciate having these options. You are then paid based on a percentage of what has been purchased through your store.

I admit that since I am such an avid reader in this case the cash is actually less desirable than the gift certificates, so I chose that option. I also tend to give books as presents especially to the kiddo's on my Santa list.

So please do check out Nuttin' But Pimp - The Book Store & Much More and let me know what you think! You also might want to think about starting your own online book shop through Amazon.

I'll definitely let you all know how this one works out.

Ahhhh.....It certainly has been productive...for a one cup of coffee morning!

I have been accepted by Blogsvertise! Hopefully within the next few days I will receive the first task, and be able to report to you on the process and our progress with this program.

Cheers!

I have officially signed up with Blogsvertise.

The concept is that advertisers go to them with their products and services, and they in turn match blogs that have been approved by Blogsvertise with them.

The bloggers receive detailed, instructions via email on who they will be writing about. You may write from your personal experience with the product, critique, and/or give feedback on the advertisers websites. You must include at least three links to the product or service being offered.

Additionally bloggers that refer advertisers to Blogsvertise will receive a pay-out of 20% of the amount spent by the advertisers to use the program. A very healthy percentage!

Another feature I really appreciated about this service is that pay-outs are done through Paypal. Very handy and beats waiting for a cheque in the mail.

The sign-up was very straightforward, and I have already confirmed my registration through the activation email that was sent via the support staff. It should take approx. 24-48 hours to hear back from them.

I have logged in and noted that they provide the blogger with a handy control panel which is easy to navigate. From the control panel you can check payment status, your user profile etc.

Fingers crossed that I am approved. This one looks very promising!

I'll keep you all posted, and will update you on the status of the other three programs I talk about in Friday's post.

Cheers!

Our thanks to MsDemmie for directing us to this Adsense warning.

If what the author is saying is correct (and at this point it looks like he is) then any blog utilizing promotional sites such as BlogMad or Blog Explosion will be in violation of Google Adsense terms of service.

Promotional sites such as Blog Mad are an effective tool in reaching a wider audience and building a readership for any blog, particularly one that is new to the blog scene. By disallowing the usage of such sites Google Adsense would in effect be hampering the growth of the blog itself, therefore increasing the likelihood of it's failure in promoting their own ads.

Doesn't make much sense now .... does it?

Adsense was not on the top of my list, and if this is the case then I will not be trying them out.

If it comes down to Blog Mad vs. Google Adsense than for the success of this pimp ... I choose Blog Mad.

More on the others listed this past Friday later ....

After doing some surfing around the blogosphere, and seeing which paid ad programs other bloggers are utilizing, I've settled on the following four to start with:

Blogvertise

Pay Per Post

Expoactive

Link Share

These four seem to be the most popular, and hopefully the most promising that I've come across thus far.

I will be spending this weekend looking into them, and signing up with each. After I've signed up, I will review my experience with them, and over the course of time update you on how they are working out for me.

If you have personally had any experience with these four, good, bad or indifferent I'd like to hear from you! Please leave a comment in the commentary section below. Good lucks are always welcome too ...

Cheers!

Candy Minx brought up a good point in the comments section of this blog yesterday. She stated, " I've never clicked on a blog ad." This in turn inspired me to ask of myself, and you the reader, what would it take for you to click on an ad?

As a newbie to this sort of thing it is something I have not done very often myself. When I have clicked on an ad it is usually because I personally like the blog as a whole, and wish to help out the writer. I have also clicked on ad links when the graphic has caught my eye or the product/service is something I am interested in. I suppose it is a combination of several things....but what would be the winning combination?

I am guessing that the answer would be the "holy grail" of click-through paid programs!

As always I'm interested in your thoughts. What would it take to get you to click?

Thank you Candy for your thought provocative commentary! Please surf on over to The Gnostic World of Candy Minx and show her the love!

Thanks so much for your feedback and good lucks! Keep them coming ..

...until I got the check in the mail!"

So said, the subject header of an email I received last night. The body of the message continued on to promise that real money could be made by internet referrals through the World Market Systems program. Sounds like something worth exploring, right?

I hesitate to click on any link provided in the body of an email unless I specifically know the person who sent it. I hovered over the link with my mouse to view the url, and it was incredibly long and looked much like gobbledy gook. The name of the company did not factor into the url at all.

My next approach was to try several online searches for World Market Systems. This did not yield anything that I was looking for.

Has anyone heard of this paid click-through company before? Should I assume this might be a "phishing" tactic to get me to click on the link in the body of the email?

Cheers!

Today I plan on checking out some of the click-through ads being offered around the net. Has anyone had any luck with these? Have you tried one and received a pay-out? If so, please let me know what you recommend or your experiences with them.

As this blog evolves and develops my goal is to not only make some $$$$, but to become a good resource for other newbies wanting to try these as well.

Cheers!

That is the question I hope to answer with this blog.

In May 2006 I took stress leave from my full-time job. Taking the time off probably saved my sanity, but did increase some of our family's everyday stress.

Bills have been mounting, rent needs to be paid, and quite frankly my medical leave benefits really could use a serious infusion of cash.

So I've started this blog in order to see if there is anything to all those messages we receive promising easy cash earnings online. I'll let you know what hopefully works, what doesn't, who delivers, who doesn't, and/if or when the cheques are in the mail.

If you've tried any advertising schemes and have an opinion let us know in the comments. I want to hear from you!

Cheers!

Despite sugar cane being a crop traded on the international mercantile exchange... and there being literally "cane ranchers"... and the biggest complaint about "big sugar" was about the environment, seeing that Mr. Burns, Count Fudgeula, Apu, and some guy voiced by Ben Stiller are PART of the "cartel", IT MUST BE A MIGHTY AND EVIL CABAL!!!

Just pay no attention to this...

...or this...

...or this...

...or this...

...or this...

...or this...

...or this...

...and we can all agree that the natural thing is FAR more scary then the man-made chemical thing!