Top 10 paid online focus groups in 2021 where you can work from home, discuss in person, online review, research, and make money.
Participating in paid focus groups is a great way to earn some extra cash to supplement your income.
If you are interested in dipping your toe in the waters of focus groups but aren’t sure where to start, keep on watching because I’m going to cover it all!
In today’s article, we going to talk about top 10 paid focus group by the end of this video, you will know how does it work? How much do they pay you? And important of all is it really worth your time or not we about to find out so sit back relax and drink some coffee.
What is a focus group?
focus groups are a method of market research that companies leverage in order to gain valuable insight into their products, services, or even a future marketing campaign.
Due to the nature of focus groups (meaning the participants are actually encouraged to share their true opinions of a company’s new product or service), they are considered this as a method of collecting data.
Companies like to conduct focus groups because not only do they get important feedback on their products and services, but focus groups also give companies a chance to understand their customer better by providing insight on:
- What they actually think
- How they think
- Why they feel the way they do
Focus groups can last anywhere from an hour to two hours, depending upon how the discussion goes.
How does it work?
There are two types of focus groups:
- In-person
- Online
In-person focus groups are conducted in interactive group settings that typically consist of 4-10 participants and a moderator.
The moderator is responsible for facilitating the discussion and encouraging the participants to share their thoughts and opinions about the product or service that is being tested.
There are six different kinds of in-person focus groups:
- Single Focus Group: This is the most traditional type of focus group. It involves a single moderator asking the participants questions.
- Mini Focus Group: This kind of focus group sticks to four or five participants to create a more intimate environment.
- Two-Way Focus Group: In this scenario, there are two different focus groups with two different moderators. The first group observes the second group as they hold their discussion. After watching the first discussion, the first group talks about what they learned from their observations.
- Dual Moderator Focus Group: There are two moderators. One is in charge of asking the group questions, and the other moderator makes sure the questions are answered and the discussion moves along.
- Dueling Moderator Focus Group: Two different focus groups, each with their own moderator, are pitted against each other to explore opposing sides of an issue.
- Respondent Moderator Focus Group: In this type of focus group, one or more members of the focus group temporarily assume the role of the moderator.
And, online focus groups are conducted…you guessed it…online, allowing participants can provide feedback from the comfort of their own homes.
There are a few different types of online focus groups:
- Virtual Group Meeting: This type of online focus group session is usually conducted using a virtual meeting platform, like GoToMeeting or Zoom. And, like an in-person focus group, a moderator will conduct the session and ask questions to encourage an open and honest discussion amongst the participants.
- Surveys: Surveys are super easy to participate in. You just fill out a company’s survey and submit it.
- One-On-One Interviews: This type of online focus group consists of a researcher or company decision maker interviewing a participant in a one-on-one setting. It can be conducted by phone or virtual meeting platform.
How much money can you make?
It depends on the exact amount you get paid for each study differs based on the topic, length, etc. But to give you an idea, you can expect to make anywhere from $10-$20 to upwards of $150-$400 per focus group.
Here are the top 10 paid online focus groups you should consider joining:
Experience Dynamics
They are looking for a wide variety of focus group participants, including people new to the web, IT professionals, users with disabilities, and even people across the world.
Incentives are between $50-150 dollars per review, depending on the scope of the study.
They have several types of studies that they conduct, including:
- Field Studies: Visiting you at home or work for a 1-2 hour interview .
- Diary Studies: Providing a diary for you to record your thoughts over 1-2 weeks
- Usability Testing: Inviting you to facility to review a Web site or software application (across the United States or globally) or asking you to join a live web conference
- Phone interviews: Speaking with you over the phone for 30-60 minutes
- Online Focus Groups: Participating in an online focus group study
- Online Surveys: Getting your thoughts from an online survey
Once you fill out a profile and get added to their database, they’ll reach out to you as new focus group opportunities arise.
Findfocusgroup
They pull together available studies that they find from different companies, making it easier to find ones that are a good fit for your profile. You can search by city, state, or scroll their listings.
They also offer paid surveys as an additional option. And the payout is $100 to $400.
Survey Squad
They provide opportunities for focus groups, phone interviews, online diaries, and other types of marketing research.
They’re a highly specialized marketing group, therefore they’re looking for consumers as well as business and medical professionals.
The payout for the Surveys pay $1-$5; studies pay $100-$300; They will be paid you in cash, check, or gift card.
Focusgroup.org
They had 186 available studies ongoing. They cover everything, including focus groups, clinical trials, mobile app installs, online surveys, usability testing, and mystery shops.
You can search by city or review studies that take nationwide applicants.
They payout: $100-$1200 and they will send you a Prepaid VISA or check.
Probe Market Research
Get a sneak peek of upcoming products and advertising campaigns when you participate with this platform.
They conduct in-depth interviews via focus group, online, or through phone calls on popular products and concepts for their clients. The payout: Between $50-$400 in cash
Recruit and Field
They offer the opportunity to participate in various focus groups, including in-person, phone interviews, online surveys, and in-home testing. Their clients include Microsoft, Apple, Google, Uber, Netflix, Spotify, and more.
They payout: $100-$275+ per study; and you will get pay through Paypal and e-gift cards.
WatchLab
They are currently running a promotion where you’ll be entered into a $100 raffle upon submitting your profile.
Once you qualify for a study, they’ll reach out to you to join the online boards, in-person focus groups, or interviews.
The Payout: $100 – $175+; and you will get pay cash or check mailed to your house.
Engage Studies
They offer focused studies to consumers as well as business and healthcare professionals. They provide both online surveys and focus groups. The Payout: $50-$250 through PayPal or check.
Brand Institute
They help companies build their brands. From naming pharmaceuticals to market research, they cover anything that involves branding.
The site is very up to dated, and I understand it can be hard to qualify for surveys. However, if you do, they pay out very well! The Payout is $30+ through PayPal or check.
20 20 Panel
They provide a nice mix of options for participation, including:
- Quick surveys that pay out anywhere from $1-$10, depending upon the content.
- Online discussion forum, where you log in and participate for 45 mins or so for several days
- Online webcam discussion that lasts 30-90 mins with other participants
The payout: $50-$150, through prepaid visa and gift card.