You’ve heard of Nielsen before. They’re the globally-known market research powerhouses who have been researching entertainment trends for decades. Listen to the news or read a magazine, and you’re sure to see a poll or study by Nielsen, telling us what television shows are the most popular. Most people don’t know, though, that the folks at Nielsen also study consumer trends.

Nielsen studies television viewing by asking households across the country to keep viewing diaries or to attach data-collecting boxes to their family televisions. They study consumers in the same way. Nielsen supplies some families across the country with home scanners — hand-held devices that allow the study participants to scan the bar codes of the items they buy (everything from generic canned peas to plasma televisions).

What does Nielsen do with the data they collect from Homescan studies? They report back to manufacturers, and the data ultimately influences what products are made and sold.

They can’t do this alone, however.  Nielsen needs participants for this program. Registration is completely free. What’s in it for you? Well, Nielsen doesn’t pay in the form of cash. BUT if you are an active participant in the program, Nielsen will reward you with points that you can redeem for electronics, jewelry, household items, toys, and a lot more. In my opinion, that’s just as good as cash, because you can earn free things that you can give away as gifts (which takes that burden off of your wallet). Influence the products made and sold.  Join Nielsen’s Homescan Consumer Panel. Click Here to learn more!!

The NFO My Survey company is actively seeking new members to participate in online surveys and focus groups. They are specifically in need of participants in the United States. This company is 100% free and 100% legitimate (they’ve been around since the 1950s). They pay participants to complete online surveys and focus groups (sometimes over $100). They also send out full-sized samples of products for you to try and evaluate. I have personally used the site for over 10 years, and have nothing but positive things to say about them.

Opinion Outpost–one of the sites that I have included on my online surveys and focus groups page–just informed me that they are looking for new members. Registration is free and open to anyone. I have personally used Opinion Outpost (I ALWAYS test a site before I post it here for my readers), and it’s a very easy site to use and maneuver. They pay you with points, which you then redeem for money. They send you a check when you cash in your points. My friend takes surveys for them regularly, and uses the money that she earns there to pay for baby diapers and formula every month.

Note: They are accepting all applications right now for a limited time, but are particularly looking for male and Hispanic members. If you are male, register by clicking here. If you are Hispanic, register by clicking here. All other groups, click here to register.

Chances are,  you’ve heard of Ipsos.  They’re a well-respected, well-known polling company.   Listen to a national news broadcast, and the anchor might just cite a poll by Ipsos.   Ipsos doesn’t just do political or news polls, though.  Their online presense uses regular people to participate in online surveys… they even send out products for users to test in exchange for compensation.   In addition to their regular compensation, they run in-house sweepstakes, choosing random participants to win large sums of money (right now the prize is $5,000).  They also give away a car each year, and only people who are registered with the site are eligible to win.   If you’re interested in taking surveys and/or testing products for one of the biggest names in market research, register for your free Ipsos account now, and start enjoying the perks of being one of their survey participants.

Survey Spot is looking for new members to participate in online research studies that match your interests and demographics. Earn prize draw entries every time you participate in a survey, with a chance to win up to $12,000 in our quarterly prize draw. One of my readers won several hundred dollars in their prize drawing last quarter. Personally, I took surveys for Survey Spot back in the mid- to late 90s, and earned a consistent amount of cash. Click Here to start getting paid to take surveys.

Join now (and persuade your significant other to join too) because marketing research companies often contact me when they need new members, but they will sometimes close their registration after a few days.

If you’re looking for the opportunity to earn money online, you should try Ipsos.     They’re one of the oldest, most respected marketing research companies around.   The surveys and focus groups they invite users to participate in are used in important national polls, as well as social and consumer research.  (If you pay attention to the nightly national news for a few days, chances are you’ll hear one of the anchors citing a poll that was done by Ipsos.)    While Ipsos doesn’t pay members in cash, you can redeem your points for gift cards.  Stores include Target and Walmart, so this can help your household budget by using the cards to purchase groceries, clothing, and household necessities.   This is also one of the companies that often sent out product samples for you to try in your household — you’re allowed to keep the samples, and you get paid for giving your opinion about them.

They’re currently accepting new members.  If you’re interested, please visit their site to register today.