If you’ve ever wished you could get paid to watch TV, you’ll be one happy camper if a nielsen survey invitation shows up in your mailbox.
a look at the nielsen survey
Would you like the opportunity to shape what is seen on local television and heard on local radio stations? That’s exactly the opportunity that the Nielsen Media Studio offers people across the United States.
I was surprised when I recently received an incentive in my mailbox to sign up for the survey, along with some cash and the promise of earning more just for signing up.
This is what I found out about the Nielsen survey when I started researching after I was sent two dollar bills…
index
- is the nielsen survey legit?
- what is the purpose of the survey?
- >How was I selected to participate?
- How much does the Nielsen survey pay?
- What What kind of questions will I have?
- What does Nielsen do to protect my privacy?
is the nielsen survey legit?
yes, in fact, you may already be familiar with the name “nielsen”. has become for five decades synonymous with the production of ratings for television and radio. as the company points out online:
“Nielsen is a leading research firm, known nationally for generating television and radio ratings. We have been in business for over 50 years. we measure radio and television audiences across the country. our only business is research.”
what is the purpose of the survey?
As stated above, Nielsen helps TV and radio programmers gain insight into what people are actually watching and listening to.
To do this, Nielsen must collect responses about the viewing and listening habits of representative US households. that’s why you contact randomly selected households directly to participate in your survey.
Ultimately, surveys conducted directly by Nielsen help determine the best TV and radio shows for each week.
How was I selected to participate?
The method Nielsen uses to select potential homes is completely random.
“all possible phone numbers and addresses are taken into account, just like winning lottery numbers are selected,” the company says in its FAQ. “Because all possible number combinations are eligible for selection, households with listed and unlisted phone numbers are represented.”
translation: It’s pure luck if you get the invite!
Because the selection method is so random, there is no way for you to sign up for the Nielsen survey or volunteer. however, there are two related nielsen panels you can sign up for:
- computer and mobile panel: Receive up to $50 a year after registering your mobile device. Plus, you’ll be entered to win a monthly drawing.
- Consumer Neuroscience Labs: Receive $75 for 45 minutes to an hour of your time. you can do a new study every three to six months.
Reminder: The two opportunities listed above are separate and distinct from the Nielsen TV and Radio survey.
how much does the nielsen survey pay?
Nielsen’s survey argument comes with two fresh, crisp dollar bills. the $2 is yours to keep whether you answer their initial set of questions or not.
If you choose to return the survey, you are promised another $5.
That’s a total of $7 that you can earn with very little effort!
what kind of questions will they ask me?
When you are selected as a possible Nielsen home, you will receive an email with a battery of 16 questions.
- Which types of TV shows do you watch regularly?
- In a typical day, about how many hours of TV do you watch?
- What is your favorite TV show or channel?
- In a typical day, about how many hours of radio do you listen to?
- What type of radio programming do you listen to most often?
- What is your favorite radio station or program?
- Do you have access to the Internet?
- Do you have a cellphone?
- Is there a landline phone in your home?
- What at home, how frequently does anyone answer the landline phone in your home?
- Do you or does anyone in your household work for a radio, TV or cable company?
- Is anyone in your household of Spanish, Hispanic or Latino origin?
- Which language is spoken most often in your home?
- Is anyone in your household…? (racial demographic question)
- Including yourself, how many people living your home are…? (age question)
- Including yourself, please indicate the total number of people currently living in your household that fall into each category below… (age/gender question)
what does nielsen do to protect my privacy?
Whenever you get an unexpected request to pay you for your review, some privacy issues are bound to arise.
nielsen collects personally identifiable information (pii) about you if you choose to participate in its studies. but they swear from top to bottom that they will never allow any of their clients to do business with you directly.
again, according to the FAQ:
“We are committed to protecting the personally identifiable information you provide to us. We will not use such information to advertise, promote, or sell goods or services directly to you, and we do not allow our customers to sell directly to you.”
In addition, Nielsen grants you the right to review, correct, update, delete, or limit the use of your PII. just email the company if you have concerns about how your information is shared at any time.
In the meantime, you can view their full privacy policy here.
final thought
Previously, Nielsen had participants record their viewing habits in a paper diary. But in the last two years, the company has come a long way to replace that outdated method of data collection.
Today, using a combination of “advanced measurement technology, big data, and human-powered dashboards,” Nielsen has completely overhauled the way it collects metrics in 208 local markets.
That said, becoming a Nielsen Home is probably not for you if you’re scared of someone monitoring your media consumption patterns.
As for me, I’m keeping the $2 and will consider completing the quiz to collect another $5 in cash. I don’t know about you, but that’s the easiest $7 I’ve made in a long time.
In the meantime, there are still ways to get paid to offer your opinion on a variety of topics, even if Nielsen doesn’t contact you.
Check out our articles on mturk and surveyjunkie here and here, respectively, to get started. both offer the opportunity to take quick surveys to earn small amounts of cash. It really can all add up over time!
more stories on how to earn extra money on clark.com:
- survey junkie review: 3 things to know before signing up
- mturk review: how to make money online with amazon mechanical turk >
- 8 ways to earn an extra $500 fast