In this post, we reviewed the top 50 best paid online focus groups. We also tell you all you need to know about paid online focus groups as well as how to make money with the system.
So, if you are searching for the best and legitimate paid online focus groups for money, this article is for you.
Whenever someone mentions the art of making money online, the first method that jumps to our minds is taking online paid surveys.
Taking surveys is a pretty good method of making money online as they do not take time to complete and you don’t need to have prior experience in taking surveys to get qualified to take a survey in any of the survey providing platforms but what if I told you that there was another way you could make money both offline and online (depending on the options you choose) for just airing your opinions?
Yeah! That is what we will be looking at in the course of this article. They are just like taking surveys only that they pay a bit more and in the case of offline meetings, you get to sit and interact with different people for a while.
So, for those of you who are new to the term, let’s discuss this option in a bit more detail. Now, what are these focus groups?
50 Best Paid Online Focus Groups:
1. MINDSWARMS
Mindswarms is a market research company that works just like a paid online focus groups do as they get to ask certain questions about a particular product or service in each case and they expect replies and feedback. The only difference is that here, you are just by yourself, so we have different people in different locations creating video feedbacks or surveys about a particular product or service without interacting with another.
This site pays their members $50 every time they complete a video survey and this money can be withdrawn via PayPal in about 2 days to 4 days after your video has been submitted, duly received and approved.
2. VIP VOICE
VIP Voice is a website that is popularly known for providing surveys for their members to take part in and complete in exchange for some form of rewards or payment. This website has partnerships where they get to do market research for a lot of big companies belonging to the Fortune 500 group and also some startup businesses too.
Like I mentioned earlier, it is a survey website so you primarily get to do are online paid surveys but in the course of time, these surveys qualify you to get invited to participate in a focus group. These focus groups get to pay way more than the surveys do as you could get up to $100 per survey.
The amount you get paid at the end of the focus group depends on the length of the focus group. VIP Voice pays out directly in form of points which can be converted to cash, prizes or sweepstakes entries upon request.
3. ENGAGE IN DEPTH
Engage In Depth is a market research platform that provides specialized market research services to their client companies. One of the ways they achieve that goal is by using paid online focus groups to get the information that they need.
This platform has two major panels – the healthcare-focused panel and the business-focused panel – that they offer their members and an individual can only join one of these panels.
It is also popularly known for how well they pay for participation in any of their focus groups as they have high paying focus groups that could earn you as much as $250 for just a few hours and even the ones that are considered as low paying focus groups could earn you as much as $50 too.
4. PROBE MARKET RESEARCH
Probe is new market research recruiting company that was launched in 2005. This firm is based in San Francisco and New York City.
They specialize in the provision of intricate information on the consumer behaviour and loyalty to different brands, companies and businesses through the use of methods like Mystery Shopping, Usability Tests, Product Trials, Gang Sessions/Hall Tests, as well as online focus groups.
They also pay quite well as one could earn as much as $50 to even $400 dollars for just setting aside a few hours of their time to discuss their opinions on a particular product or service.
As a bonus, the corporation has an A+ rating with Better Business Bureau (BBB) so you can feel safe and at ease when invited to participate in a focus group.
5. BRAND INSTITUTE
Brand Institute is a market research organization that owns the popular drug company, DSI which is short for Drug Safety Institute that is primarily involved with the naming and approval of drugs.
Brand Institute, on the other hand, specializes in the provision of relevant information and data about the consumer’s view on certain products and services that are related to the medical field.
You need to be affiliated somewhat with the healthcare industry or the pharmaceutical industry to be able to get involved in any of the focus groups that this company offers.
The focus groups that you will typically find through this company is quite deep when compared with the ones from other companies that provide paid focus groups but this is because the focus groups are centred around the medical industry and are organized by mostly big pharmaceutical companies.
They also compensate their panellists pretty well for their efforts and time by paying handsome amounts at the end of the discussion. The earnings you accumulate through this platform can be processed via PayPal or by bank checks.
Also read: Best Paid Online Survey Sites
6. 20|20 PANEL
20|20 Panel is a popular and respected market research panel that has most of their research, focus groups and studies (that also include online surveys) conducted online via the internet.
This goes without saying that they have physical/in-person focus groups and also telephone focus groups too but the most popular methods of market research that they employ are the online methods.
This panel was established and launched in 1986 and they have grown to the point of being featured in the wall street journal. They have also worked with a lot of big brands like Dell, Disney, Kraft, Frito-Lay and P&G. they have their studies paying between the range of $50 to $150 and they have their panels for in-person focus groups at Nashville, TN, Miami, FL and Charlotte, NC.
7. ALIBABA
Alibaba user research is a research panel stemming from the Alibaba website that is also centred on improving the quality of the Alibaba website.
At different times, they conduct different kinds of consumer/user research like mystery shopping, usability studies, surveys, interviews and focus groups that are tailored towards the improvement of the website.
The rewards for participating in any of these user research methods could be in the form of gift cards, coupons or cash processed via bank checks.
8. FIELDWORK
Fieldwork is a market research company that has been providing market research services for about 35 years which is a pretty long time. They used to be only focused on using only the focus group method of market research as a means to get the information that their clients required but now they have grown and evolved into incorporating other methods and techniques.
They have over 15 facilities in different states in the US some of which are Atlanta, Boston, Chicago-Downtown, Chicago – O’Hare, Chicago – Schaumburg, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lee, NJ, LA-Orange County, Minneapolis, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle that they use to execute different research methods like usability research, ethnographic research, convention research, focus groups and also online research.
All their services are fully supported by National Recruiting Center (NRC) with an A+ rating from Better Business Bureau and they pay their panellists from $75 and above for a few hours of participating in their research services.
9. PLAZA RESEARCH
Plaza Research is a market research company that was founded in the year 1982. It is popularly known as the premier network of focus group facilities. They have panels for in-person focus groups in about 14 locations with amazing and efficient facilities, all of which are tailored to providing their clients and members with the best possible experience.
They are capable of handling a wide range of market research methods like On-site small or large groups, Classroom style groups or mock juries, Living room style focus groups or interviews, One-on-one interviews.
Usability testing, Telephone & web-based surveys, Offsite/ethnographic recruiting, Client-list recruiting, Nationwide recruitment for focus groups, on-line surveys, telephone interviews, web-based research Includes markets in which we are not physically located, Medical recruitment of specialists, nurses, administrative staff, patients and caregivers and also Screener development cutting across a wide range of target consumers like Parents, students, kids & teens, business professionals and also physicians.
You can be a part of all these processes and results and also get paid by becoming a member and taking part in focus groups, telephone interviews, discussions, online surveys and also in-home interviews centred around different topics.
10. CHASEN RESEARCH
Chasen Research is a market research company that was launched in 1986 in the city of New York. From the time of their launch up until now, they have grown to become one of the top companies in the market research and recruitment services industry.
Their clients have always appraised them for their innovation and excellent delivery. However, to achieve and sustain all of the aforementioned goals and qualities, they would require the help of other individuals which is where you come in.
Chasen Research is always on the lookout for people that they would recruit to work with them in terms of participating in focus groups, taking part in paid online surveys and also other kinds of market research methods so as to be able to continue in their delivery of high-quality services.
11. CONTRACT TESTING
Contract Testing is a market research company that is based out of Canada that was established in 1985. It is usually known for short as CTI and they specialize in conducting market research for companies that have included those that cut across multiple industries like the food and beverage industries and also QSR brands.
They carry out consultations on different research methods and implement them to ensure the satisfaction of their clients by providing them with information that is accurate, clear and actionable and can be used constructively in the development and growth of their businesses and companies.
They also have a consumer test panel that pays the members of their panels for airing their opinion about particular products and services. The catch though is that you have to be a resident of the United States of America or Canada to be able to become a tester with them.
12. GLOBAL TEST MARKET
Global Test Market is also a market research company that has specialized in providing services in the field of market research to its clients for a really long period now.
It was launched in 1999 by Global Market Institute also known as GMI but now, it is owned by Lightspeed Research which is another popular market research company. Global Test Market is a platform that allows various individuals to contribute to the work that they do by taking part in surveys and also focus groups in exchange for rewards.
They allow members to sign up from anywhere in the world and registration is free, Global Test Market pays their panellists directly with points because they support the points Rewarding system and at the end of the day, members can choose to redeem as points as cash which is withdrawn via PayPal.
You can also redeem your points in the form of a gift card from online retail stores like Walmart and Amazon.
13. MY SURVEY
My Survey is a survey website but then they also offer their members the opportunity to participate in focus groups once in a while. This company is a very popular market research company and they have worked with a lot of companies over the years by specializing in the area of market research and data collection from the consumers of the products and services that these companies deliver.
The site was launched in 1995 and it is located online at www.mysurvey.com. Right now, this website is operated by Lightspeed online.
They also pay their members in the form of points which could be converted to cash through PayPal, donated to charity or redeemed as gift cards from online retails stores.
14. MINTVINE
MintVine is a company that does and places focus mainly on online paid surveys but sometimes, they also offer individuals the opportunity to participate in a focus group. They use the points rewarding system where they pay directly in the form of points and at a later date, when requesting for withdrawals, members can convert the points to cash which can be processed via PayPal.
It is really important that you complete your profile when signing up with this company because that is the best way you can be matched to focus groups and surveys that you can take.
After the pre-qualification to engage in a focus group, you will be notified by MintVine and subsequently, you will be passed through another screening process to determine if you are really right for the opportunity.
You’ll get your payment immediately the entire focus group participation and evaluation is carried out and approved. You could earn as much $10 to even $50 per hour per focus group.
15. FOCUS FORWARD
All that Focus Forward does is carry out research for companies. One of the ways they are able to achieve this goal is by incorporating focus groups in their research methods.
They have a separate section on their website carved out for just paid surveys and focus groups. To join this website, all you have to do is click on the “Join Our Panel” tab that is located at the top of the website and continue your registration process.
Their research procedures do not take too long and it has been observed that the longest they have ever conducted lasted about 2 hours and these could pay as much as $50 to $125 or even more.
They also conduct a couple of telephone focus groups and these ones last up to weeks. This means that they obviously pay mot=re than the traditional online focus group would pay. Point is, there are a lot of focus group options to take part in on this site and you could earn much more than you would on the average survey or focus group site.
The focus groups on this site could pay anything within the range of $100 to $300 and if you want to earn more, you can do online paid surveys which pay in points at the rate of 1000 points to one dollar.
Focus Forward pays its participants via bank checks in about 6 weeks to 8 weeks after a particular study or research has been completed.
16. OPINION OUTPOST
Most people know this site as a survey site but they also offer really good focus groups that pay you well. They make their payments in the form of gift cards from Amazon and also through PayPal.
Signing up with Opinion Outpost is very easy. Just visit their website and either sign up using your social media account or by directly filling in the registration form. You will have to confirm your account and complete your personal profile after that so just follow the instructions carefully and in no time, you’d be a member.
17. INSPIRED OPINIONS
Inspired Opinions is a market research platform owned by Schlesinger Associates, a company that has been involved in carrying out market research for over 40 years.
They offer a lot of market research services like telephone surveys, online surveys, focus groups of different forms and even mystery shopping sometimes. They operate in different locations in the United States like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Bala Cynwyd, Phoenix, San Francisco and St. Louis.
They also have panels for in-person focus groups in the United Kingdom in London, U.K. and Wimbledon, U.K., Germany in Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt and also Paris in France.
This platform has a B+ rating with the Better Business Bureau which is still a pretty good rating. They pay their participants with points which can be redeemed using their conversion rate where 100 points are equivalent to $1. They also have a minimum withdrawal threshold of about 1000points which equates to $10 in the form of gift cards.
18. OPINION SITE
Opinion Site will pay you to take part in their focus groups. This website allows individuals from 13 years and above to register on their site and take part in both surveys and focus groups.
They also pay their members in the form of cash via PayPal or through gift cards from online retail stores.
The catch here is trying to qualify for the focus groups as they are very selective in the sourcing process and you have to fit the exact demographic of the individuals they are looking to hear from.
19. FOCUS POINTE GLOBAL
Focus Pointe Global is another platform you could use to access focus groups and get paid in return. They offer both online and offline interviews and they also have opportunities available where individuals can take part in telephone interviews and also online paid surveys. to join them though, you have to go through the focusgroup.com website. They are available in the following locations:
Appleton, WI, Atlanta, Bala Cynwyd, PA, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, St. Louis and Teaneck, NJ.
20. MINDFIELD ONLINE
Beyond focus groups, this platform also offers other options like online paid surveys and product testing. They pay their members in the form of gift cards and if you choose, you get redeem yours in the form of cash. They also have an age restriction of 14 years.
21. PRODUCT REPORT CARD
With this platform, all new members get a free sign up bonus of $5 right off the bat without any strings attached. They have a lot of survey panels and they also have lots of focus group opportunities that you can utilize to earn some more money.
In the case of product testing, members or panellists do not get to return the product which is part of what makes it an interesting platform and also a popular one.
22. IPSOS I-SAY
This website is one of the most popular websites well-known for conducting online paid surveys and paying the participants in return. This website is also big on conducting online paid focus groups too and these focus groups pay a lot more than the surveys would ever pay.
Some of these focus groups pay as much as a hundred dollars an hour but to qualify for these focus groups, you really have to be consistent in qualifying and taking shorter paid online surveys.
They also pay their members for completing surveys or focus groups in points and the amount you earn independent on the length of the survey. if you even get to partake in completing plenty surveys and focus groups, you will get awarded with extra points called loyalty points.
The minimum withdrawal limit for this site is about 500 points and they can be redeemed in form of cash via PayPal, gift cards from online retail stores or cash via prepaid visa card.
23. FOCUSGROUP.COM
Focus Group.com is a market research company that uses about 12 different kinds of research methods to conduct their market research. The different methods that they employ include studies through in-person focus groups, webcam focus groups, telephone interviews, online surveys, mystery shopping assignments, product placement studies, and so on!
This company pays as much as $75 to $150 per in-person focus group attended. Other methods pay differently depending on the nature of the assignment.
Their market research cuts across a range of industries but they basically specialize in gathering data that are specifically related to mons, business owners and healthcare professionals.
They have panels for in-person focus groups in Appleton, WI, Atlanta, Bala Cynwyd, PA, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Columbus, OH, Dallas, TX, Kansas City, MO, Los Angeles, CA, Minneapolis, MN, New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, San Francisco, CA, St. Louis, MO and Teaneck, NJ.
24. ADVANTAGE RESEARCH SERVICES GROUP, INC.
This is a company that does market research for companies and businesses and conducts them across a vast line up of industries including the health care industry, the media industry, the finance industry and a couple of other industries.
One of the ways they do this is by employing the use of focus groups. These focus groups help them get the data they are looking to get from a certain demographic marginal unit.
They have panels for in-person focus groups in major cities like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Southbend, Indiana and Columbus, Ohio. Any focus group you take part in through this company could earn you anything from $25 to $100.
25. EXPERIENCE DYNAMICS
Just like every other platform listed here, Experience Dynamics is a market research company that offers a lot of options to make money when it comes to research studies.
They carry out a lot of studies through different means like field studies where they get to visit you in your house or in your place of work for a couple of hours, diary studies.
They get you to record your thoughts on a particular topic over a period of 1 week to 2 weeks, usability testing where they get you to visit their location or facility to review a product, service, website or application, phone interviews.
They call you and talk with you for about 30 minutes to 60 minutes, online focus groups where you get take part in an online focus group study and finally online paid surveys which you already know how it works.
Every one of these options pays about $50 to $150 at the end of the session or study. This company operates put of different major cities like Seattle, Boston, Portland and Los Angeles.
26. CHASEN RESEARCH
Chasen Research is a market research company that was launched in 1986 in the city of New York. From the time of their launch up until now, they have grown to become one of the top companies in the market research and recruitment services industry.
Their clients have always appraised them for their innovation and excellent delivery. However, to achieve and sustain all of the aforementioned goals and qualities, they would require the help of other individuals which is where you come in.
Chasen Research is always on the lookout for people that they would recruit to work with them in terms of participating in focus groups, taking part in paid online surveys and also other kinds of market research methods so as to be able to continue in their delivery of high-quality services.
27. BALTIMORE RESEARCH
This company conducts two basic types of researches. The normal panel for research on normal consumer products and services.
This one includes the general public at large while the second panel is the panel for those that are professionals in the medical industry.
The company is based in Baltimore, Maryland and the amount you will be paid for participating in any of their focus groups is not certain as it varies depending on the nature of the particular focus group and the subject of discussion.
28. FOCUSCOPE
Focuscope is a market research platform that pays their members from $75 upward up until $250 for just taking part in focus groups.in these focus groups, all you have to do is share your opinions on various goods, services and products for a few hours and you could make some extra cash in the process.
They also have a mobile app that you could use to access their platform and it can be downloaded on their website. They have panels for in-person focus groups in Chicago, Oak Brook Terrace, IL and Oak Park, IL.
They also claim that they conduct more than 500 different studies for different companies in a year.
29. ATKINS RESEARCH
Atkins Research is also another market research company based out of Los Angeles that has been in the business of providing market research services for other companies through different research methodologies.
These methods could include focus groups, mystery shopping, usability studies, video game testing and so on. They also do other forms of market research studies besides focus groups like Jury Simulation, Ethnographies and Car Clinics.
Their services to their clients cut across a wide range of industries and the payment for participating differs depending on the length of the focus group.
30. AIM RESEARCH
Aim Research is a market research company that conducts market research for other companies and businesses at large. It also incorporates the use of focus groups as one of the methods that they use to extract the information that they need from customers and consumers of certain products and services.
They operate out of their panels for in-person focus groups in Chicago, Cincinnati, Costa Mesa, Hackensack, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Morristown.
31. NICHOLS RESEARCH
Nichols Research is a company that conducts market research and is based out of San Francisco. They offer a lot of opportunities for individuals to earn money while participating in their research processes.
These opportunities include the traditional focus groups, shop-along focus groups, taste tests, Usability labs, video game testing, surveys, car clinics and also mock juries.
They have a rating on A+ with Better Business Bureau and their pay varies depending on the technicality of the process you are involved in. They pay their participants in cash, bank checks or via the PayPal payment processor.
32. INDY FOCUS
Indy Focus is another body that conducts market research for companies in the healthcare industry. They also do consumer research too so you can also apply even if you are not affiliated with the healthcare sector in case they come across research across another industry.
Even though they tend towards accepting anyone, they always have a separate panel just for professionals in the health care industry since many of their studies and research target the healthcare industry.
Indy focus pays their participant’s different things at different times depending on the nature of the task at hand. They are located in Phoenix, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York and Los Angeles.
33. ADLER WEINER RESEARCH
Adler Weiner Research is a research company that supports the participation of different consumers and professionals in the health care sector in their research process.
The company was launched in 1960 and the different methods involved in their research process besides the use of focus groups include a lot of in-depth interviews, in-home visits, and shop along with visits.
They also have an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) company so you can rest assured that they are a legit company to work with.
The amount of money you could earn by working with Adler Weiner Research varies from to time depending on the nature of the focus group that you are participating in and they have their physical locations at Chicago, Orange County and Los Angeles.
34. NYU RESEARCH STUDIES
NYU Research Studies is the research laboratory of the Psychology department of New York University. They engage in conducting studies related to psychology and you have to be in New York, NY to be able to participate in the study.
Every study session could earn you between $10 to $20 depending on how long it takes to get completed.
35. USABILITY SCIENCES
This is an organization that recruits people to take part in the tests that they conduct like usability tests, focus groups and other kinds of research studies.
The research they conduct cuts across a wide range of industries and so people with different skill sets and work experiences are always invited to apply and work with them in exchange for compensation of course.
All tests and studies are conducted at their facility in Irving, Texas (near Dallas) and once in a while, they conduct some in other cities.
Their study sessions usually last between one hour to two hours and you will be observed and even recorded the whole time. You also get to sign a non-disclosure agreement before your arrival at the venue of the study so as to ensure that information is kept safe and confidential. The payment is only made at the end of the study.
36. FOCUS ROOM
Focus Room just like the other companies in this article is a market research company that pays their panellists for contributing to their research by taking part in focus groups and other research methodologies.
They also use other methods like Media Dial Sessions, Taste Tests and also Product Placements in their research process too. This company is based in the city of New York and their pay varies as the different assignments they offer to pay differently.
37. HAGEN SINCLAIR
Hagen Sinclair is a company that specializes in market research. They also encourage people that participate in any of their research methods by compensating them at the end of the day.
For instance, when you partake in any of the focus groups that they organize, you could earn anything from $45 to $500. This company has their panels for in-person focus groups in Oakland, CA and Chico CA.
They have their study methods including in-person interviews, telephone interviews and focus groups and also mobile services that you can access from your smartphone and also other online services that you could access from your personal computer. All payments are made through cash or via bank checks.
38. MEDIABARN RESEARCH
This platform basically allows people to participate in their studies and pays then for it at the end of the activity. All their sessions last for about 1 hour to 2 hours and they also conduct one on one interviews.
Like with all focus group organizations, you will not be able to get qualified for all the studies that are available owing to a number of reasons. One of which is the fact that you might fit the particular demographic they are searching for.
They also call their payments for participation “Honorariums” and these could be in the form of gift cards, cash or bank checks. They are based out of Arlington, VA.
39. COVANCE
Covance is a research company that pay individuals for tasting food and drinking beverages and airing their honest opinions as it relates to the food they tasted or the beverage they drank.
They only accept food testers though from Livermore, CA as the service they offer is not online but offline and you need to a local to be able to visit the Consumer Test Center where the testing holds. They also conduct focus groups and each one could earn you about $30 or even more depend on the length of the study.
All of the food and beverage testing is aimed at letting the manufactures of those products know what they think and could help in the innovation and development of better food products.
40. SHIFRIN-HAYWORTH
Members of this company can be of any age group as they conduct research across different types of people.
The studies that they conduct could be in form of one on one interviews, focus groups, telephone interviews and so on and these could last from about 30 minutes to 3 hours and you could earn $50 to as much as $250 in that period.
41. PERCY AND COMPANY
Percy & Company have two different sets of focus groups and they pay them separately in different amounts. The first set is the consumer focus group that has all the participants paid $75 for discussing a particular subject for 2 hours.
The second focus group is the one for professionals, physicians and business owners and they get paid $200 for the time they spend airing their opinions about a certain
42. MARKETING ANALYTICS
This company that is a member of the Market Research Society is based in the United Kingdom but they allow people to sign up and work with them from all over the world as all the focus groups or panels they conduct are online.
The only requirement to join this panel is active and dependable access to the internet and a valid email address.
The payments for each concluded panel that you participated in could be up to 35 Dollars or 20 Euros for panels that last anywhere from 45 minutes to one hour. These payments can be cashed out in form of vouchers or cash depending on the nature of the session or project.
43. MASLANSKY + PARTNERS
Malansky is a market research company that conducts researches for various companies on a wide range of topics. To do this, they employ the use of both online paid surveys, focus groups and also offline in-person focus groups.
The subjects of discussions cuts across a wide range of topics, industries, issues and also brands and their products. The members of a particular focus group are always people with self-same interests and those interests are usually related to the subject being discussed. They have
Malansky pays their participants within the range of $75 to $250 depending on the length of the offline focus group and they pay their participants on that same day upon completion of the study or session.
For the online surveys, they let their members withdraw via PayPal immediately they cross the minimum withdrawal threshold of $12.50. Sometimes, they pay their clients with Visa or Mastercard gift cards that could be used in the same fashion as cash in stores that accept the use of Visa cards and MasterCard.
This company would always inform you beforehand of all the details of the operation of the focus group like what you stand to earn, how it will be passed across at the end of the day and also the time for participation which is usually in the evenings on weekdays.
They only accept members from New York, London and Washington to join the offline panels and the age limit for any panellist is 18 years.
44. CAMPOS
Campos is a company based in Pittsburgh, PA that has conducted research for a lot of companies in Pittsburgh over the years. They conduct focus groups that they have to invite participants to partake in and then compensate them at the end of the day with a token.
The pay is not certain because different focus groups organized pay different amounts depending on the nature of the focus group and how long it is going to last.
45. CONSUMER OPINION SERVICES
Consumer Opinion Services is a company that is involved in the conducting of Market Research and online studies in Seattle, Las Vegas and Portland. The company also conducts studies that involve the opinion of kids and teenagers too.
The company was established in 1960 and over time, they have worked with a lot of big brands like Grove Insight, Auto Focus Research and Hewlett Packard (HP).
They also pay those that participate in their focus groups with cash but the specific amount varies as each is particular to the focus group being held at the time.
46. HERRON ASSOCIATES
Apart from focus groups which this research company obviously conducts else, they won’t be on this list, they also use other research methods to get the insight, information and data that they want. These methods could include Shop along with focus groups and phone interviews. They have panels in Indianapolis, IN and Tampa, FL area.
The basic methods of payment that this company uses to pay their panellists involve cash payments or bank check payments just before they leave their facility after the focus group session.
47. INGATHER RESEARCH
Ingather Research is a market research company based out of Denver, CO that conducts a lot of taste test studies. These studies could pay you anything from $40 to $500 and even more.
They also conduct focus group studies that allow kids that are young as 5 years old participate. The studies and focus groups organized by this company do not take a lot of time and could range from a period of 10 minutes to about 3 hours.
48. ATHENA RESEARCH
Athena Research Group is a full-service market research company that was launched in 1999. They have years of experience working with a lot of brands to help them grasp the cultural networks that are pretty complex that exist in Southern California.
They have been awarded several times by the AMA, MRA and they have also consistently been rated as one of the best facilities in the world by Impulse Survey.
Athena Research also organizes and hosts focus groups at different times in the course of the market research processes and they hire individuals to participate and compensate them at the end. The amount you get to earn for participating in a focus group organized by Athena Research depends on the particular nature of that focus group.
49. METROLINE
Metroline research group is a marketing research firm that was launched in 1991 with their panels for in-person focus groups located at Kitchener and Toronto, ON.
Their basic goal and purpose are to deliver superior and insightful research to their clients and this they can achieve by using different constructive methodologies to conduct their market research.
One of these methods is the use of focus groups to get more insight and feel into the opinions of the consumers of their client’s products and services. Metroline Research Group offers compensation to all the participants of their focus upon completion and these could be sent across in form of cash, via PayPal deposits and also through bank checks.
This option is only available to those living in the United States of America or Canada.
50. RESPONDENT
Respondent is an online website that pays individuals for taking part in any of their focus group studies available on their platform. they have different kinds of focus groups therefrom in-person focus groups to the ones that you can participate in irrespective of your location at the time.
Examples of some of the studies that you could see there are “Men’s fashion website testing- $50 for 60 minutes” and even focus groups that ask you to share your experience with a particular organization.
Respondent makes their payment by the hour and the average payment a participant could receive per hour overtime Is about $140 and they also have a referral program that could earn you $50 when your direct referral takes part in and completes a focus group session. All these payments are processed via PayPal.
51. SAVITZ RESEARCH
Savitz Research offers the opportunity to make money while sharing your opinions about different subjects. It is a market research company and they pay their participants for helping out with their research.
Savitz pays within the range of $50 to $300 per session for a few hours and you also get to meet people that have the same interests as you do. This company has panels for in-person focus groups in the following locations:
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Des Moines, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Tampa.
What Are Focus Group?
A focus group is basically a market research tool that is mostly used by market research companies – and other organizations – to collect feedback data and information from a group of people that represent a demographic marginal unit centred around their opinion on a particular product or service and the reason for those opinions.
Wikipedia defined it as “It is a form of qualitative research consisting of interviews in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging”.
This method is another way of conducting market research studies and at the end of the day, it is directed towards the improvement of those goods and services in ways that would be appreciated by the consumer and in other cases, it can be directed towards the development of new products and services.
Focus groups can also be used for political reasons to collect the views and opinions of the general population by just picking out a certain few that have the demographic of the ideal sets of people they want to listen that would represent the entire population and then hearing their opinions.
It basically, in its simplest terms involves a group of people that were carefully chosen and have all received invites to take part in a certain discussion to air their views and share their opinions.
These discussions can happen online or physically which I will be discussing shortly but at the end of the day, they are all market research tactics tailored towards the growth, improvement and development of either new or existing services, products and organizations.
If you want to conduct a political campaign, do an issues research, generate new ideas, get feedback on the ideas that have already been generated and developed, test the usability of a particular product, evaluate certain data and concepts or understand the perceptions of customers, then this is a tool that you should consider implementing.
It can be used to get the personal and tangible feel of how the average consumer reacts to your product or service at every stage of its development and most times the groups that participate in these activities are compensated with some form of payment for their time, effort and opinions.
This discussion is usually very controlled and usually consists of a very polite and honest exchange of opinions without resulting in a heated argument.
The atmosphere for such discussions are usually relaxed and members are expected to contribute to the discussion by expressing their own opinions that they should be able to justify.
Lots of people complain that they don’t get qualified for a lot of surveys because they don’t meet the requirements of that survey. With focus groups, it is even more exclusive because these companies and organizations need to be sure that the persons they are getting opinions from are the right people.
History Of Focus Group
Focus groups are research and analytical methods that have been used for quite a long time now. They were said to have been used in the development of strategy during the Second World War that took place from the year 1939 to the year 1945 to inspect the efficiency of the propaganda ads they had created.
An Associate director sociologist named Robert K. Merton who is also known as the “Father of the Focus Group” also used this method as he set up various focus groups at the Bureau of Applied Social Research in the United States of America just before the year 1976 but it was Ernest Dichter that named the procedure and method “Focus Group” as opposed to what is commonly referred to then as “focused interviews” or “group depth interviews” just before he died in the year 1991.
How Does Focus Group Work?
The way a focus group works is relatively simple with all the processes followed through with careful planning and attention to details. The basic and most popular way to join a focus group is to visit any specialist market research agency and get registered with them.
You should also be prepared to answer a lot of personal questions but it’s not a thing that you should worry about as all legitimate and reputable agencies have data protection policies that are clearly stated.
These policies give members the assurance that their details will not be passed on to third parties or used for anything other than for the qualification or screening process that is involved in the choosing of the members of a focus group.
It is important that you check out any of these companies though if you are not sure or certain about their credibility. You can check them out with any of these organizations as any reputable market research company conducting focus groups is most likely to be a member of one of them.
These organizations include The American Marketing Association (AMA), the International Social Marketing Association (iSMA), the Market Research Association (MRA), the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), and the Council of American Survey Research (CASRO).
Most times, to create your account online with these market research companies, you will be required to fill in and complete a very detailed questionnaire about various aspects of your life from your family situation, to your health history, political leanings and also your finances.
The answers to the questions on the questionnaire would help the agency to determine whether you accurately fit the demographics of the right person to take part in the focus group or not.
When you are also sent invitations for a particular focus group, you also get screened a second time to clear all possible doubts that you can deliver on that particular topic or segment.
A conventional basic focus group is made up of about 6 persons to 10 persons and sometimes, they conduct these interviews with one individual at a time as in the case of Mindswarms.
This goes without saying that just very few people out of the lot that applies to take part in a focus group get invited and still fewer from the few that get the invites, get the part to participate in the focus group.
What is the point I am trying to make? The punchline is this: Immediately you get an invite to join in a focus group, Accept it immediately! Else you really are not interested.
Every focus group has its own different modes of operation but there a couple of things that are pretty common with all of them. the first is that the conversation will most likely be recorded or videoed.
You will also realize that you are being closely watched by either the watchers in the room or the ones that are on the other side of the one-way mirror. I have already mentioned that focus groups always consist of a few people that most times do not know each other so don’t expect to meet a crowd.
The basic details of every focus group like how long the meeting will last and also how much you will be paid will be passed across to you beforehand.
You also have the freedom to leave the research process at any time of your choosing but then you need to know that if you withdraw before the designated period of completion, you’ll lose your payment and you will also be removed from the agency’s list of available members to take part in focus groups.
Finally, you should also know that some companies that organize focus groups will not allow you to take part in more than one or two of their own focus groups in a year so, if you want to earn a bit more from participating in focus groups, it is my candid opinion that you get registered with as many market research companies as you can so that you can get more invites from multiple sources.
Types of Focus Groups
Different focus groups can be carried out in different ways depending on the goals that the hiring company is looking to achieve but basically, there are about five (5) different focus ways focus groups could be conducted or in other words, there about five basic types of focus groups.
The first is the In-person focus group. This type of focus group entails that you will have to attend the focus group in person at a particular location where you will meet with other people to discuss different parts of the discussion topic.
The total number of people you will meet in this kind of scenario range from about 7 people to 20 people. The fact that these types of focus groups are conducted in local locations means that you have to be a resident of that particular location to be able to easily access the venue and take part in the focus group except you are willing to commute long distances to participate. It is up to you.
The focus groups that fall under this category could last anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours but the longer it tends to last, the more money you are going to get paid. It is not uncommon to hear that some of these studies have different sessions before they are fully completed.
Just be sure to take note of how long it will take and how much you will get paid in return. You could get paid anything from $30 to $400 or even more for participating in a focus group like this.
The second is the Online focus group. This one involves studies or focus groups that are conducted online over the internet through different chat rooms or via bulletin boards that are private and can be conducted with your tablet or smartphone.
Most times, these surveys last for about 40 minutes to 2 hours and it is also not uncommon to find an online focus group on a particular topic that has different sessions that could last for about 1 hour to 2 hours per session. While they don’t pay as much as the In-person focus groups do, they could pay as much as $200 from $20.
The third is the Telephone focus group. Just like the name implies, this type of focus group is usually conducted over the phone where you will be asked a couple of questions about a particular topic or product or service.
They usually don’t last long as they could take anywhere from 15 minutes to 60 minutes to get completed. The amount of money you could earn from this type of focus group is largely dependent on the period of time it takes to get completed and you could expect to get paid anything from $20 to about $150 per session.
The fourth is the In-home focus group or interview. This style of conducting focus groups is quite rare in these modern times but it still exists where the representative of the researching body visits the house of the member/panellist which could be you to conduct the interview.
The self-same process transpires where you get asked a series of questions and at the end of the day you get paid. As always, the amount you could earn from this focus group is dependent on the length focus group and the particular topic of discussion. For these kinds of the focus group, you could get paid anything from $30 to $100.
Finally, we have the Shop Along focus group where you get observed by the researcher or researchers while you do your normal shopping. It is more like mystery shopping but in this case, it is not the employees and the other consumers that are being watched.
You are. The hiring company gets to pay for any specific item they required you to purchase from the shop. Sometimes, they take it back and other times they let you keep it (this happens most of the time).
This method of conducting focus groups is quite fun to participate in and you could get paid anything from $30 to $100 for your time, effort and contribution.
Also Read: Top 10 Legit GPT Sites
How Much Can You Earn By Participating In Focus Group?
Like I have mentioned a number of times prior to now in this article, the amount of money you earn is completely dependent on two (2) major factors namely; the length of the focus group i.e. the period of time it takes to complete the focus group session and also the topic of discussion.
The shorter the studies are, the lesser the rewards will be and the longer they are, the greater your rewards. The average focus group pays about $20 to $400 per participant and for those standard ones that take about 40 minutes to complete, you could be looking at earning anything from $40 to $100.
The figures mentioned above are not fixed facts as they are subject to change. There was even a review at some point of a set of people that got paid $1000 each for taking part in one focus group study.
I never got to know which exact one but, in my opinion, the ones that pay that much revolve around paid clinical trials.
These payments could be handed over by cash, bank checks or cash deposited via PayPal or prepaid credit cards.
Some other focus groups though pay in the form of gift cards from online retail stores like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Target.
How to Find Legit Online Focus Group
The good thing about paid online focus groups is that the scam-related issues encountered on this platform is far less than the ones you would find in the case of mystery shopping and paid online surveys.
The nature of the focus group industry limits the activities of scammers but since nothing can be absolutely perfect, it is safe to say that there are still a few scams lurking out there and you need to be adequately prepared to avoid becoming a victim.
Finding legitimate online focus groups to take part in is not as difficult as it seems because first of all, I will be adding a large list of about 50 legit paid online focus group companies that you could work with but in the event of you searching for more, you can go through the sources that will list below.
The first is Craigslist. It is common knowledge that most of the paid focus groups that are ever organized are always conducted in physical locations.
This means that the requirement most of the time is usually local people living in the area so having said that, companies that want to conduct focus groups in a certain area get to post their ads on the “Jobs” or “Gigs” section of the Craigslist website. So, you can quickly visit the site and lookout for opportunities that fit your demographic and are close to you.
The second source is Quirks. This website even though it is not mainly in the business of focus groups allows companies that want to organize focus groups put up their ads in the “Directory” section of their website so you can als0 go and check that one out.
We also have GreenBookthat is just like the yellow pages for anyone in the Market Research industry. They also have a database of market research firms that you could leverage to find focus groups.
Finally, we have BlueBook that is also a huge directory of different market research firms and organizations. They also have a section that is just dedicated to focus groups and all their facilities.
There are quite a couple of things you need to bear in mind as you venture into the focus group participating industry.
One of which clearly states that you should never pay anything to any company asking you to pay them some fees to get you registered on their platform as a potential participant. Legit sites also pay moderately well and not exorbitant fees.
You may also read: Online Surveys That Pay Through Paypal
Conclusion
Focus groups are a great way to make some extra bucks without having to spend all of your time. It does not take the place of your full-time job but it will definitely offset a few of your bills and the amazing thing is that you don’t have to do much.
All that you get to do is meet new people and air your views. This list of 51 companies (I added one more as a bonus for you) that conduct focus groups is very safe and legit to work with.
So, go through them and let me know which one you tried and how it worked out for you.
