Jump to
Find Job Write Review
  • Find Job
  • Write Review
  • Account Login

    Forgot Password?
    Don't have an account? Signup

    Use a social account for faster login or easy registration.

    Log in with Facebook

    Account Registration

    Already have an account? Login

    Reset Password

    Remember your password? Login
Gigworker.com
  • Start Here
    Start HereWhat is the gig economy and how does it work?
    – Delivery Quickstart GuideThe basics of delivering food, groceries, and packages.
    – Lifestyle Quickstart GuideAn overview of lifestyle, care-related gigs.-
    – Lodging Quickstart GuideHow to get started renting your home on lodging platforms.
    – Freelancing Quickstart GuideHow to enter into the gig economy as a freelancer.
    – Rideshare Quickstart GuideThe basics of providing safe rides via rideshare services.
    – Tasks Quickstart GuideThe basics of making money performing common tasks.

  • Find Gigs
    SVG
    Browse All JobsBrowse all available gigs
    SVG
    Browse CompaniesBrowse all companies offering gigs

    Featured:

    1. Postmates Courier
    2. Instacart Shopper
    3. DoorDash Driver
    4. Uber Driver
    5. Lyft Driver

    Submit a Gig – list your gig on our gig marketplace
    Submit
  • Browse Companies
  • Read Content
    SVG
    App-Based GigsInformation for the Care, Delivery, Lifestyle, Lodging & Transportation sectors
    SVG
    Business AdviceHow to set up and run your own business as an independent contractor
    SVG
    FreelancingInformation for freelance consultants and gig workers
    SVG
    Reviews & RoundupsOur take on gig economy platforms, products, tools, and services
    SVG
    Side HustlesUnique and interesting ways to make money in the gig economy
    SVG
    NewsThe latest news and information about the gig economy

    Resources:

    • State of Remote Work in 2020
    • Stats About Remote Work
    • How An Increase in Remote Work Helps Employers
    • Why Gig Work Is Here To Stay for Good
    • Timeline of the Gig Economy

    Find Your Gig Today

    START HERE

  • Products & Training
    SVG
    Finance Accounting, finance, and funding
    SVG
    Products Essential products to get the job done
    Apps Smartphone apps to improve efficiency and earnings
    SVG
    Training Ebooks, courses, and certifications to advance your skills

  • Create Account
Home » Blog » Side Hustles » Mindswarms: The Video Survey Site That Pays Well

Mindswarms: The Video Survey Site That Pays Well

People looking to make a little side money have probably looked into online survey sites and paid focus groups — websites where market research companies will pay you to give your opinion on products or services. There are lots of sites out there in this space, but one we’re really excited about is Mindswarms. Mindswarms is different from most...

Brett Helling
Updated on September 17, 2019January 31, 2021
Share:
  • Share this on WhatsApp
  • Share this on FaceBook
  • Share this on Twitter

People looking to make a little side money have probably looked into online survey sites and paid focus groups — websites where market research companies will pay you to give your opinion on products or services. There are lots of sites out there in this space, but one we’re really excited about is Mindswarms.

Mindswarms is different from most sites in that it has you film video responses to survey questions, as opposed to just selecting from a multiple choice options or typing in an answer. They’re also different from many sites in one way that people looking for online work will care about: They pay cash, quickly, and it’s good money, $10 or $50, depending on the survey.

In this article we’ll give a brief introduction to Mindswarms, then show you how to sign up for the service. We’ll guide you through the process of taking video surveys, and get to some frequently asked questions.

What Is Mindswarms?

Mindswarms is an online market research company that offers a unique proposition to clients: They will provide video feedback from consumers.

Video has never been easier to record. Anyone with a smartphone or a webcam can produce a strong video in minutes, and upload it in seconds. Because of this, Mindswarms realized that it could provide rich, in-depth market feedback from people all over the world, and get it done quickly.

Getting video feedback from consumers around the world is a process that, not long ago, would have taken weeks, perhaps months, to do. Smartphones and high speed internet have transformed it into a process that can be done in a couple hours.

Why Video?

Mindswarms argues that video responses can provide feedback that goes much deeper than someone answering preset questions with text. Companies looking for feedback can get a real sense of the consumer’s reaction to a product. Are they excited, earnestly into it, or more demure? Companies can also pick up on non-verbal cues to get a deeper sense of how a consumer feels about a product or service.

Perhaps in a free association video response, a survey responder might note something about a product that the marketing team would never think to stress or ask about. Video gives a deeper-level survey response than any written answer, and much more information than a multiple choice list.

Video responses also force people to be more thoughtful in their answers. A survey taker may just try to work through the survey as quickly as possible, giving vague answers to try and get to the end. When recording a video, a consumer will be forced to sit and think about what they want to say and what feedback they want to provide. These moments of reflection may open up ideas and thoughts the responder never would have considered if they were just answering questions quickly from a list.

How Is Mindswarms Different?

Mindswarms is different from most paid survey sites in two big ways:

  1. They don’t reward you with “points” but with actual cash after every survey.
  2. They have you create video responses to survey questions via your computer or mobile phone.

Most online survey sites, such as Opinion Outpost or Swagbucks, reward users with points that can then be redeemed, usually for gift cards. Surveys on those sites can be taken more quickly and are usually less involved than creating a video, but they often pay out in smaller amounts — in our look at these sites, most surveys paid out between 75 cents and $1.50.

Mindswarms has people take surveys with video responses, which is different, but they also pay either $10 or $50 direct to your PayPal account, usually the day after you complete the survey.

How to Sign Up for Mindswarms

Interested in taking surveys with Mindswarms? You can either sign up online at Mindswarms.com or via their smartphone app (available for iPhone or Android). The process is a simple, three-part procedure that can be done in less than half an hour, provided you’re set up to record a video.

Create an Account

The first part of the process is creating an account. On the sign up page, you’ll see this:

The Mindswarms page to create your account

It’s standard fare, asking you to provide your name, a username, a password, and some basic contact information. Enter that to create your account and move on to the next step.

Create Your Profile

On the next page, you’ll be asked to create your profile. The screen looks like this:

The Mindswarms page to create your profile

Here the company will get a bit more information from you to help complete your profile and to make sure you’re able to get paid. If you haven’t created a PayPal account yet, you’ll need to do so before signing up here. (This will ensure an easy payout once you’ve completed surveys.)

They will also ask what country you’re from. While it helps to use the site if you speak English, you don’t have to be in the United States to sign up for Mindswarms.

Create Your Profile Video

Mindswarms asks you to create a profile video for a few reasons:

  1. It lets you practice producing and uploading a video that adheres to their standards.
  2. It lets you practice speaking in front of a camera.
  3. It lets the site know a little more about you.

On that page, they have a video guide that shows both how to create the video and gives you some advice on what to talk about. Follow along, upload your profile video, and you’re ready to go.

Taking Video Surveys

To take a video survey, you first have to apply to take part. Here’s how it works: Mindswarms will share survey topics and roughly who they are looking for to take part in a survey. If you pre-qualify (you match the demographic and location they are looking for), you can apply. But just because you pre-qualify doesn’t mean you will be selected. Maybe they already accepted someone like you. Maybe they’re just looking for someone else. It happens.

If you get selected, it’s time to take the survey. Mindswarms is looking for quality video responses to survey questions. “Quality” can both refer to the quality of the video and the quality of your answers. To that effect, they have several guidelines for videos that users must adhere to.

With regard to the video itself, they ask that there be “even illumination on light around your face,” which basically means no shadows, and watch out if you are severely backlit. They also ask for minimum background noise, as it’ll be hard to understand the video if you have a vacuum cleaner or loud air conditioner going off right next to you. They also ask you to dress casually — no need for business attire.

As for your responses, Mindswarms wants engaged, in-depth responses. One-word answers, or even one-sentence answers, are not going to cut it. They also encourage you to show emotion when appropriate, though don’t go overboard.

Like with creating your account, Mindswarms lets you upload videos to their website, or upload mobile videos to their mobile app.

Frequently Asked Questions

A woman sits in a cafe, working on her phone and laptop

We’ve covered signing up for Mindswarms, and taking video surveys with the site. Let’s get to some frequently asked questions.

1. Is Mindswarms a scam?

Mindswarms sometimes pays out $50 for a single survey, so naturally some people online are wary. If you do a Google search on the company, you’ll also find that some Mindswarms reviews run negative.

In our investigation, it appears this site is legit. Some people have negative reviews because they aren’t selected to take as many surveys as they’d like. This is understandable, but it doesn’t make Mindswarms a scam. The company pays people for work done and has a good reputation as a way to make extra money online.

2. What are the negatives of Mindswarms?

The biggest complaint we’ve found about Mindswarms is that there just aren’t enough surveys to go around. It’s hard to make it work as a full-time gig, as work comes infrequently. When it does come, however, it pays well.

3. Does Mindswarms take out money for taxes?

No, that’s on you. If you make more than $600 annually with Mindswarms, you will need to report it on your taxes and pay. Learn more in our freelancers’ guide to taxes.

Make Extra Cash With Mindswarms

Mindswarms is a unique online survey panel, and frankly one of the best we’ve looked at. While surveys may come infrequently, they offer either $10 or $50 per video survey response, making it one of the highest paying survey sites out there.

By reading this article, you should have a good sense of how to sign up for the site, and how to start creating video responses. Now get your camera ready and start earning with Mindswarms.
[gw_subscribe style=”circles”]

  • Author Details
Brett Helling
Owner , Gigworker.com
Brett Helling is the owner of Gigworker.com. Since an early age, he has started business ventures and worked various side hustles in many different niches. He has been a rideshare driver since early 2012, having completed hundreds of trips for companies including Uber and Lyft. In 2014 he started a website to share his experiences with other drivers, which has now become Ridester.com. He is currently working on a book about working in the Gig Economy, expanding his skill set beyond the rideshare niche by building and growing Gigworker.com. As the site grows, his insights are regularly quoted by publications such as Forbes, Vice, CNBC, and more.
Web
https://bretthelling.com/
follow me

Tags

Recent Posts

  • Prevent Eye Strain While Working From Home
  • 10 Tips to Make Your Home Office a Productive Workspace
  • Guide to Rideshare and Food Delivery Driving on New Year’s Eve

Related Articles

Hand raising in the air
August 16, 2019

SurveyClub: Sign Up for Online and In-Person Research Studies

June 24, 2019

Studypool: How You Can Make Money Tutoring Students Online

Opinion Outpost: A well-dressed man looks at charts on a tablet
July 12, 2019

Opinion Outpost Review: Is It Right for You?

Post a comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ImageHow the Gig Economy…As of 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that…
ImageThe State of Remote…Remote work isn’t new. Telecommuting has long been a part…
ImageAn Increase in Remote…Remote working, or telecommuting, has been around since the invention…
ImageWhy Remote and Gig…Working remotely — add it to the long list of…
ImageThe Ultimate Guide to…According to Upwork’s annual “Freelancing in America” study, it won’t be…
ImageThe 11 Best Cities…The gig economy is booming, but where is the best…
ImageWorking Remotely in a…We are entering the golden age of remote work. As…

Account

  • My Account
  • My Bookmarks

Company

  • About
  • Blog

Resources

  • Contact
  • Terms
  • Privacy

Featured

  • Basics
    Intro to The Gig Economy
  • Basics
    Gig Economy Timeline

Gigworker.com Copyright © 2020