One petty complaint I have about survey sites is how dull they can get. I know it’s for a passive income at best, but even during my “down time”, I confess to craving for something that won’t bore the heck out of me. So when I heard about survey sites that are actually interactive, I got interested. I already reviewed a paid survey site where you hold dialogues with a “friendly chatbot”, which is a legit one, and people actually seem to have fun with the chats in it.
Then I heard about Invoke Live, and how it has a chat room-like setup using a web-based software - but with a real person this time! Whereas other survey sites rely on the “middle man” to set up a system for the survey takers and the business clients, this one seems to have everyone at the table to better understand where each other is coming from. Also, the payout is definitely higher than the few cents per survey we’ve all gotten used to (but more on this later).
Sounds interesting, or potentially scammy? Let’s investigate further.
First things first - what is it?
Invoke Live is under the Invoke Solutions umbrella, and it’s a market research tool aiming to promote what they call “a single hybrid research event”. This is where the chat room-type setup comes in. An Invoke researcher acts as moderator so their client can get real-time insights based on how survey responders (like you and me) answer their questions.
In the testimonies featured in their website, Invoke clients (the business side) say things like being able to relate to their customers better, and appreciating the “close collaboration” borne from the Invoke Live setup.
How long has it been around?
According to the Better Business Bureau, Invoke Solutions has been around since 2005 (though their LinkedIn page says they were founded in 1999). The earliest feedback I could get from Invoke Live, however, was as far back as 2008. Here’s a spoiler: the reviews are a mixed bag.
Is registration free?
Yes, signing up is free, and so is downloading the software required to participate in an Invoke Live session. A note of caution, though: it’s best to read the Terms of Use first regarding confidentiality, user conduct, software license restrictions, and other pertinent details and issues before downloading.
Does it pay well?
Now, this is where it gets interesting. Should you qualify and meet the cut for a survey, you get around a $20-$35 incentive (provided you complete most of the survey, that is)! The 60 to 90 minute live online sessions basically stream viewer sentiment (via video and audio means) so Invoke’s clients can get real-time data within those sessions. The surveys are longer than the usual ones, and so the incentives are higher, in turn. And the clients seem to be willing to pay what it takes to get that kind of fresh, steaming-hot information from their customers, even if it’s multiple times higher than the usual survey payout.
How do I start earning extra income from Invoke?
After getting an email invitation to participate in an online interactive survey, you can then sign up and download the web-based software for Invoke Live, hosted and moderated by Invoke Solutions, and joined in by other survey takers. The email gives interactive survey details as well as the scheduled date for the session, and the approximate duration of the chat. It should be as simple as logging in during the scheduled time and participating then sitting back to collect your pay. But even the email underlines the importance of clicking on the invitation RIGHT AWAY, completing the screener, and logging in earlier than the schedule because slots for the session can get filled up really fast.
Once you’re assured of a slot in the chat session, the focus group discussions begin with a variety of ways to get information from consumers. There will be preliminary instructions from the moderators, as well as an introduction of participants. You can then be given images of products and asked corresponding questions about them. The questions can be multiple choice, close-ended, or require a lengthier response including explaining how you feel or think about a certain product. If this is the case, remember to stay on topic because if you give an opinion about something unrelated, you could get screened out suddenly.
There could also be sessions requiring a webcam and microphone setup, so it’s best to test those prior to the online interactive survey. One of the biggest complaints from survey takers is “technical difficulties”, either from incompatibility issues between the PC and the software, or computers freezing up all of a sudden for whatever reason.
The verdict?
Invoke Live is technically a legit setup, with a very promising financial compensation (probably one of the highest-paying I’ve encountered by far, to be perfectly honest). However, given their parent company’s Better Business Bureau issues (as of this writing, there are 104 complaints filed against Invoke Solutions), I am kind of sitting on the fence about giving this platform a full two thumbs up. It is also by invitation only, so I doubt it’s something you can do on a daily basis to earn a passive income.
Invoke Live Screenshots
Your turn!
Have you participated in an online interactive survey from Invoke Interactives? How did you find the experience, and is it something you would recommend to others? Please share your thoughts and feedback below.