There are many “Get Paid To…” initiatives on the web nowadays. There are even entire websites such as Lockerz, SwagBucks, and TreasureTroopers, which are dedicated to providing “offers” with varying reward incentives. These offers range from completing surveys, signing up for newsletters, and clicking advertisements in return for cash, credit, or a chance at a big prize. And how do websites such as TreasureTroopers make money? They’re paid by advertisers for their advertisements and marketing firms for their survey information.

But is information gathered from an individual wishing to quickly finish a survey for a quick buck reliable? Will someone really be affected by an advertisement they watch as a part of an offer on one of these websites? Should firms take this information seriously when considering choices for company growth?

An interesting point to note is that websites like TreasureTroopers often receive complaints regarding unaccredited offers. Get Paid To websites also often have hidden catches in the fine print – customers may not be able to claim their cash until they accumulate a certain of credit. Some are even known scams, claiming that completing offers will enter one into a draw for a non-existent prize. What can companies expect when using information compiled through such methods? Garbage in, garbage out.

Picture Source: Home Paid Jobs

This post is a response to Bill Barnett’s “Build Your Own Value Proposition” blog post on the Harvard Business Review Blog Network.

In class this week, we learned about value propositions and worked with the “to blank, our blank, is blank, that blank” format. However, we labeled value propositions as something that companies use in marketing. This is why reading Barnett’s blog post was mind blowing. Value proposition statements aren’t only useful to companies; they can be used on a personal level by someone applying for a position. Barnett gives the example of an individual Steve who applies for a manufacturing executive position.

Now, excuse me as I go off on a slight tangent, but this blog post really made me think back to the Sauder Student’s Workshop to Success on Imagine Day. Ann Stone, a marketing professor, was our speaker and what she had to say to us students was truly entertaining. One remark which she made that stuck with me was this: “Every day, you are all marketing yourselves.”

You don’t have to be a marketing major to be marketing yourself. At a networking event for PwC or KPMG, an aspiring accountant isn’t going to be auditing – they’re going to be marketing themselves!

So now that you think about it, what is your personal value proposition?