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Online research: Definition, Methods, Types and Execution

Online survey research is much more impactful than traditional research, considering the ease of access and cost savings they come with. The response rates received for online research are much higher than the others as the respondents are assured that their identity will be protected.

There’s constant progress in the field of online survey research with the progress that’s happening on the internet and social media. Social media has been a catalyst in the entire process of online research regarding access to databases and the experiments that can be conducted on this platform.

What is Online Research?

Online research is a research method that involves the collection of information from the internet. With the advent of the internet, the traditional pen-and-paper research techniques have taken a backseat and made room for online research design .

Online surveys , online polls , questionnaires , forms , and focus groups are various tools of online research that are vital in gathering essential information for market research . The internet has created impressive avenues for small and large businesses to conduct market research with zero to a minimum investment. Online research can be carried out for product testing, targeting an audience, database mining, customer satisfaction et al.

LEARN ABOUT:  Market research industry

5 Online Research Methods and Techniques:

Researchers and statisticians collect data from respondents using various online research techniques. They are often called internet research or web-based research methods. Many of these research methods are already being used in one way or another but are being revived for online mediums. The latest in this line of online research methods in social media research, as it offers extended levels of complexities and, thus, new avenues for research.

Researchers extensively use 5 such online research methods due to the precise nature of the offered results.

• Online focus group: A subset of the online research techniques, online focus groups are methods usually used for B2B research, consumer research and political research. A moderator is assigned to conduct and supervise the focus group who invites pre-selected and qualified participants who represent a specific area of interest to be a part of this focus group at a particular time. The respondents are usually incentivized to be a part of the discussion, which usually is an hour and 90 minutes.

LEARN ABOUT: B2B Online Panels

• Online interview: This online research method is quite similar to the face-to-face interview methods yet different in terms of the required standard practices, understanding with respondents, and sampling. Online interviews are organized using various computer-mediated communication (CMC), essentially SMS or Email. Based on  the response time for these interviews, they’re classified into synchronous and asynchronous methods.Synchronous online interviews are carried out via mediums such as online chat, where the responses are received in real-time. Asynchronous online interviews are those that happen over Email, where the responses are usually not in real-time. Just like face-to-face interviews, online interviews probe into respondents’ thoughts and feedback about a particular topic to get insights into their experiences, ideas, or attitudes.
• Online qualitative research: Other than the mainstream online focus groups and online interviews, there are various aspects of online qualitative research . These aspects include blogs, mobile diaries , and communities . These methods contribute toward cost and time savings and are supremely convenient for the researchers to gather information for their research topics. The level of sophistication that online qualitative research methods bring to the table is superior to any other traditional forms as the respondents can be either recruited from existing databases, or panels or can be added by conducting surveys . LEARN MORE: Qualitative Research Questions and Questionnaires
• Online text analysis: This analysis technique is an extension of text analysis which exists since the 17th century which is a collection of various online research examples used to derive insights from content available online. By using this online research technique, researchers can explain penned, verbal or graphic communication formats. Categories such as web pages, paragraphs, sentences, quasi-sentences, documents, etc. It is most often used for quantitative research but for better interpretation of the text, researchers also use qualitative techniques.

LEARN ABOUT: Qualitative Interview

• Social network analysis: Social network analysis is an emerging online research technique which is gaining acceptance due to the increased adoption of social networking platforms. By conducting social network analysis, a researcher can map and measure flows and relationships between people, organizations, URLs, groups or computers using graph theory. For instance, the latest meme culture has developed new social structures in which the people associated are termed as “nodes” and memes are the “links” between these nodes.

LEARN ABOUT: Best Data Collection Tools

Types of online research:

• Customer satisfaction research: Earlier, this type of research used to be conducted over phone calls but nowadays, the customers are accustomed to getting mail asking them to give their feedback on their recent experience with an organization. For instance, if you own a newly opened restaurant, you’d want to know customer satisfaction . You can either have a survey ready for them to fill out after their meal, send it out after taking their email address or use the offline app to conduct the survey.
• New product research: The launch of a new product can be unnerving. Understanding whether a new product will succeed with the target audience is much needed. New product research can be carried out by testing the product with a group of selected guinea pigs and collecting feedback almost immediately. It can be highly effective when conducting research for a new mall outlet (read: Walmart!), launching a car variant, or introducing adding new credit card options.
• Understand brand loyalty: Many small and big businesses survive merely on brand loyalty . It’s undoubtedly a big deal but to every organization needs to work on it to either maintain or improve it. Conduct online research to know what attracts a customer to a particular brand or the points that are currently keeping them from being loyal to your brand.
• Employee engagement and employee satisfaction research: Understanding what employees think about working with your organization is the key to success. The mood and morale of the employees must be tracked regularly so that they effectively contribute to the growth of the company. Surveys should be sent to improve employee engagement and also to strive to maintain employee satisfaction . 

Things to keep in mind for online survey research

Online survey research is one of the most impactful ways to carry out web-based research that yield effective results. Here are a few points that all organizations should take care of while designing an online survey for research:

Give open-ended questions a miss:

A respondent needs to think before submitting open-ended questions, so the time taken for completion can increase. This can annoy them to a point where they’d simply quit the survey. Yes-No questions, multiple choice questions, or ranking questions will be much easier for respondents to fill out and as effective as open-ended questions .

Show urgency but also be tolerant:

In case you want a response for something important, sending more than one invitation for respondents to fill out is alright. But, a prerequisite for this is that your database should be very well aware of this, and they should have no objection to it. Most importantly, be patient with the results once you’ve conducted an online survey. Appoint someone from the team who will take care of the entire process of conducting this survey.

Detailed surveys produce better results:

Survey takers can sit through a survey that would take them a maximum of 25 minutes. They would usually quit to never return, even for the surveys that you might send out in the future. The inclusion of drop-down questions or multiple choice questions (with accurate options) will help reduce the survey size and, in turn, the time invested by the survey takers.

Online Research Advantages:

• Access to data across the globe: The Internet is an elaborate platform for researchers to invest their time in retrieving crucial information that would otherwise consume a lot of their time. It is straightforward for them to conduct research skills even if they’re lazing on their couch and have deadlines.   
• Minimum investment of time and resources: Online mediums have become the numero uno resort for individuals to look up information to broaden their horizons of knowledge. There’s information being updated daily, and researchers latch onto this information for their benefit. It has eased the process of publishing and collecting information and thus saves time and money.  
• Central pool of facts and figures: Researchers and statisticians keep searching for updated information on various important topics. Students explore the internet for academic purposes, which is the most significant edge the internet offers.
• Capable tools for collecting information: Surveys, questionnaires, and polls are being conducted via online mediums like emails or QR codes, or embedded websites to gather or spread vital information.

Know more about the various online research methods.

LEARN ABOUT: 12 Best Tools for Researchers

QuestionPro’s robust suite of research tools provides you with all you need to derive research results. Our online survey platform includes custom point-and-click logic and advanced question types.

LEARN ABOUT: Market research vs marketing research

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12 Online Research Jobs You Can Apply For Today

Two quick questions before you start looking for online research jobs:

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1. What was the first quarter of 2012 revenues for Sturm Ruger?

2. How much did the average U.S. wedding cost in 2019?

If you answered $112 million (surprisingly, NOT the wedding cost) and $33,900, then you may have a bright future as an online researcher.

In this article, learn more about being an online researcher, what it involves, and where you can find online research jobs to apply for.

What Does an Online Researcher Do?

Many publications are moving from print to digital format, placing a significant amount of information online for users to sift through and try to make sense of.

However, despite the rise of powerful search engines such as Google, online information is not always readily accessible.

This is particularly true of technical and scientific data that are often restricted to subscription-based journals and esoteric publications that aren’t listed on page one of Google’s search results.

Likewise, finding correct and relevant information takes time, a luxury that many companies and businesses do not have.

Here are some scenarios that require the job of online researchers:

• A law firm may wish to provide its readers with an article documenting traffic accident statistics per state but not have the time to research every state.
• A debt consolidation company may wish to know about the most common sources of unsecured debt so that it can offer services tailored to those debts.

The solution to such dilemmas has been to hire online researchers who are adept at finding information on a wide variety of topics.

To qualify for online research jobs , you need to be highly skilled in using various search engines (that is, not just Google).

Your goal is to find legitimate peer-reviewed scientific research, industry-specific publications, and various other research materials to gather the information you need.

More than finding and accessing information, online researchers must also have:

• advanced comprehension skills to be able to understand the information gathered,
• exceptional analytical skills to be able to interpret the information, and
• strong communication skills to be able to present the information to those who need it.

How Much Can You Make as an Online Researcher?

At the start, when you’re probably doing more generic online research, $10 an hour is the usual rate.

The pay in this field varies depending mainly on one’s research skills.

But experience and specialized knowledge can be additional factors.

When you eventually get more experience and gain positive feedback from clients, your pay can increase up to $20 per hour.

If you have a master’s or doctoral degree, and advanced or even expert-level on specific, in-demand subjects such as those in the scientific, legal, or financial fields, you can potentially earn $50 to $80 per hour.

How do you get started as an Online Researcher?

You actually don’t need to be a professional researcher to begin this career. The job doesn’t involve

Here’s the basic process online researchers

• Just visit various third-party answer sites. (Don’t worry, I’ll list the legitimate ones below)
• Perform generic Internet research online on a requested topic.
• Submit your results.
• Wait to get paid by the client.

Unfortunately, such work is often low-paid because it is considered unspecialized.

The tasks also usually require a significant amount of time to complete because the subject matter may not be familiar to you and thus involves a steep learning curve.

However, the benefit of such work is that it’s not hard to obtain clients.

12 Places to Find Online Research Jobs

Here are a few sites that offer online research jobs:

Wonder is a resource site for researchers in need of instant feedback for their studies and it’s easily the most prolific site on this list.

As part of the Wonder team, you’ll receive questions directly from customers and your job will be to find the best available information on the topic.

Jobs typically take around 3 hours to complete, making pay range around $15 to $25 per hour, depending on your speed and expertise.

Wonder prides itself on answering questions within 24 hours.

However, be prepared to work under tight deadlines.

Maven allows you to advertise your services as a so-called “micro-consultant” in the fields of your choosing.

You will receive contracts to answer questions and provide insights from all over the world and from all walks of life: from college students doing homework to CEOs making high-impact decisions.

Executives from some of the world’s most prestigious companies, like Boeing or Intel, have used this site.

3. JustAnswer

JustAnswer offers subject matter expert positions in the fields of medicine, law, veterinary science, etc.

To become a subject matter expert, you must show proof of a relevant degree (e.g., M.D.) and/or professional experience. Verification will take a few days.

If you’re admitted, you’ll get started by meeting with JustAnswer experts to learn how to navigate the platform.​

4. Experts123

Experts123 is constantly looking for online researchers and article writers who will create content on their site about topics that users want to know more about.

This site operates on a revenue-share platform where page views amount to a specified amount of money; for example, you might earn $1.50 for each PPM (i.e., thousand page views).

Experts123 does offer upfront payments of $10 to $20 per approved article for more seasoned researchers.

5. PrestoExperts

This company also serves as a platform for those in need of answers to questions in the field of medicine, business, technology, social media, law, and so on.

When invited to join, freelance experts are given a profile where their education, work experience, specialization, and rates are displayed.

Clients could then contact experts directly (via phone, email, or online chat) for a job.

You are in control of your fees, so you may set it by the hour, per project, or so on.

6. Studypool

Studypool invites students around the world to submit questions about every type of subject imaginable so that online researchers (or so-called micro-tutors) can see them, bid on them, and answer them.

You’ll get paid when your answers are accepted.

There are StudyPool volunteers who earn up to $7,500 USD monthly working from home tutoring students.

7. Answeree

Earn rewards by answering questions, which you can exchange for actual dollars.

Earning here takes a bit of time because:

• 1 answer = 10 points
• 10 points = 1cent

You can request payment via PayPal or Binance once you reach $2.

You can make additional money by getting more users to like your answer best of all.

10EQS prides itself on providing on-demand insights and expertise to leaders and decision-makers in different industries.

To qualify as an Industry Expert, you’ll need to have extensive experience with your particular subject.

In other words, this opportunity isn’t for beginners.

That’s also a huge perk if you’re starting an online research career with decades-long experience in marketing, business, accounting, or any other industry.

It’s a perfect side hustle for retirement .

myLot is an enormous discussion board, blogging community, questions and answers hub, social network and online hangout that pays you for your valuable time.

On top earning from answering questions, you also get to earn cash when you participate in discussions.

You can make a payout once your wallet reaches $5.

Anyone can join, as long as you’re 18 years and older.

Anyone can join Weegy, but experts are rated better whenever they contribute excellent answers.

Newbies can keep up by improving their research and written communication skills.

All you need to do is create an account and pass a small True-or-False questionnaire, and you’re good to go.

There also aren’t any limits to the number of questions you want to answer. Just be accurate to earn points, which you can withdraw as PayPal cash once you earn enough to equal $20.

I like the simple interface of Weegy – no busy ads. Just questions and answers directly from the main page.

With over 19 million products, it’s easy to find information about whatever needs fixing.

If you love DIY-ing and fixing appliance and gadgets in your spare time, you can join over 20 million Fixya users in helping others who need quick answers.

Do note that you aren’t paid for answers initially. But if you level up to “Premium Expert Level,” you can be sent special requests for reviews and be paid between $3 and $5 a pop.

You can even help customers on live sessions, which bags higher rates.

12. HelpOwl

There’s competition involved in HelpOwl, so you have to be at the top of your game.

Whenever someone posts a question, HelpOwl experts can then provide the correct answer. The poster will then decide whose answer is correct.

The one picked to have the right answer gets 100 points, while the first answer accepted gets an extra 1,000 points.

There are deductions too! For example, if you added a misleading answer, your profile gets deducted 10 points.

Save points and exchange them into gift cards (Amazon/Walmart/iCard) once you reach 50,000 points.

BONUS Resource: Online Research Jobs Posted on Job Boards

Sites such as FlexJobs , Indeed, LinkedIn, and other job sites list plenty of online research jobs.

Use keywords such as:

• “internet research jobs,”
• “online researcher,”
• “work at home research jobs,”
• “web researcher,”
• “remote research assistant”
• “virtual researcher”
• and other similar keywords to find online research jobs.

The benefit of going this route is that these opportunities are usually full-time or part-time work paid on an hourly basis. Instead of just minimal earnings from get-paid-to sites.

Make extra money while you research

We’re big believers here at optimizing your earnings while you spend time online.

We highly recommend clicking here to create a free account at SwagBucks .

They pay you to use their search engine and the results are provided by Google.

It’s a great way to pull in a little extra cash while researching without changing any of your online habits.

Start Your Own Online Research Business

What if you want to strike out on your own because you don’t want to give up a portion of your earnings to a third party site?

Although it is more challenging, you can start your own Internet research business.

• For example, Carol Tice offers her own freelance writing research and expertise through The Freelance Writers Den as well as private mentoring and coaching .
• Todd Tresidder offers personal finance and investment coaching via his website FinancialMentor .

In both of these cases, Internet researchers who could have continued to sell their services through third-party sites decided to start their own businesses- and reap all the profits (and risks) as a result.

Getting new clients will probably be the trickiest part of starting your own Internet research business.

You will need to create a professional-looking website and business cards.

You will also need to network heavily.

Google Ads and Facebook ads may spark initial interest but in this line of work, a personal approach works best.

Consider joining your local chamber of commerce or civic association and marketing your services to local businesses.

Attend some professional happy hours in your chosen area(s) of expertise. Cold calling may also succeed if you’re comfortable speaking on the phone to business owners who could use your services.

You simply can’t be shy about tooting your own horn in this line of work- and putting an actual face on your business.

If you still find yourself stuck, The Association of Internet Researchers offers plenty of useful advice and networking opportunities for would-be Internet researchers. The AoIR also organizes several yearly conferences that enable you to hone your skills and make vital contacts.

For example, you could benefit by partnering with other AoIR members, gaining their client lists, and expanding your business offerings through them.

An Online Research Job is What You Make of It

You know that saying “you only get out what you put in”? This is certainly true of online research as a career and eventually as a business.

The more expertise and experience you accumulate, the more money you will make as an Internet researcher.

The more you market your services, the more clients you will gain.

If you are satisfied with just making a few bucks by answering Yahoo! Answers questions, then that’s exactly where your online research business will remain even after several years.

On the other hand, if you like helping people and are willing to learn, grow, and sometimes even take a few hits to your self-esteem, then this line of work could eventually become your calling.

You may also want to consider looking into getting paid to answer questions online . It’s a very similar field, but with more opportunities and higher pay rates. Although, you do need a little more specialized knowledge to get the big bucks.

On the other hand, if you have a legal background and like hands-on, up-close-and-personal research, being a court researcher may be more up your alley.

READ THIS NEXT: The EASIEST ways to make money online. See how.

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20 thoughts on “12 Online Research Jobs You Can Apply For Today”

thank you. Im from fiji and a stay at home . This has been very helpful for someone like me . vinaka (means thank u in fijian)

I applied to Wonder three times and never got hired. This company asked you to answer a “rabbit hole” question! I researched, and researched, and got reliable sources. It took a very long time (about 24 hours spread over weeks) to find an answer-and it couldn’t be accurate because the answer probably changed every day-or at least every week! I hope the other companies you have posted are not like this. Because I love to research and it would be my dream job to get paid to do so. I suspect that Wonder used my well-researched answer. So, needless to say, I will not apply with them again.

Don’t work for them. I worked for them six months and then they basically have stupid reasons to not pay me after spending five hours in almost every job I had and they only pay $16 per job. They’re supposed to give you ones abusing to your expertise and I never got that and so I’m trying my hardest to answer the question with their exact format (which is a nightmare) and something would be incorrect and then I wouldn’t get paid anything at all sometimes. When I first started, it wasn’t bad, but it was always stressful.

This is the way that so many people are going in this day and time and that is getting involved in the online world. This is the first time that I have heard about research jobs but it seems to be a field that is worth the investment. I am sure that your readers will love what you are sharing.

I’ve been in Yahoo Answers for quite some time now since i first have my yahoo email during those yahoo messenger times and I didn’t even know that you could earn from there, wow! How do you earn from the page views though, do you mean the pageviews from the thread you create everytime we post a question?

This sounds like it could be a lucrative opportunity for the right people. I suppose the great thing about this sort of job is the fact it can be done globally. For many of us, this is the ideal solution to freeing up our precious time. If this paid slightly more than what you suggest here, I’d image many more people would take up researching jobs. Having said that, it could be the perfect balance for someone that loves researching. By the way Steve, who’d have thought there would be an Association of Internet Researchers!

This is actually the first time I’ve of an online research job, and honestly is sounds very boring lol.

I mean I get that companies will need people like this to help consolidate information for them — but personally I think I would fall asleep if I had to do this to make money.

Have you ever done this kind of work yourself? And if so how did it go?

Great article! The tips are valuable! Great information about making money online!

The right info at the right time can help a lot. Sometimes it is essential for having success, especially in a such a rapidly changing environment as the internet.

Knowing what is working and what not, finding the right program, becoming an affiliate with the right product to service, all this can help to gain success! There are literally thousands, millions of jobs available online today! Choosing the right now is not easy!

You will definitely help anyone to take the proper decision and to choose the right program, product or service!

Thanks for sharing such valuable info!

Best regards!

Hey Steve, nice post. I have to hand it to you, your post really does give people an opportunity to look into other avenues that will make them money. An online researcher isn’t a bad idea and here’s something I didn’t know, there were more companies hiring online researchers than I previously though. Are you an online researcher and if so, how long have you been doing it? I can tell you this, I think I might’ve found another monetary source of income. Thanks buddy.

Thanks Halina. First of all this is just great article. I just landed on this it and I am seriously thinking about to be internet researcher. I also have database querying skills. I can also read research paper along with blogs to read bloggers’ mind to produce some results. I want to start it today, any advice what would be the first step.

great article. i’ve been seriously considering beginning a internet researching service since i do a lot of surfing the internet just as a hobby because i love to learn new stuff, and i also had a job for several years that required me to perform research constantly. only difference was that it was a huge organization that had access to all the information free-of-charge to me. so i have determine which one-stop-shop subcription service to begin with that isn’t too pricey. thanks very much for this article

Really nice article and the information is realistic. Me being a web researcher I can attest to that.

Very well written article with the precise information I was looking for on how to get started as an Internet Researcher.

This is a great guide to making money as an online internet researcher. I have never really thought of this kind of work, but I am glad to be informed on it. If I can get big enough, I will definitely look into getting an internet researcher who can prove beneficial to my cause.

This post shows just how to start a career or even a freelance business as an internet researcher. Great work.

Is the internet research just to make online surveys and sell data to journals or corporates, or there another meaning is to search for information on the web and sell these information to a client who needs it? What is the name of this kind of work?

Yes and no. It could simply be online surveys or literature review for a research problem. Can be simple or complex, basic as well as detailed.

i love this article its very informative and i have learned a lot it will help me improve my job , thanks….

Imshopping does not offer any money for answering q’s. I was just on the site for half an hour and did not see anything claiming that.

Very well explained article. This was very helpful for me while I was writing job description for a researcher in my company. Thanks Regina

Love the article — just what I was looking for. Other articles I’ve read on becoming an internet researcher make it appear too simple or a get rich opportunity, however, your article gives me food for thought. Mentioning the use of subscription based websites and journals is lacking in a lot of the articles I have read on the subject. Thanks for your Insight – Regina

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20 March 2024 | Sales

best way to research

By Gabrielle "GB" Blackwell

The challenge with research

The biggest challenge I see most sales leaders make is telling their people to research, but not showing them HOW to do it or what GOOD looks like.

The result?

• Reps spend an inordinate amount of time researching, not knowing when to stop
• Reps don’t know what makes great research points, instead opting for the mistaken belief that “more research = better research”
• Reps get discouraged or lost in the research sauce because their efforts aren’t leading towards improvements in responses and conversions

With reps getting lost in researching, unsure of what to look for and when enough is enough, you’ll end up with reps pumping out “research” that looks like the pic below:

What’s wrong with this?

• Corporate strategy doesn’t actually list out a company strategy at all
• Under company initiatives, the rep has simply copy and pasted some fluffy branding jargon
• The current challenges section definitely needs some work

A better way to research

What I’ve found super helpful in addressing research challenges is teaching my reps on the 4 rules of research focus :

• Keep research points to 2-3 bullet points max
• Use shorter form content to pull from , i.e. press releases, CEO quotes, quarterly earnings presentations, rather than 10Ks
• Look for language that points to primary business drivers , i.e. key objectives, strategy, expansion, digital transformation, etc
• Look for language that aligns well to your solution / service’s value proposition , i.e. if your offering helps companies scale their processes, look for signals of expansion or growth since that means a company will need to scale to support their growth strategy

So instead of reps just copying and pasting whatever content they can find, as pictured above, their research should look more like:

What’s right with this?

• Measurable objectives (growing sales) are clearly highlighted
• Explicit language around strategy (diversifying brand portfolio)
• Keywords used by the company signal the how behind their strategy, i.e. strong execution, operational excellence, expand customer base

Work smarter

Another research area that typically gets missed is capitalizing on past engagement:

• Closed lost deals
• Previous conversations
• Engaged with marketing content 
• No show meetings

If reps aren’t currently looking at these kinds of activity types to see who they should be reaching out to and what they should be reaching out about, have them start there!

Leverage tech to find relevance

Reps have a super easy way of eliminating the guesswork of what’s relevant to prospective customers when they can look at past conversations and use the prospect’s words to inform research and relevance in their outreach.

Pictured above is a screenshot from Gong’s platform, showing the correspondence between a rep and their prospect and highlighting the big focus areas for the prospect!

Putting it all together

By bringing together focused research based on press releases, CEO statements, and/or earnings releases and combining that with research based on prior conversations and engagement, your reps will get a refined and direct message that’ll stand out from the rest.

Speed round advice on research

• The amount of time for research should be commensurate to the priority level of the account; if it’s not a good fit account, don’t put good fit energy into research
• Public companies are easier to research than private companies, so if your team is focused primarily on private companies, adjust expectations related to research levels
• Research helps to create a hypothesis, but it is not law; use research as a way to prove you’re invested in the account, but make sure your reps are ready to be wrong once they’re talking to prospects

Lastly, share the love

I’d love to hear from y’all on any takeaways you’re looking forward to trying out or sharing!

Also, if there’s someone in your circle, network, and/or tribe who you think would benefit from this newsletter…be sure to forward it along! #sharingiscaring