What is Futourist?
Futourist is a blockchain-based travel review platform where you can actually get paid to write and curate reviews. That means doing something you normally do for free and getting paid for it. That may sound too good to be true, but it’s actually something you’ve always been entitled to without realising.
Before I get into the blockchain part, let’s start with the basic principles the company is based on.
Have you ever written a review for something online and thought to yourself, “I’m doing all this work, I should be getting paid for this!” Futourist understands you, and in fact, we have a whole lot of research showing that you’re exactly right. You’re currently missing out on the fruits of your labour.
The value of reviews
Reviews are actually very important. They’re one of the most valuable and trusted sources of information on the internet. As you probably know from experience, when people buy things or plan trips online, the first thing they do is look at the reviews. Everyone wants to get a sense of what other people who have already experienced a place or thing thought of it.
At the moment, the incredible value generated by reviews is harvested by businesses, while none of it goes back to the original content creators. Positive reviews serve as great advertisements for products and brands, and companies proudly use them as such, profiting from them without ever having to pay a dime. People are making huge profits off your effort and creativity, and when you think about it, that’s not really fair.
So what value are you actually missing out on? Well, prepare yourself because the revenue of the content creation industry is insane.
The industry is set to be worth more than $313 BILLION DOLLARS by the end of 2019.
I bet you’re starting to feel like you’ve been taken advantage of a little. Maybe it's time to change that and to start getting rewarded for all the hard work you’re putting in.
Futourist isn’t just a place where you can write reviews, you can also make money by curating others reviews as well. Let’s be honest, judging others is something we all do, so why not get paid for it? They’re also looking for influencers to help them spread content, and for businesses or services who wish to promote their own brands. In addition to regular reviews, there are also contests where rewards are distributed based on peer-reviewed merit, which means you’ll still get rewarded even if you don't finish on the podium. If you’ve ever participated in online contests you’ll know how frustrating it is to see all your work amount to nothing.
Why use Futourist?
Why would you want to work with Futourist instead of setting out on your own? Well, it’s pretty hard for individuals to convince companies to buy their reviews, but when millions of reviewers band together demanding to get paid for their work, businesses are going come to the table.
In terms of organisation, they already have the networks and infrastructure built up. You get instant income without having to build a reputation, seek out clients to wine and dine, argue over terms and contracts, etc. The hassle of the business side is taken care of so that you can focus on the fun part - sharing your strong opinions on things.
Whether you work with Futourist as a hobby on the side or use it as your main income stream, you can benefit from having Futourist as a natural source of income you’d otherwise be missing out on. Work to your own schedule and write reviews about things that interest you. This is something people do for fun and personal satisfaction - it’s debatable whether it should even be called work, and sometimes it seems like the only resemblance is the paycheck.
How does it work?
So now you know you’ll get rewarded for writing, curating, and sharing reviews, but how exactly does Futourist do it?
Their whole system is built upon the tried and trusted platform of Open Hours, an established service which already has a base of 1 million users.
Their platform provides the functional backbone of Futourist’s reviewing service through its existing apps and database of businesses. OpenHours is connected to Futourist’s blockchain system to deliver contests and distribute rewards.
Rewards are paid out in the form blockchain tokens, a digital currency processed on the Ethereum network. What does that mean? Well, let me explain.
Digital Currency
Digital currencies are a new method of payment powered by blockchains - digital ledgers that publically records transactions of digital currency. Digital currencies have been gaining ground on traditional currencies and are set to supplant them in the future.
Futourist uses a digital currency for your benefit because it has several advantages over traditional currencies. Digital currencies are functionally transparent, they reduce the cost and complexity of financial transactions, and transactions cannot be arbitrarily reversed as credit card companies are wont to do. The public availability of information and lack of centralised control means that digital currencies value can’t be manipulated by governments or banks, for example through interest and exchange rates, or transaction charges. As an added bonus they also offer complete anonymity for all parties.
The long and short of it is, the use of a digital currency is for the specific benefit of the users.
If you’re concerned about the legitimacy of digital currencies, that’s understandable - they are new and often misunderstood. I’d encourage you to do your own research on the matter if you’re unsure.
It may reassure you to know that the team at Futourist have a vested interest in their currency. They’re all have vested tokens - that’s tokens locked away in smart contracts which are released in fixed amounts at fixed intervals. That means no-one can cut and run if things go badly, and they see a long-term benefit if their currency grows in value. Don't you wish every company had that kind of accountability?
The goal of Futourist
Futourist’s mission is to change how people value content-creators. To make them seen as valuable providers rather than a free resource to exploit. They provide a service that turns the often speculative use of digital currency into a practical tool to benefit their users, and they have a great reward system which makes their service broadly accessible while also encouraging quality writing.
There are no similar services that offer the same degree of flexibility or are anywhere near as rewarding to users. If you like writing or even just reading reviews, Futourist is the obvious choice. So what are you waiting for? Go sign up!
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