I often get asked "How do you get all this FREE stuff and where do I sign up!?" While there are many ways to get free samples and goodies, this is one of my favorite. It's called word of mouth campaigning. Word of mouth campaigning is a popular way for companies to reach consumers and gain truthful feedback about their products. Companies are willing to give out product for FREE in exchange for honest reviews of their products. There are many different sites you can join if you are interested in doing word of mouth campaigning.
I have taken the time to give you an idea of how this works as well as some reputable companies you can try.
How does it work?
Companies team up with these sites to give consumers FREE product to try in exchange for their honest, unedited feedback about the products they try. It's a win/win... you get to try something for FREE and the company gets valuable feedback on what people think of their products.
How Do I get Started?
Once you sign up for a site (I will link them later with a breakdown of what each one is like), you will fill out a profile and probably some surveys. Some sites require you to apply for each campaign you are interested in (Mom Ambassador and House Party are examples). Others send you invitations when you meet the demographics they are looking to target (BzzAgent and Smiley360 are examples of this).
How long does it take to start getting FREE stuff!?
It depends on a lot of factors. Some of these include, but are not limited to, how many spaces are available for a particular campaign, how active you are (Do you complete surveys? Do you apply to host samplings? Do you follow up as you are supposed to with reviews and spreading the word?), the demographics the company is looking to reach (age, where you live, whether you have pets, kids, own a home, make X amount of money, etc.) All of these things are factors that determine who gets chosen. Some you cannot control (demographics), others you can (activity and follow through). Let's face it... NOTHING is TRULY free. You still gotta work for it.
Does this sound up your alley?
If it does, keep reading. Here are some of the best companies to work with.
1) BzzAgent
I <3 BZZ! That's why it's #1 on my list. :) I have been a BzzAgent for almost 4 years. Why is it my favorite? They get the most campaigns to offer which means more opportunity to participate. Campaigns I have participated in with BzzAgent include Glade Expressions, Benjamin Moore Aura Waterbourne interior paint (this stuff was $65 a gallon!), Covergirl, Neutrogena, Burt's Bees, Garnier Fructis, Kellogg's Crunchy Nut cereal, Morning Star Farms, Nerf (a neat football that comes with light up glasses to play in the dark), and LOTS of others.
What I love about BzzAgent is that you fill out a bunch of surveys and they have all your information up front. When you are a match, they send you an invitation to participate. At which point you accept and fill out a small pre-campaign survey on your opinion of the product prior to trying for this campaign. Then you wait for it in the mail.
After you receive your BzzKit, you try the product then complete reviews, Bzz reports (letting BzzAgent know that you told people about it), share on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc. Every time you do any of these things, your score goes up and you are more likely to get in on future campaigns. In case you are wondering, The score is from 1-10 (mine is an 8.8 still hoping to pass that 9.0 mark!)
With House Party, you create a member profile then every time they have a campaign open you must apply for it if it interests you. House Party will then choose anyone they think fits the campaign. What I dislike about House party is that there is SOOO much work involved for (usually) a small reward. You must not only test the product but you must also host a "party" with friends and family so you can tell them about the product. This is not a bad deal if you get in on a high value campaign like the Fisher-Price toy one where they sent almost $300 worth of toys or the Keurig coffee party where you got a Keurig coffee maker and K-cups. However, for a $3 box of cereal and some advertising swag (think, key chains, whistles and an apron with a company logo) that you have to SHARE with your guests, it's not really worth the effort and expense unless you are doing a sampling event representing multiple products and companies at the same time. I have gotten some really great House Party kits (my most recent, Redbook and L'Oreal Happy hour party) and a couple not-so-great ones. The great thing though is that you only apply for parties of interest. That way, it's always worth it.
3) Moms Meet- Mom Ambassador program
What I like about Mom Ambassador is that it is centered around organic and natural products which is rare. We have been trying to find organic alternatives so I love getting to try them for free. This one is centered around moms groups. You sample products with your group and then fill out a survey with a general opinion from your group as a whole. Mom Ambassador will send e-mail invites/reminders when they have new sampling programs open. At which point, you can apply if it is of interest to you and your group. Then you wait to find out if you are chosen for the sampling.
4) Smiley360
you get invited to campaigns through Smiley360. It is similar to BzzAgent but not as fun. I don't feel the friendliness and excitement on their site or within the Smiley community. I still do Smiley360 on occasion, though. :)
5) Influenster
you must request an invitation to join Influenster unless you have a friend with spares (leave your email address in the comments if you'd like an invitation. I have some available). Influenster is a community where you take quizzes, become an "expert" in categories, earn badges. You can write product reviews, ask and answer question of other community members and as a reward they send a "Voxbox" which, once you receive one, you must review the contents and complete given tasks. By completing tasks, you get entered in the running to win prizes from the companies featured in the box. I have had some luck with Influenster, though, it kind of comes in spurts. I will get a few goodies almost back to back and then go months without getting invited to try anything. When you get a Voxbox, it is definitely worth it.
6) ExpoTV Tryology program
This one requires video reviews. So, don't be camera shy! They will send you invitations when they want specific products reviewed. When you review those products you earn points that you can spend in their shop. They don't have dinky rewards, either. I always use my points for Amazon.com gift cards. If you are an active community member you will also get the opportunity to try out products for review, free of charge through the Tryology program.
7) SheSpeaks
I have done a couple campaigns for them. I'm not really sure, based on my experience with them, what prompts them to send applications for programs. I don't seem to get many SheSpeaks campaigns and find their site a bit confusing and difficult to navigate. It is definitely worth looking into, as I know some people who get things from SheSpeaks regularly.
I hope this offers a lot of choices for all of you. Let me know if you sign up for any and what you think. Also, I would love to know when you guys get in on campaigns. :) It's always so exciting waiting for these goodies to arrive in the mailbox!
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