It used to be that when a new product came out we found out about it at the nearest supermarket. Today a lot has changed in the way we find out about new products. The internet has made life easy for us looking for new things to try. Google is the easiest way to find anything you ever dreamed about. Put in a few words and in a matter of seconds you have several pages that fit those keywords.
Many companies like Pepsi, Kmart, and Nike have joined up with word of mouth marketing (womm) companies to help sell the products they already have and new ones in the making. These companies then use their websites to entice consumers to join them in reviewing these products. All they ask is that you use every available resources to tout their wares. Not only do you need to review on the site website, they want you share on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and *gasp* the Real World. They want to know what you think but they want conversations with your mom, your friends, the neighbors down the street to give them a better understanding of how people see their products.
I will go over a few of these sites and tell you the benefits and the difficulty of each.
This is the premier company of the word of mouth marketing. All you need to do is sign up, do some survey's about yourself and your likes. They give campaigns based on your score. The higher the score the higher the likelihood of you getting the next big campaign they roll out. They also teamed up with Mypoints and every survey you take tells them what campaigns are right for you and you also depending on the survey you get points as well. In short you get free products, you get to socialize and your voice is heard by big companies and they listen.
*Make take some time before you will get your first campaign*
Swaggable is a company that allows you to see products and put them on a want list. This list is then used to match you with products you want to review. They have several categories to choose from and adding more in the future. You can browse and read about a product. Then if it's something you would enjoy you hit the little like button in the right hand corner of the product page.
* Very simple and usually pretty fast about getting you a campaign to start on. *
Allot like Swaggable. They even give a cute starter mission. It gets you comfortable with their format and gets you all excited for a new mission. They have made the site very streamlined and easy to use. I personally like that when I go to my profile I can see what missions I am on and when I am likely to be receiving my package of goodies to review.
*Easy to use and quick on getting a first misson*
This site just re-launched in September 2012 with a brand new site. Its format is very easy to use and like the other sites they have their own way to judge how influential you are by using badges. The more badges you have the more likely you are to be invited to a campaign. I am just getting started on this site and as of right now I can say it looks beneficial and fun.
*Right now they are invite only. If you are serious about reviewing and being rewarded for fun easy work email me and we can get you started*
In closing, You do have to put some effort into these freebies but its worth it when you walk to your mailbox and get a package and know that with your words and influence on others you are changing the way big companies look at you. You need to be active for these sites to work for you. You have to review the items, talk to everyone about it. The more you do the faster you get to review the stuff you want to try. This list may be short but its made of the best companies to get your voice heard.
I wish everyone the best of luck if you decide to try one of these sites.
Until we meet again,
Liss
