A few people have asked me about how to participate in focus groups for cash since I made this post
If you want to try something new and to make some extra money for only a little bit of your time here and there, participating in focus groups can be interesting.
You aren't going to replace your income from focus groups, it's just the nature of them- you won't fit the profile to participate in all of them, and you can't do them everyday. But you can do at least few per month and get some extra cash. Sometimes you will even get paid but not have to participate, as I will address below.
There are two main focus group companies that I am signed up with.
The first is: http://www.focusgroup.com/
They hold focus groups in/around these cities:
Appleton, WI
Atlanta Buckhead, GA
Atlanta Clairmont, GA
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Chicago - Oak Brook, IL
Columbus, OH
Dallas, TX
Kansas City, MO
Los Angeles, CA
Minneapolis, MN
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
San Francisco, CA
St. Louis, MO
Teaneck, NJ
The other is: http://www.fieldwork.com/join
They hold focus groups in/around these cities:
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago-Downtown
Chicago-North
Chicago-O'Hare
Chicago-Schaumburg
Dallas
Denver
Fort Lee, NJ
LA-Orange County
Minneapolis
NY-Westchester
Phoenix
San Francisco
Seattle
"What if I don't live near any of those cities?"
All is not lost if you don't live near the listed cities. There are dozens of these companies all around the country, many of them are smaller and only operate locally in one city. Just google "focus group my city" and go from there. For example there are a couple companies that are only local in my city that do food focus groups. There are likely the same in many other cities around the country. Do a little research.
What is a focus group?
Virtually all major companies use focus groups. When they want to test out a new product, or see how they do with a specific demographic, they hire a company that runs focus groups.
Typically a focus group will be 5-10 people sitting around a table, the person running it will show marketing materials/pass out samples/have you do a taste test etc and then go around the room asking specific questions and try to get a discussion going. This is how companies learn what consumers want. All of them will be slightly different depending on the product or what the company is trying to learn.
Sometimes there are take home product testing opportunities. For example, I'm signed up for one that I picked up a razor from an undisclosed brand at their office and I'm supposed to use it like normal in place of mine for a couple weeks, then fill out a questionnaire online for a $100 payment. I also have a take home beer taste test for $50 coming up.
How it works
Once you sign up, you then take the pre-screener surveys for the available studies. They take about 5 minutes, or less if your answers aren't what they are looking for. Some will be for women or families or old people or young etc, not all are going to be seeking your type of profile- the companies need to target certain groups.
There should be a few surveys available when you sign up and more will pop up every few days/week, they will also email you when a new one is available.
After you do the pre-screen survey, and if you made it to the end where it says you pre-qualify for the focus group, they will call you if they want you to participate and if there are still open spots. You won't always get called, they could review your answers and decide you're not quite right for that group after all, or other people have already responded and the group is already full.
During the call they will confirm some of your answers to the survey to make sure you weren't just smashing buttons and that you're actually the profile of person they need for that particular focus group.
Speaking on that: After you do a few pre-screen surveys you will start to see the patterns of what they are looking for in each survey. Now, I almost always make it to the end of the survey where it says you pre-qualify and may be contacted
If you're going to give answers that aren't really true just to get into the focus group you better remember these preferences/products/behaviors you indicated in the survey, both for the phone call and for the actual focus group.
For example, lately there seems to be surveys always asking about yogurt. I don't eat yogurt, but I say I do for the survey. I have now chosen a few brands/types that I say I eat when it asks, and I'd be able to tell them the same things on the phone during a confirmation call.
Some tips on taking the surveys:
-At the beginning of almost every survey there will be a question asking if you work in certain industries and there will be a list. If you choose any of those industries you'll be disqualified from the survey. Choose "none of the above". They ask this question because they see working in those industries as a conflict of interest for being in the focus group.
-If it's a food focus group screener survey, always answer "no" when it asks if you're on any special diets or vegan or organic only etc. It will disqualify you if you say yes. If you are going to lie here remember that you may actually be eating stuff at the focus group so you still need to be willing to actually eat it.
-A typical question is asking you where you shop and they provide a list to choose from. Make sure to choose all of the the chain grocery stores/big box stores even if you only really shop at farmers markets and Trader Joes (hipster fag), they likely don't sell their granola bars or beef jerky at your local hipster vegan market.
-You will often be asked "choose the foods from the list that you regularly purchase".
I don't eat half the crap, but I choose all of them because one of those products on the list is what the focus group is about, and if you don't choose that one then you'll be disqualified.
Getting Paid
Focus groups are typically between 30 minutes and 2 hours long, and pay between $30-$150.
You'll know the time commitment and pay before agreeing to participate.
Almost all of the companies issue prepaid debit cards as payment. They don't have a name on it, usually "valued participant". You sometimes will have to call the number listed on it to activate it. They normally expire in 180 days, so keep that in mind. It will come in a little sleeve that explains and specifics you need to know.
As explained in the post I linked to, when these companies sign people up to participate in focus groups they always overbook, meaning they have scheduled more people to attend than they actually need because some people don't show. If you are chosen and confirmed to attend a focus group, and you do show up, you will be paid no matter what. If there are more people than they would like, they will choose some to send home, with payment. Don't count on this happening often, but it does happen. My first time going I was "cut" and walked away with $125 for just showing up.
General tips
You need to use your real name when you sign up, this is because when you go out to do a focus group they will sometimes want to check your ID to make sure it's not one person doing the survey and a completely different one coming to do the actual focus group. Remember, they want a specific profile, sending your buddy or a homeless guy in your place won't work. They do reserve the right to turn you away without payment if you're an obvious bullshitter. And, they are handing out money, so they want to make sure they are giving it to the right person, that's also why you'll want to use the name thats on your ID.
Besides your name and age, feel free to lie about what you want, i.e. your occupation etc. Just keep your lies straight.
The key to participating in as many groups as possible is to take the pre-screen surveys as soon as new ones pop up, and also to get back to them quickly if they call you.
Keep in mind that sometimes the client will stipulate that they only want people that haven't participated in focus groups in the last X number of days, they don't want people that are just signing up to be professional focus groupers and don't actually fit the profile. So sometimes you won't qualify based on your past participation. This is where it becomes useful to be signed up with a two or three different focus group companies.
Thats about it, any questions I will answer them as I can.
If you want to try something new and to make some extra money for only a little bit of your time here and there, participating in focus groups can be interesting.
You aren't going to replace your income from focus groups, it's just the nature of them- you won't fit the profile to participate in all of them, and you can't do them everyday. But you can do at least few per month and get some extra cash. Sometimes you will even get paid but not have to participate, as I will address below.
There are two main focus group companies that I am signed up with.
The first is: http://www.focusgroup.com/
They hold focus groups in/around these cities:
Appleton, WI
Atlanta Buckhead, GA
Atlanta Clairmont, GA
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Chicago - Oak Brook, IL
Columbus, OH
Dallas, TX
Kansas City, MO
Los Angeles, CA
Minneapolis, MN
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
San Francisco, CA
St. Louis, MO
Teaneck, NJ
The other is: http://www.fieldwork.com/join
They hold focus groups in/around these cities:
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago-Downtown
Chicago-North
Chicago-O'Hare
Chicago-Schaumburg
Dallas
Denver
Fort Lee, NJ
LA-Orange County
Minneapolis
NY-Westchester
Phoenix
San Francisco
Seattle
"What if I don't live near any of those cities?"
All is not lost if you don't live near the listed cities. There are dozens of these companies all around the country, many of them are smaller and only operate locally in one city. Just google "focus group my city" and go from there. For example there are a couple companies that are only local in my city that do food focus groups. There are likely the same in many other cities around the country. Do a little research.
What is a focus group?
Virtually all major companies use focus groups. When they want to test out a new product, or see how they do with a specific demographic, they hire a company that runs focus groups.
Typically a focus group will be 5-10 people sitting around a table, the person running it will show marketing materials/pass out samples/have you do a taste test etc and then go around the room asking specific questions and try to get a discussion going. This is how companies learn what consumers want. All of them will be slightly different depending on the product or what the company is trying to learn.
Sometimes there are take home product testing opportunities. For example, I'm signed up for one that I picked up a razor from an undisclosed brand at their office and I'm supposed to use it like normal in place of mine for a couple weeks, then fill out a questionnaire online for a $100 payment. I also have a take home beer taste test for $50 coming up.
How it works
Once you sign up, you then take the pre-screener surveys for the available studies. They take about 5 minutes, or less if your answers aren't what they are looking for. Some will be for women or families or old people or young etc, not all are going to be seeking your type of profile- the companies need to target certain groups.
There should be a few surveys available when you sign up and more will pop up every few days/week, they will also email you when a new one is available.
After you do the pre-screen survey, and if you made it to the end where it says you pre-qualify for the focus group, they will call you if they want you to participate and if there are still open spots. You won't always get called, they could review your answers and decide you're not quite right for that group after all, or other people have already responded and the group is already full.
During the call they will confirm some of your answers to the survey to make sure you weren't just smashing buttons and that you're actually the profile of person they need for that particular focus group.
Speaking on that: After you do a few pre-screen surveys you will start to see the patterns of what they are looking for in each survey. Now, I almost always make it to the end of the survey where it says you pre-qualify and may be contacted
If you're going to give answers that aren't really true just to get into the focus group you better remember these preferences/products/behaviors you indicated in the survey, both for the phone call and for the actual focus group.
For example, lately there seems to be surveys always asking about yogurt. I don't eat yogurt, but I say I do for the survey. I have now chosen a few brands/types that I say I eat when it asks, and I'd be able to tell them the same things on the phone during a confirmation call.
Some tips on taking the surveys:
-At the beginning of almost every survey there will be a question asking if you work in certain industries and there will be a list. If you choose any of those industries you'll be disqualified from the survey. Choose "none of the above". They ask this question because they see working in those industries as a conflict of interest for being in the focus group.
-If it's a food focus group screener survey, always answer "no" when it asks if you're on any special diets or vegan or organic only etc. It will disqualify you if you say yes. If you are going to lie here remember that you may actually be eating stuff at the focus group so you still need to be willing to actually eat it.
-A typical question is asking you where you shop and they provide a list to choose from. Make sure to choose all of the the chain grocery stores/big box stores even if you only really shop at farmers markets and Trader Joes (hipster fag), they likely don't sell their granola bars or beef jerky at your local hipster vegan market.
-You will often be asked "choose the foods from the list that you regularly purchase".
I don't eat half the crap, but I choose all of them because one of those products on the list is what the focus group is about, and if you don't choose that one then you'll be disqualified.
Getting Paid
Focus groups are typically between 30 minutes and 2 hours long, and pay between $30-$150.
You'll know the time commitment and pay before agreeing to participate.
Almost all of the companies issue prepaid debit cards as payment. They don't have a name on it, usually "valued participant". You sometimes will have to call the number listed on it to activate it. They normally expire in 180 days, so keep that in mind. It will come in a little sleeve that explains and specifics you need to know.
As explained in the post I linked to, when these companies sign people up to participate in focus groups they always overbook, meaning they have scheduled more people to attend than they actually need because some people don't show. If you are chosen and confirmed to attend a focus group, and you do show up, you will be paid no matter what. If there are more people than they would like, they will choose some to send home, with payment. Don't count on this happening often, but it does happen. My first time going I was "cut" and walked away with $125 for just showing up.
General tips
You need to use your real name when you sign up, this is because when you go out to do a focus group they will sometimes want to check your ID to make sure it's not one person doing the survey and a completely different one coming to do the actual focus group. Remember, they want a specific profile, sending your buddy or a homeless guy in your place won't work. They do reserve the right to turn you away without payment if you're an obvious bullshitter. And, they are handing out money, so they want to make sure they are giving it to the right person, that's also why you'll want to use the name thats on your ID.
Besides your name and age, feel free to lie about what you want, i.e. your occupation etc. Just keep your lies straight.
The key to participating in as many groups as possible is to take the pre-screen surveys as soon as new ones pop up, and also to get back to them quickly if they call you.
Keep in mind that sometimes the client will stipulate that they only want people that haven't participated in focus groups in the last X number of days, they don't want people that are just signing up to be professional focus groupers and don't actually fit the profile. So sometimes you won't qualify based on your past participation. This is where it becomes useful to be signed up with a two or three different focus group companies.
Thats about it, any questions I will answer them as I can.
Americans are dreamers too
