Post: #1

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.

Post: #2

Since you were bitching about this getting buried in the NASA Test Pilot drama thread, I had to check out this datasheet.

Very nice, straightforward post. Especially on how to get through the surveys.

I always assumed focus groups were insular things that operated something like this:





+1

Post: #3

I've done several of these before. Definitely an easy and interesting way to make some cash. Good call on the survey hacking as well.

Post: #4

Thanks for posting this, I appreciate the info. It never even occurred to me to do something like this, but as I'm trying to stay away from a traditional employee type situation I'm glad to have another tool in the toolbox for finding supplemental income.

Post: #5

This is a great idea, but I'm having trouble qualifying for any of these groups. There's always one niggling question, like "do you have a son between the ages of 15-17".

Have you developed a technique to get around this, or do you just accept these losses as part of your ratio? Can you learn to spot the key question?

Post: #6

(05-19-2016 10:14 AM)churros Wrote:  This is a great idea, but I'm having trouble qualifying for any of these groups. There's always one niggling question, like "do you have a son between the ages of 15-17".

Have you developed a technique to get around this, or do you just accept these losses as part of your ratio? Can you learn to spot the key question?

I haven't come across many that were specifically seeking a person with children, may 2 out of 30-40 surveys.

They do ask in almost every pre screen survey if you have children in the home under 17/18 or something similar to that. I always say no, as I don't have children. It hasn't had an effect either way that I've seen, except in about two instances, and I recall the children question in those couple surveys being written slightly different or more extensive than what I just wrote above and see in every survey, so I suspected I would be disqualified as soon as I clicked no.

If they are looking specifically for something and you respond the opposite the survey will usually end right there, at least thats how it works for the surveys from Focus Point and Fieldwork that I've taken.

To clarify, are you saying they are seeking a person with children and you do not have one, or are you saying you do have children and are being disqualified for it?

If it's the latter, did you fill out a profile of some sort in which you indicated you have children? If that's whats going on then I'd simply change that if possible.

The only things that absolutely need to be true would be your name, age, sex. The rest you can decide how much you want to stretch the truth, they aren't going to know.

Post: #7

Trying a new shaving product for 2 weeks, filling out two questionnaires, and making $30, Thanks! Thought back to your writeup when I got to the following question before acceptance - a disqualifying question posing as a qualifier, sneaky.

Post: #8

We should have a thread entitled "Getting Laid Participating in Focus Groups."

Post: #9

Pro-tip: lie on the qualifiers/screeners (especially when asked if you've been to market research in past 6/12 months

The companies want to find the participants and sometimes it's so obvious that I've lied but they just want numbers on the night. Only thing I wouldn't lie about is sex and age (within ten years)

It can be a punishment at times though. I got stuck in one for two hours about an ad campaign trying to discourage the "discriminatory phrase" '... like a girl' hahah it was all blokes but only one pathetic SJW harping on.. Felt sorry for him! I could tell everyone was thinking mate there are no birds around so wtf are you spitting feminist BS

Post: #10

(05-23-2016 09:42 PM)Suits Wrote:  We should have a thread entitled "Getting Laid Participating in Focus Groups."

Funny you mention that, I'll write a short post soon on the girls I've met in the groups, it's been interesting.

Post: #11

(05-23-2016 09:49 PM)rawbeefcake Wrote:  Pro-tip: lie on the qualifiers/screeners (especially when asked if you've been to market research in past 6/12 months

The companies want to find the participants and sometimes it's so obvious that I've lied but they just want numbers on the night. Only thing I wouldn't lie about is sex and age (within ten years)

It can be a punishment at times though. I got stuck in one for two hours about an ad campaign trying to discourage the "discriminatory phrase" '... like a girl' hahah it was all blokes but only one pathetic SJW harping on.. Felt sorry for him! I could tell everyone was thinking mate there are no birds around so wtf are you spitting feminist BS

All of what you said is addressed in the data sheet.

Post: #12

(05-23-2016 09:38 PM)Gorgiass Wrote:  Trying a new shaving product for 2 weeks, filling out two questionnaires, and making $30, Thanks! Thought back to your writeup when I got to the following question before acceptance - a disqualifying question posing as a qualifier, sneaky.

Glad I could help.

Yep that is good example, they often word it as if there are wanting people in the listed industries in order try to trick people.

Post: #13

Reading this over again I realize that I didn't say much about actual focus groups and that may be confusing to some.

The reason for this is that there isn't really anything specific you need to "do" once you are invited and confirmed to attend a focus group- the effort and strategy is only needed to get chosen. Simply go to the location they specify, arrive on time, follow the instructions and you will be paid- it's not based on performance. In addition, every focus group is different in topic/product/process anyway.

My most recent focus "group" was actually quite unique- it was just me- and I got invited from responding to an ad on Craigslist, which I hadn't tried before.

It was one of those ultra hip design/ad studios where everyone looks perfectly coifed, even the naturally unattractive. It had that open type layout, no walls, just large shard tables. I walked in, there was no reception desk or receptionist, I was just facing a brunette sitting at the 20 foot long quartz topped kitchen island eating yogurt. She looked like someone you would see in a Apple commercial- nothing particularly striking but this overall light and happy attractiveness. In my mind I pictured her in an very bright, overexposed HD video whispering and giggling while being jizzed on, perhaps outdoors.

I approached the nearest worker, a girl who was at a table with her laptop eating phở with a dog by her side- felt like I was in a living script for a hipster silicon valley film. I told her why I was there, she asked if I would like a beverage while I waited and directed me to sit at the kitchen island. While I was waiting I noticed this ridiculously sexy petite blonde walking around.

Eventually, that same girl came over and introduced herself as the one who would be running the study. Bonus. Too bad about the enormous diamond on her finger. We walked to a conference room with glass walls and we were joined by another girl, who would be taking the notes of my responses.

She laid out a mock up of a particular food brand collaborating with another brand, it had a marketing description, and then she asked a series of questions getting my initial thoughts on it. This process was repeated 4 more times with different collaborations.

One of the collaborations was this food brand with Vice, and she explained it as being about "the new masculinity, how many guys are no longer becoming fathers or doing the traditional alpha stuff etc". LOL. I explained that I think there are plenty of men out there who still desire those more traditional masculine values and she actually agreed with that, and said she thought there was nothing wrong with "men being men". I would have expanded out from there had it been a different setting, I could tell I had piqued her interest.

We finished up after about 45 minutes. They paid me $50 cash. Rare to get cash. Not the best pay, but an interesting experience. While getting ready to leave she said "have you done design before? I ask because from your responses you really have a great eye". We chatted a little more, she smiled and said she'd call me when they do the next one.

Besides the extra cash, doing these focus groups has led to me meeting people and going places I never would have otherwise.

Post: #14

My latest focus group was another one where it was just me.

$50 for 20 minutes.

They had me go to a grocery store and meet the tester girl, she had me pretend shop for granola bars and then she asked questions on why I chose what I chose.

This is about my fifth focus group where the topic was Nature Valley granola bars. They seem to have no clue what to do, they just keep putting out more and more variations and doing more focus groups. These focus group companies are raking in a ton of cash, makes me want to start a better one.

Post: #15

I landed one of these before I got busy this summer, it was a mail trial for Gilette Fusion, the 5 blade razor, and some shave gel. The manner of the questions while taking the qualification survey led me to believe that they were actually looking for someone in the demographic who could and would consider buying the products after trial, and then when I got the razor I saw it was out for a number of years, so not something they would be researching for unless they're developing another. Probably wouldn't buy again for the price, but I got $30 and a free razor out of the deal. Good thread, I should log back in and see what else they've got in the area.

Post: #16

What do you guys put for employment status? I'm currently unemployed but have a feeling these mofos don't want someone who is solely in it for the $$$, my feeling is that they want someone employed full time.

Just had this prelim survey that would have a survey done at home....so I clicked "part time employed". My assumption was that if clicked employed FT then they would think I don't have time to take the survey.

Post: #17

This is also a great website for focus groups in your city:

It includes more cities than the other websites, well different ones like Houston.

http://focusgroups.org/

Post: #18

You can put whatever you want for employment. It's difficult to say what is the "best" option to choose, as they look for different demographics at different times, and also if they want multiple demographics (full time, unemployed, house wife, etc) for one study it just depends if those spaces have been filled already by other respondents. I just always put employed full time, I don't know how it has affected anything, but it possibly has.

Post: #19

I noticed that since I fully filled out my profile on their database answering every single question (apparently I hadn't), and changed up my previous answers a little, I have been emailed different surveys on topics I wasn't getting before. So go through and answer all the questions in all the categories of your profile if you haven't, should lead to more opportunities.

Post: #20

There has been a definite slow down for me with focus groups in the last 2 months. Don't get as many surveys emailed. I made the bulk of my money from April-August.

I do have an $80 for 1 hour pizza taste test next week though, through a local only food tester company. It's useful to be signed up to 3 or 4 different companies if they exist in your area.

Post: #21

Some people are worried about getting disqualified. I've developed and incredibly simple and effective way to insure you always pick the "right" answer for focus groups.

First, Google "City name focus group". Sign up for ALL results. Sign up twice. For one, just use a new Gmail account and input fake info (fake name, fake address, etc). For the second sign up, use your main email address and real info. Now, when you get an email about the focus group, sign into your secondary email account, and fill out the survey. If you get to the part where it says "you qualify for this study, please leave your contact info" simply exit out and fill out the survey using your real account. If you DON'T qualify, try again using your real account. You can create as many accounts as you need---just do so prior to the emails (they generally only email participants that have signed up prior to the suvey going out)

Now, if your company does interviews by the phone (in my experience, most use internet surveys----easier and cheaper), simply use a Google Voice number as your secondary (fake) accounts contact info. You can sign up for it here: Google.com/Voice It's free.

If they call your GV # and you qualify for the survey, just tell them you can't make it on the dates the group is meeting. Then call back a couple days later with your real number. These people do so many calls they won't remember your voice.


If you have any questions, just reply. I've been doing this for a while.

Post: #22

You can also use the above tactic to fit into multiple demographics. You could have one profile be unemployed, 33, etc. And another Full time employed, 24, etc. Obviously you will know the limits you can stretch the truth for---just use common sense.

I don't need to tell you that this is morally and ethically dubious. It might even be illegal in some states or jurisdictions. Therefore, I don't RECOMMEND doing this----I'm just telling you it can be done.

Post: #23

I just want to say thanks to GlobalMan for this datasheet. I got signed up for 2 groups, ensuring me $400 bucks and a paid ($50) dinner in two weeks.

They both asked me if I have done this before and I said no because the second study is scheduled on the 30th and the one they were talking about is for this weekend. So technically, I'm scheduled for one but it hasn't happened. I gave two different emails and phone numbers (google voice) for each study so they won't flag me.....I'm not even sure if this is possible but I played it safe.

Can I cash a check that has a different address than my DL? I mean, I gave them two Houston addresses (mine and my gf) but my DL still says Dallas.

Thanks homie, now I can use my cable (100), electric (120), phone (80), and car-insurance (100) bills covered and put that money to good use elsewhere.

Post: #24

No love for DC looks like

Post: #25

(01-17-2017 08:59 AM)Scaro066 Wrote:  No love for DC looks like

They agency doesn't need to have an office in DC. One of the companies I did a FG for has their office in Florida, and I live in Texas.

Look up to see if Plaza Research has an office in your town, I think they do. Another company I posted earlier has "nationwide" searches so it doesn't really matter where you live. Google "Focus Groups Washington DC", I found a couple.