Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Influenster = Excitement!

Howdy!

I have found a new program that I am incredibly excited to share with you.  I originally heard good things about it on a Twitter feed that I follow by Daydreaming Realist where she shared about her experiences testing out beauty products through this program.  Without exception all of the products she was sharing about sounded like things that would be amazing to try, and I thought I would look into it and sign up to see if I could do it to.



The program is called Influenster.  The premise?  They send you a box of items that are catered to your interests and you test them out and send your feedback and reviews back to the companies that sponsor samples and products in the box for your honest feedback.  The VoxBoxes arrive at your door and then you spend time living with and using the products enclosed so you can report back and share your experiences with your friends.  I love the clever name - Vox meaning talk or voice your opinions about things in the box that are like little gifts.  I'm so thankful to be a part of this program!



When you go to the all new Influenster website (they've just revamped it to make it even more awesome and easier to share your experiences through social media) you work to earn badges that are specific to your interests.  Everyone can earn Life Stage badges by answering survey questions to get a feel for how well the products they send out for that particular badge might fit you.  For example I didn't sign up for the Mom badge but I did sign up for the Bow Wow badge and the Do Good-er badges because they reflect my lifestyle.  There are many options to pick from like Bride to Be or Baby Boomer that help them accurately decide where you are in your life and what the companies who work with them might select for a particulkar demographic.



There are also "expert" badges that are given to you to hone your interest areas.  PAY CLOSE ATTENTION - you are only given 5 keys to unlock badges so you want to make sure that the "expert" badges you care about the most are the ones that you sign up for first!  I made the mistake of getting so excited about unlocking badges that I didn't unlock my areas of primary interest - beauty and cooking, so don't let that happen to you.  Over time you may unlock more keys for expert badges but make sure the things you unlock are whatever you are the most passionate about.  I probably would've skipped the High Spirits and Fahionista badges if I would've chosen more carefully, but I also was already selected to participate in a VoxBox that was related to my Eco badge and that is an area I am very passionate about so I am still very excited to see what those other badges have in store for me in the future.

Speaking of VoxBoxes - my first box with the program was for the Palmolive Fresh Infusions Dish Soaps.  In my VoxBox I received three full sized products and was encouraged to share one with a friend to help spread the love.  I also received high value coupons to give out to the people closest to me to let them try the product at an amazing discount.



These soaps are naturally derived and come in amazing fragrances like Lime Basil (green), Ginger White Tea (peach), and Lemon Thyme (yellow).  I have enjoyed using them and have also enjoyed getting my sisters and friends excited about them too.  We have different choices of fragrances (my sister is excited about the more floral Ginger White Tea fragrance while I am in love with the zesty, fruity Lime Basil) but we both agree that it is great to see a naturally inspired product from this well loved brand.



If you love trying new things, sharing with your friends on social media and being able to provide companies with a direct response to their products through Brand challenges you might be a perfect fit for the Influenster program.  There is a Twitter party for the #PalmoliveFreshInfusions dish soaps sponsored by Influenster today at 1:00pm EST on Twitter that you can follow with the above hashtag if you want to check out more about the brand you can also follow @Influenster on or visit the Influenster Facebook page to follow and find out more about this great program.  When you get your first VoxBox you are off and running and can qualify for future boxes based on your participation and sharing of the brands you find inside.  It took about two months before I got a box and I joined when they were in their old format that was a little different.  I was patient and reviewed products from previous boxes other Influensters received that I had purchased and tried for myself already so I knew something about them.  There are tons of things you can post your opinions on - from stores like Bath and Body Works to products like Ritter Sport candy bars, there is bound to be a few things that you use, love, or maybe just gravitated to on your own.  You can also check out the posts and blogs that other Influensters post or join in a Twitter party or Facebook conversation about something you liked or disliked and share your opinions.  You can be rewarded with the opportunity to try something new or tell a brand you've loved for years how to make their products even better.

If you would like an Influenster invitation and you are my Facebook friend you can send me a request through a private message and I can send you a link to welcome you to this exciting program.  You can also request and invite through the Influenster.com homepage and then work hard to be rewarded!

I hope this find you well and gearing up for the holidays.  I'm sending much love out to everybody and hoping that you are all safe and sound after the storms of the past few weeks.  Have fun and I hope that there are some future Influensters reading!  XO