How to Be a Bzz Agent and Buzz for BzzAgent.Com
Bzzagent.com is a wonderful website that I really enjoy being a part of. By being a member I get to try new products for free and they even ship the stuff to my home at no charge to me. In return I give them my opinions about the products. In the Bzzagent Bzzkit you will find at least one full sized product and a bunch of samples and coupons plus a Bzzguide that introduces the item. I share the samples and coupons with my friends and family and report to Bzzagent (not a typo it is supposed to be buzz without the U) what they think about the product too.
The Bzzagent website is currently active in the US and Canada. They also have a branch in the UK called Bzzagent.co.UK. Plus they seem to be growing bigger everyday so I wouldn't be surprised if they spread to additional countries as well in the future.
I have been a Bzzagent for over 2 years now, I started May 7, 2008. So far I have participated in 21 "campaigns" (that's what they call the buzzing process) After you sign up to join you will have to answer a classification survey. It's similar to what product testing panels ask you. They ask if you are male or female, how old you are, if you have children and so on. This questionnaire just helps them figure out how to match you to the most appropriate campaigns. For instance they aren't going to send a 57 year old man lipstick to bzz about to his buddies. It may take a while to match you up with your first Bzzagent campaign. I lucked out and got my first one right away but I have heard that others have had to wait up to 2 months before getting an invitation. When they do match you up you will receive an email inviting you to join the campaign. If you are not interested in the product you can decline, It will not hurt your chances of getting accepted to more campaigns. I have declined a few myself, the most recent one was a home video gaming system the reason why is because they needed to charge $30.00 to cover the shipping. This was a rare occurrence, they don't normally charge anything but that is why I passed on the offer.
In Bzzagent.com there is a ranking system and the higher you rank the more testing opportunities you will get. The highest ranked members get the most bzzcampaigns. The ranks are as follows.
Tier 1 Solitary Bee
Tier 2 Carpenter bee
Tier 3 Busy Bee
Tier 4 Honey Bee
Tier 5 Social Bee
Tier 6 Sweet Bee
I am a sweet bee There is a system to move up in the rankings but it is hard to follow unless you are a member of the site. I will do my best to explain it but I'd suggest pulling the website up after joining and then referring back to this article to make sense of everything you are seeing.
There is a status tracker which looks like a honeycomb path each completed activity you do gets you 1 honeycomb up the path. Submitting bzzreports is one way way to earn them, that is when you have a conversation with someone and then submit a paragraph telling "the hive" (that's what they call the people who work for Bzzagent) the details of the discussion. I like this part because they want the honest truth with no sugar coating. Nobody expects you to "sell" the products. If there is something negative then tell them about it, they are just looking for feedback.
Once you send them your bzz report they will approve it, this can take up to 2 days but lately the approval email has been coming almost instantly. You will get a nice personal email with a link. Now, the link will take you to the "your stuff" page this is a perk you get for reporting your buzz and I think it is a good one. For each separate bzz report you submit to them you will receive 50 MyPoints to use at MyPoints.com. MyPoints is a website that rewards you with free giftcards to some really good stores. I wrote an AC article on Mypoints.com as well. You can read it HERE and I also posted a Mypoints proof of payment. From what I have seen there is no limit to how many points you can earn. You'll also get Mypoints for completing profile questionnaires (points will vary) and doing the post campaign surveys (30 points).
*note: If you submitted a bzzreport and you get the email stating that it was approved but it isn't showing up in your account try logging out and then logging back in. This always works for me, when you log back in you will be able to see the honeycomb you have earned and be able to collect your MyPoints.
There is also an area of BzzAgent called the Frogpond that will help you move up in the rankings on Bzzagent. Every month visit the Frogpond and view 3 websites that are listed there. The frogs that are user submitted won't count towards the 3 you need, I always do the top 3 sites. Leave a brief comment about the "frog" new website and take a very short poll. You can visit more than 3 a month but it only requires 3 to move up a honeycomb. I have found many great sites through the frogpond.
Once you send them your bzz report they will approve it, this can take up to 2 days but lately the approval email has been coming almost instantly. You will get a nice personal email with a link. Now, the link will take you to the "your stuff" page this is a perk you get for reporting your buzz and I think it is a good one. For each separate bzz report you submit to them you will receive 50 MyPoints to use at MyPoints.com. MyPoints is a website that rewards you with free giftcards to some really good stores. I wrote an AC article on Mypoints.com as well. You can read it HERE and I also posted a Mypoints proof of payment. From what I have seen there is no limit to how many points you can earn. You'll also get Mypoints for completing profile questionnaires (points will vary) and doing the post campaign surveys (30 points).
*note: If you submitted a bzzreport and you get the email stating that it was approved but it isn't showing up in your account try logging out and then logging back in. This always works for me, when you log back in you will be able to see the honeycomb you have earned and be able to collect your MyPoints.
There is also an area of BzzAgent called the Frogpond that will help you move up in the rankings on Bzzagent. Every month visit the Frogpond and view 3 websites that are listed there. The frogs that are user submitted won't count towards the 3 you need, I always do the top 3 sites. Leave a brief comment about the "frog" new website and take a very short poll. You can visit more than 3 a month but it only requires 3 to move up a honeycomb. I have found many great sites through the frogpond.
Bzzagent just recently added some new features to their site which makes it a lot more fun over there. You can now interact with other Bzzagents like a social networking site plus they started something called Bzzscapes. Bzzscapes is very similar to a review site called Viewpoints. A "Bzzscape" is like a category or a brand such as "Glade" and you would then add 10 reviews of products by Glade to that bzzscape. The best thing about it is that each month you can earn a honeycomb by adding 10 reviews to any Bzzscape you wish. You can distribute the 10 reviews to a bunch of different Bzzscapes or under the same one, you can even make your own Bzzscape and add the content to it. You will get credited for it any way you choose to participate.
I used one of my golden keys to get into this Zicam campaign. Golden keys are a funny thing, I have earned 3 so far and have just recently figured out how to use them. It is easy to earn them, they just come to you automatically as you move up the honeycomb. You can use your golden keys to get into any campaign that might have otherwise not been offered to you. They are tricky to figure out how to use though, because nobody at Bzzagent will actually tell you how to find the campaigns that have locks on them. When you write to Bzzagent to ask they are always very vague and will tell you that the more time you spend on the site the more you will see them. For a while I did not believe that these elusive campaigns even existed. They do though - and to save you some frustration I will tell you exactly where to find them. First of all you will want to log in daily to check if any are available. The place you will check is the page where your bzzcampaigns are after you log in. It will be at the top of the list of your active bzzcampaigns and you will see the golden key right underneath the product logo. Just click on it and you will be able to use the key to get into that campaign if it is something you want to try.
Back to the main site BzzAgent.com, just to give you an idea of what types of new items they test I made a list of my past bzz campaigns.
Back to the main site BzzAgent.com, just to give you an idea of what types of new items they test I made a list of my past bzz campaigns.
Scrubbing Bubbles One Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner - This Bzzkit turned out to be awesome! The kit came with everything you need to get started which means it comes with the toilet bowl attachment and a refill bottle. The toilet bowl cleaner installed in seconds and I love the scent. The best part of the Bzzkit would have to be the coupons. Approximately 10 coupons for $4.00 off the same start up kit were included. I found the kits on sale for $3.97 (they retail for $16.99) at Walmart but they were out of stock, so, since Target matches ad prices I bought 10 of them there and got them all for free. Instead of sharing the coupons and bzzing to my friends I just gave them a kit of their own to take home. Everybody loved the product and they are all buying refills.
Burt's Bees® Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin - This was a generous kit that included a full size face wash and day moisturizer plus about 10 samples of the moisturizer and loads of coupons for $1.00 of any product in the Burt's Bees Natural line. I wasn't very impressed with the Sensitive Facial Cleanser because it was very mild and I must be used to stronger ones because after using it my face did not feel clean. On the other hand, I LOVED the Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream and I use it every day. The facial cleanser sells for $10.00 and the moisturizing cream is $15.00. I would have liked to try the eye cream and night cream from this line but they weren't included.
Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters RC - This was a fun campaign to do with my son. The product came as shown below but unfortunately when we opened the box and inserted new batteries the RC car would not work. I had to contact BzzAgent to tell them and the promptly shipped me a brand new one that worked perfectly. The toy is awesome! It is small but very powerful and fast. It is easy to control and fun to use even for the parent, I think I have played with it just as much as my son has, it is that good of a toy :o)
Bil-Jac Super Premium Dry Dog Food - This Bzzkit included a coupon for 1 free 7lb bag of Bil-Jac premium quality dog food plus 5 $10.00 off coupons. The dog food sells in Petsmart for about $18.00 for the 7 lb bag. My pekingese is a super picky eater and I have tried *wasted money on* almost every kind of dog food available. He actually liked this one A LOT! I chose the Select Adult because they were sold out of the Small Breed Select. I think we have finally found a dog food that we are going to stick with from now on.
Hill's Science Diet Senior 11+ Age Defying Cat Food - I received a coupon to redeem at Petco or Petsmart. In exchange for the coupon you receive a 3.5 lb. bag of Hill's Science Diet Senior 11+ Age defying Cat Food The full size bag retails for $10.99. The bzzkit included about 5 coupons for $3.00 off a bag.
Lawry's Marinades & Seasoned Salt - This was more of a house party than a BzzAgent campaign. I preferred the normal way of bzzing personally because there re too many deadlines with the house parties. I have to admit that it was a nice kit and I am glad I got in on this one. The kit came with a red Lawry's apron, a full sized Lawry's seasoned salt, coupons, recipes and 4 bottles of Lawry's Marinades. The flavors I got were Balsamic Vinegar, Original Seasoned Salt, Teriyaki and Hawaiian. They were all good but I liked the Hawaiian best. If it wasn't for this campaign I would have never tried the marinades on my own. Now, I use them all the time.
The Factor Tree - is a website that is ideal for my situation. I home school my 7 year old son and this program allows me to monitor his progress in mathematics. He loves to take the tests and is getting better at math every day. I am really glad that I got to try Factor Tree out through Bzzagent.
Welch's Healthy Start Juice - Got a coupon for a free carton of Welch's juice I chose the blueberry, pomegranate variety. It was so good! I thought that it would taste "healthy" but it didn't it was sweet and delicious. It is so good that I have completely replaced my Tropicana orange juice with it.
Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste - For over 40 years Tom's of Maine has been bringing about positive change, socially and environmentally, while creating effective, all natural products. I was just invited to this campaign so I am not positive what comes in the bzzkit yet. but it more than like contains a tube of Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh long-lasting toothpaste which retails for about $4.99.
Glade Winter Collection 4 oz Apple Cinnamon Jar Candle - The Glade Winter Collection bzzkit consists of a 4 oz. apple cinnamon scented candle that comes beautifully presented in a red gift box, 5 coupons for $2.00 off 2 candles and a bzzguide. There is also a brochure in the box from Glade that includes scratch and sniff samplings of the other fragrances in the winter collection. One is called Sugarplum Fantasies and the other is called Bayberry Spice and Everything Nice. The Apple Cinnamon is my favorite scent but I do like the smell of Sugarplum Fantasies too.
Elmer's CraftBond and X-ACTO bzzkit - I just received this one in the mail. The kit comes with all of the contents pictured here. An Elmer's Craft Bond tape runner, glue spots, a glue pen and a glue stick. The XActo products are scrapbooking cutters. Two of them are scissors that cut fancy borders and the other one is a punch tool to cut corners with. There were no coupons with this bzzkit which was odd but it did come with a bzzguide. I can't wait to try everything out this week there are tons of projects that my son and I can do with this kit. You can join the Craft It Club where you can receive free samples, newsletters and new product info.
Got2b inPLAY Sculpting Paste - A full size 3 oz container of Got2b in PLAY Sculpting Paste came in this bzzkit along with 8 sample packettes and 4 $1.00 off coupons. 4 were samples of the spiking putty and 4 were sculpting paste. The full size product costs $5.99 and is available at CVS and Rite-Aid. I haven't tried the product yet because I just got it in the mail today but it sure does smell good!
L'Oreal Paris Collagen Micro Pulse Eye - I am loving this new product. It claims to decrease wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles. I have a problem with dark circles under my eyes. I've been using this Collagen Micro-Pulse Eye 2 times a day for 4 days now and it is working! Everyday I am noticing a difference in my dark circles. They just keep getting lighter and lighter it is amazing. To say that I love this stuff is an understatement.
CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion - I was just invited to this campaign to try CoverGirl's new mascara called LashBlast Fusion. The mascara is supposed to provide both length and volume as opposed to having to choose between them or having to apply 2 separate mascaras to achieve the look you want. I received one full size tube of mascara just like the one pictured here plus some $2 off coupons. The color I chose was very black and the retail price is around $9.99. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this mascara worked. It was easy to apply and though the brush looked too large at first it turned out to be pretty easy to maneuver. The mascara formula is great, I like it best with 2 coats. It does not flake, smudge or wear off during the day at all.
Got2b Smooth Operator Smoothing Lustre Lotion - In this bzzkit I got a coupon book that included several coupons for $2.50 off and one coupon for me that entitles me to one free Got2b Smooth Operator product of my choice I could choose from either the lustre lotion or smoothing hairspray, both retail for $5.99 each. I got the hairspray and OMG it smells great! It also included (8) .35 oz sample packages of the lustre lotion to share.
COVERGIRL Blast - In this bzzkit I got a full size ShineBlast Lip Gloss in the color Fire which looks like a bright orange-red but in reality it is sheer with only a hint of color and glossy with some sparkle. The gloss lasts a long time and it smells like melons, yum! Also in the box was a Smoky ShadowBlast in the color of Silver Sky and Onyx Smoke which translates to a a pearly white and a soft black. These blend together perfectly to create the most dramatic smoky eyes. I kid you not, this took about 2 minutes to apply and it is fool proof so you really can't mess it up. The ShineBlast Lip Gloss retails for $7.49 and the Smoky ShadowBlast costs $7.99. I do have coupons for $2.00 off if anyone wants one.
Hill's Science Diet Small & Toy Breed - Received a coupon to redeem at Petco or Petsmart. In exchange for the coupon you receive a 4.5 lb. bag of Hill's Science Diet Small & Toy Breed dog food in your choice of formula ie: Adult, Puppy, Mature Adult or Adult Light. The full size bag retails for $10.99.
Children's Claritin Chewables - In this bzzkit I received one 10 ct package of Non-Drowsy Children's Claritin 24 hour allergy relief grape flavored chewables. Each box retails for $12.99. Included in the package from Bzzagent were 8 $3.00 coupons to share while bzzing about the product. I gave my 6 year old son one of these when his allergies were out of control and it worked like a charm!
RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream - This was another awesome Bzzkit. I received 3 full size tubes of the product which is a night cream that targets deep wrinkle such as crows feet around your eyes. Each tube retails for $21.99. This was one of the most generous Bzzkits that I have received yet.
Zicam Cold Remedy Zavors - This bzzkit was an expensive one! They gave me 3 full size 25 count bottles of Zicam Cold Remedy Zavors in cherry flavor. Each box retails for $12.99 so I got $38.97 worth of Zicam. Not too shabby! I used my second golden key to get in on this campaign.
Children's ZYRTEC® PERFECT MEASURE® - This bzzkit included a 10 pack of Zyrtec children's allergy medicine in grape flavor. My kid loved it plus it worked well on his allergies. The box retails for $12.99. It also came with some coupons for $3.00 off.
Glade® Sense & Spray™ Automatic Freshener - In this bzzkit I received a start up kit for Glade Sense & Spray which included the automatic air freshener unit including 2 AA batteries to get me started and 1 refill in their newest scent, Clear Spring Odor Eliminator. Also in the kit were some $4.00 off coupons to share. This start up kit sells for $9.99 in stores. I redeemed my first golden key to get in on this campaign.
Softsoap® Nutri Serums - In this bzzkit there were 7 generous sample size bottles of Softsoap Nutri Serums Body Wash in 2 different scents. 3 were the green variety called Restoring with Vitamin E and 4 were the purple kind called Replenishing with Omega 3 & 6. I liked the smell of the purple variety. In the box there were also coupons and a Bzz guide.
AVEENO® NOURISH+ Hair Care Collection - I got an early invitation for this bzzcampaign so it has not started yet but when it does start I will post what is in the Bzzkit. Most likely it will include a full size bottle of shampoo and conditioner plus coupons. Early invite is one of the bonus perks you get if you are up in the ranks. The higher tier you are means you will get into campaigns earlier than those who are of lower rank which means you'll be able to get campaigns more often since they sometimes run out of products to distribute. I really noticed an increase when I reached tier 4.
*Update* I just received my Aveeno Bzzkit today and inside it was a full size bottle of Aveeno Nourish and Revitalize shampoo and a full size bottle of conditioner as well. The samples to share were 2 -1oz. bottles of Aveeno Nourish & Moisturize shampoo and 2 conditioner. Plus there were 5 sample packettes each packet contained shampoo on one side and conditioner on the other (.3 oz of each-enough for one use) They also sent along 5 coupons each were for $1.00 off a bottle. This was a very nice bzzkit, each of the full size bottles of Aveeno sells for $6.99 in stores and the travel size bottles were selling for $1.50 each last week. So the value of this bzzkit is approximately $20.00.
*Update* I just received my Aveeno Bzzkit today and inside it was a full size bottle of Aveeno Nourish and Revitalize shampoo and a full size bottle of conditioner as well. The samples to share were 2 -1oz. bottles of Aveeno Nourish & Moisturize shampoo and 2 conditioner. Plus there were 5 sample packettes each packet contained shampoo on one side and conditioner on the other (.3 oz of each-enough for one use) They also sent along 5 coupons each were for $1.00 off a bottle. This was a very nice bzzkit, each of the full size bottles of Aveeno sells for $6.99 in stores and the travel size bottles were selling for $1.50 each last week. So the value of this bzzkit is approximately $20.00.
Outlast Lipstain by Cover Girl - With this bzzcampaign you are able to pick any color you want out of the 4 colors Bzzagent offers you to choose from. I chose Berry Smooch the retail value of the lipstain is $7.49. They send you literature (a bzz guide) about the product, coupons to share and and one full size lipstain in the color you have chosen.
Windex Outdoor All-In-One - This one included a Windex™ Outdoor All-in-One Glass Cleaning Tool starter kit that includes i cleaning head, 1 handle, 4 1ft pole sections and 1 cleaning pad that cleans 20 windows. Kit retails for $16.99. Plus there was a bzz guide that tells you about the product and a coupon booklet.
Off - In the box came a clip-on mosquito repellent plus an off powerpad lamp. Equipped with batteries and refills to get me started. As always I got a bunch of coupons some $3.00 off and others $1.00 off. The clip-on retails for $8.99 and the lamp is $9.49.
Afrin PureSea - It's a nasal rinse they gave me a full sized bottle retail $14.99 and some coupons to share.
Pledge Fabric Sweeper - I got a full size aerosol bottle of Pledge MultiSurface cleaner and a fabric sweeper that removes pet hair from your furniture. Plus coupons for both items. The can of cleaner sells for $5.29 and the fabric sweeper is $5.49
2009 Dodge Ram 1500 - No I didn't get a truck :o( This campaign wasn't very fun I got literature on the Dodge truck and window cling stickers and sweepstakes cards to pass out. Though it was one of my least favorite campaigns it still helped me get a couple of honeycombs which is always good.
Pledge Multisurface - One of my faves. Got a full size spray bottle of Pledge MultiSurface plus tons of samples of the pledge wipes and lots of dollars off coupons to share.
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion w/SPF - This was a full size bottle of the new Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion plus a bunch of generous sized sample tubes of the same lotion and coupons of course.
I wish that there was some sort of reward system for referring new members but there currently is not. I am still able to refer people through email and I like to do it just to make new friends and make people aware of this awesome site. If you would like an invitation please contact me here on my website. There is an email contact button below. Just email me and let me know if you'd like an invitation to Bzzagent, the Frogpond, or MyPoints and I will get back to you within 24 hours. I hope I have answered some of your questions about this site and if you have any other questions I am happy to answer them for you. Bzzagent just added referral link buttons so I put one below for you to click through to sign up. You an still email me with questions or a personal invitation if you'd like.
I get asked a lot if there are any other sites like Bzzagent where you can try out new products for free in exchange for your feedback. There are some but Bzzagent is the best of the bunch. Other sites that will send you free stuff are Smiley360, Taste For Life, VocalPoint, Viewpoints, Kraft First Taste and House Party.
Vocalpoint sends out some good stuff throughout the year but you have to be active on the site, Viewpoints has sent stuff to me in the past but it has been a long time since they have sent me anything. Taste for Life is a new site for me I have not been a member for very long but I hear they are similar to Bzzagent. I hate House Party aka HP because I never get accepted into the campaigns and the qualifying survey takes a very long time to fill out and then they notify you that you have not been accepted. I have wasted so much time with House Party. Kraft First Taste used to be a great site. They sent out a coupon monthly that you could redeem at the grocery store for a brand new Kraft product. Lately, the site has changed and they have been taken over by HouseParty so now you'll have to host a party in order to get to try new Kraft products and again it is extremely hard to get accepted to host a houseparty. I'll link you to the good sites below.
Vocalpoint sends out some good stuff throughout the year but you have to be active on the site, Viewpoints has sent stuff to me in the past but it has been a long time since they have sent me anything. Taste for Life is a new site for me I have not been a member for very long but I hear they are similar to Bzzagent. I hate House Party aka HP because I never get accepted into the campaigns and the qualifying survey takes a very long time to fill out and then they notify you that you have not been accepted. I have wasted so much time with House Party. Kraft First Taste used to be a great site. They sent out a coupon monthly that you could redeem at the grocery store for a brand new Kraft product. Lately, the site has changed and they have been taken over by HouseParty so now you'll have to host a party in order to get to try new Kraft products and again it is extremely hard to get accepted to host a houseparty. I'll link you to the good sites below.
