How to Find Paid Focus Groups

How to Find Paid Focus Groups

How to Find Paid Focus Groups

How to Find Paid Focus Groups

Here’s how to find paid focus groups.

A focus group is a group of 8–12 participants who are paid by a business to give their opinions on a product, service, brand or political message, or even a courtroom argument.

The goal of a focus group is to help the company or firm paying for the focus group to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of whatever it is they’re testing.

Finding paid focus groups is actually easier than you might expect. There are many different companies that specialize in running focus groups around the country, and even around the world, and they’re always looking for participants.

And focus groups pay. Depending on the type of focus group and the time commitment required, they can pay hundreds of dollars. Some focus groups take place online, and some focus groups take place in-person, so there are a variety of options available to you.

Here’s how to start your search for a paid focus group.

How to Find Paid Focus Groups — Start Your Search Online

Most focus group providers can now be found online, and there are many different websites that advertise all kinds of different focus groups, so you’ll want to start your search for paid focus groups online.

Unfortunately, there are many focus group scams out there, so it’s important that you research each website carefully to make sure it’s legitimate. That means taking the time to look over the site. Scam sites often have lots of ads on them, and they often advertise payment that’s much higher than most focus groups pay.

You can also search the word “scam” next to the focus group website’s name to see if anything shows up on Google.

Even legitimate focus group websites may not be a good fit for you. For example, there are more than a few focus group websites that don’t pay you in cash, but rather pay you with a gift card.

If you want to be paid in cash, you’ll want to avoid these sites.

One way to be certain that you’ll be paid well is to avoid focus group websites that bring together many different focus group opportunities and instead look for actual focus group providers — businesses that specialize in running focus groups for companies or firms.

What the focus group websites do is partner with some of these focus group providers to find participants, but if you go straight to the source, you’ll be cutting out the middle man.

In addition to registering with focus group providers, you should also look for market research companies as they essentially provide the same service but may not show up in a search for focus group companies near you.

The next step is to get into the databases of these focus group providers.

Register With These Companies and Get In Their Database

Depending on whether you decide to go with a focus group website or a focus group provider, you’ll need to register with them and get into their database.

This process is different in each case. When you work directly with focus group providers, they take the majority of your information upfront. When you work with the websites, they only require a small amount of information when you register.

However, while you don’t give as much information upfront to the website providers, you’ll still end up giving them about the same amount of information because you have to apply directly to each study.

That actually ends up taking more time in the long run as you’ll have to fill out an application for every single study.

In either case, you need to provide them with a lot of information, and you need to keep in mind that this information is going to be shared with the companies paying for the focus group — you’re not going to be able to do this entirely anonymously. 

There are some online focus groups that allow you to turn off your camera so that the other participants can’t see you, but you won’t be anonymous to the study providers.

The information that they’ll need from you includes the following:

  • Demographic information — age, sex, gender, income, number of children, job, geographic location, etc.
  • Psychographic information — religious affiliations, political beliefs, hobbies, opinions on major brands, etc.

Depending on what the focus group is about, there are going to be many more questions that you’ll need to answer. Once you’ve finished the survey(s), you’ll be in the database.

If you’re applying to focus groups through focus group websites, you’ll have to go through this process many different times for every focus group you apply to.

This can take a significant amount of time, but if you’re serious about getting paid for participating in a focus group, this is what’s required.

Wait to Be Contacted

Once you’ve applied to a bunch of focus groups and you’ve registered in the databases of focus group providers and market research firms, you’ll have to wait for them to contact you.

Providers will contact you by phone or by email, though email is the most common way of being contacted. Sometimes, these emails will go to spam, so you need to whitelist the email addresses of these focus groups so that you don’t miss your opportunity to participate.

Monitoring your email is also important because many focus group websites and providers will email you with new paid focus group opportunities. You’ll get sent surveys directly that will allow you to apply.

Once you get that phone call or email, it’s time to get paid! Focus groups can take anywhere from a few hours to a handful of meetings over a few days, so expect your pay to go up depending on how long the focus group takes.

Interested in Doing a Focus Group? Find One in Your Area

If you’re looking for a focus group in your area, we can help.

Click here to find a focus group near you.