Where to Get Free Products to Review

One of the many benefits of being a blogger is getting to try, test, and keep products for review. Providing honest, thorough reviews allows you to help your readers make more informed choices before purchasing certain products. Since I first started blogging back in 2011, I've received dozens of products for review, including Downy Unstopables, Schick Hydro Silk, Breyers® Gelato Indulgences, and UNREAL™ Candy.

I received the aforementioned products from the blogging communities that I participate in. These programs connect brands with bloggers to try, review, and generate buzz about products. Most of these programs require you to apply for the campaign, and you're typically accepted or rejected based upon your blog's stats.

Influenster

I receive most of my products for review from Influenster. Influenster is a blogging community that connects brands with bloggers so that they may try out new products, and spread the word via various social media outlets, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, among others. Recently, I received and reviewed the TLC VoxBox.

Social CallOut

At Social CallOut, you sign up, fill out your CV for your blog, and then start applying for programs. What I like most about Social CallOut is that you're able to pick and choose which campaigns to apply for. For example, if your blog is about beauty and fashion, you can narrow down the "callouts" to only show campaigns in select categories.

Expo

I like Expo because you can apply for "Tryology" programs to review products, or you can simply review products that you already own in exchange for points. You can redeem these points for hundreds of items, including Amazon gift certificates, electronics, household products, food, clothing, and more.

Vocalpoint

This was the first "influencing" community that I joined, and I absolutely love it. The Vocalpoint community is very active, and everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful. You can earn badges (similar to Influenster) for tasks that you complete. The more badges you have, and the more active you are within the community, the higher your chances are to receive products to review, or to be invited to participate in different campaigns.

Alternatively, you may contact companies upfront. For more information on product review pitches, check out my other article entitled, How to Get Free Products to Review on Your Blog.

When pitching companies, you're going to want to have something to show them to prove that you're great at writing reviews. The best way to do this is to review products that you already own. Provide an open and honest opinion about the product, and be as thorough as possible. Some of the products I've reviewed (that I purchased on my own) include John Frieda Precision Foam Color, Fake Bake Flawless (a product I love), Kiss Stick-On Nail Strips, Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U, and Hot Designs Nail Art Pens.

I also review places. So far, I've reviewed Burr Oak Cabin in Glouster, Ohio, and Grand Lake St. Mary's in St. Mary's, Ohio. I feel that there is no limit on what you can review. If you've tried it out, then you have the authority to review it. I've even test and review online work-at-home opportunities on my blog, Freelance Lady.

No matter what your strategy is for getting products to review, you'll need to always have something to show off your skills. Whether it's blog stats, or reviews on products you purchased with your own cash, the experience is what matters.

My Influenster #TLCVoxBox Arrived!

On Monday, after three days of anticipation, I finally received my TLC VoxBox via Influenster!

The TLC VoxBox was given out to selected mothers of "Influenster Nation" so that we could try out the products, review them, share our opinion, and generate buzz.

The contents of the TLC VoxBox are as follows:

• Neosporin® Neo To Go!
• Breyers® Gelato Indulgences coupon
• Ivory Bar Soap
• AVON Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother
• Puffs to Go
• Shell Fuel Rewards Card

I was most excited about the Neosporin® Neo To Go! because I like to get my kids out of the house often, and those play-dates at the park, and around the pool are almost never "boo-boo" free. And Neo To Go! is a no touch, no sting spray, that's convenient to carry along, everywhere we go. What's even better is that it offers protection from infection and pain relief, all with one swift motion.

The Breyers® was the most favorite product among my household, because we all love our frozen treats, especially the kiddos! This one is going to be a hit!

What I love about the Ivory Bar Soap is that it's not incredibly hard (like other bar soaps) and it's completely free of dyes and heavy fragrances. This is ideal, because sensitive skin seems to be a trend around our home.

As for the AVON Anew, well, I don't have many noticeable wrinkles on my fair-skinned, freckled face, but I did notice a slight line above my brows--probably from my refusal to wear sunglasses as a child, and instead squint my way through the daylight. The AVON Anew made the line even less noticeable, to where I could barely tell that it was even there anymore.

Puffs To Go are a lifesaver, especially for a mom who has a child with moderate seasonal allergies. He doesn't whine and cry about the puffs because they're "as soft as a pillow," and they don't "hurt his nostrils." Win!

Finally, the Shell Fuel Rewards card is fantastic! In a time when gas prices are at an all time high, it never hurts to save a few cents per gallon every now and then. And don't forget, the Shell Rewards card also allows you to save on dining and more. Cha-ching!

All-in-all, I LOVE my TLC VoxBox. It's the first one that I received, and I look forward to future campaigns!

* I received these products complimentary via Influenster for testing purposes.

Join the June Blog Hop via Bloggy Moms

Add your blog below to join the June Blog Hop via Bloggy Moms!

Earn Money as a Mommy Blogger

If you're a mommy blogger like me, and looking to earn some cash through affiliate programs, then this post is for you.

A few weeks ago, I signed up with the Moms Affiliate program for bloggers. As a member, I have access to dozens and dozens of different brand campaigns, and I get to choose which ones I want to participate in. There are paid articles, advertising commissions, sales commissions, and more. They have various different categories as well, including home, fashion, and baby, so as long as your blog is relevant to motherhood and/or parenting, you're likely to find something suitable for your blog.

In fact, I've seen sales campaigns for fertility treatments, cloth diapers, and even all-natural cosmetics. As an added bonus, some companies will even offer discounts to bloggers to offer to their readers, and if a reader makes a purchase, you receive commission!

I did find that most paid article campaigns require blogs to have at least 1,000 monthly visitors per month (we're not talking page views here). You have to link Google Analytics before you participate in the article campaigns, so keep that in mind. Some bloggers may find that their blog does not yet receive that many visitors, so it may hinder your success at Moms Affiliate. However, I guarantee that if you keep working at it and networking, you'll have your visitor count up in no time.


After signing up, I received a free 100% natural hand sanitizer. It was a full-size bottle, and I was impressed with the simplicity of the art on the label. Being that I despise dry hands, I must admit that at first, I was hesitant to try it. All of the hand sanitizers I've used in the past have caused my hands to dry and flake. After a bit of procrastinating, I finally spritzed it on my hands and to my surprise, even after 10 minutes, they weren't dried out at all. Aaaandddd there is absolutely NO alcohol in the product, so you don't have to deal with that overwhelming chemical scent. As a matter of fact, the hand sanitizer has a very subtle, clean, minty smell to it.

So far, I've really enjoyed being a part of Moms Affiliate, and I think that you will, too. If you're interested, go ahead and sign up via the banner on the left to start getting involved in campaigns.

Do you have experience with Moms Affiliate? Let me know what you think!

Coming Soon to Mommy's Castle

Mommy's Castle has achieved some pretty awesome success ever since the blog's launch four months ago. I'm actually surprised that it's been that long, and even more surprised by the number of visitors the blog began to receive in such a short period of time.

In four months, we went from a rather bland layout, to a more upbeat, vibrant one---one that I am actually quite proud of.

The original header on "Mommy's Castle" after launch.

 

The new header after I redesigned the blog.

 

While I am proud of the blog's success, I want to take things a step further and begin providing more to my readers. With that said, I'm happy to announce that starting in May, I'm going to begin a weekly blog series. I'm not certain what the series will be just yet, or on which day of the week it will be held, but I do have some ideas. I'll make my final decision by the end of April, and you'll begin seeing the series every week beginning in May.

I also want to begin offering free printables to help make your lives easier. I'll be offering everything from blogging binders to budgeting binders, and grocery lists, weekly meal plans, and so much more.

Finally, you can also expect to see more recipes and reviews very, very soon.

After all, it is you, dear reader, that contribute to the success of this blog, and I truly believe that you deserve something in return.

Blogger Cliques: Where Do You Fit In?

Do you feel like there are cliques within the blogosphere?

When I first started Freelance Lady back in January 2011, I didn't feel like I fit in anywhere. I wanted to be a part of the mommy blogging clique, but it soon became clear to me that Freelance Lady didn't exactly meet the criteria. I mean, let's face it. I'm not incredibly funny--my humor is more on the verge of dry and sarcastic as opposed to the "laugh-out-loud" funny. At first, I didn't really write about my daily life much--I focused more on the seriousness of working from home. I started to get discouraged.

Don't get me wrong. I have never come across another blogger who was rude to me. I've never been teased for my niche, nor have I been made fun of for my content ("Oh, that is so last year!"). But that still doesn't change the fact that I felt alone.

I felt like I was in high school all over again. "The Drifter." I was drifting from community to community, similar to the way I drifted from lunch table to lunch table back in school, just trying to find my place. Eventually, I became a loner. I felt isolated from everyone else in the blogging world, as if I just simply didn't belong.

And then I let my blog go for awhile. I stopped writing. I started focusing more on improving myself and my outlook on life, which, I'm now certain was the reason I was thinking so negatively before. When I went back to my blog, I started writing about what I liked writing about. I stopped worrying about where I fit in, and instead worried about the readers that were engaging in my posts. It was at that moment that I realized, it doesn't matter where you fit in as a blogger. What matters is that you're doing what you want to do and offering something to others as well.

So, do you feel like there are cliques in the blogger world? If so, where do you fit in? What's your take on it?