Discover what to check to optimize your testers’ journey!
When preparing your product testing campaign, it is important to consider the key stages of the member experience. The goal is to guide members from discovering the campaign through to having their participation validated.
A clear journey reduces recurring questions, incomplete contributions and unnecessary reminders. Before launching, you can go through your campaign using a test member account: check the information, messages received, actions to complete, etc.
A typical tester journey
The overall tester journey follows the same main stages, with variations depending on the campaign type (Open or By invitation only) or the contributions requested:
- Discover the campaign and understand the commitments,
- Apply or respond to an invitation,
- Prepare for the test and receive the product,
- Create and submit the requested contributions,
- Complete their participation and wait for validation.
Phase 1: Discovery
From the moment they discover the campaign, members must understand the benefits of the test, the product offered, the participation requirements and the commitments involved. This information helps them decide whether they want to participate, limiting misunderstandings or frustration.
What to check
- The product and brand are immediately identifiable (title, banner, description)
- The description (the brief) explains what members will test and any participation requirements
- The expected contributions and deadlines are communicated before members commit
Optimization tip
Clearly present the product, expected actions and timeline. Members should not discover an important requirement or piece of information after agreeing to participate. All of these details must be explicitly stated in the brief.
Example: instead of simply saying "Take part in our product test", specify: "Receive the product, test it for 10 days, then share your experience with a photo of the result before Christmas."
Phase 2: Application / Invitation
At this stage, members’ actions depend on how they access the campaign :
The campaign is visible to all community members. A member can discover it, review the available information and apply to become a tester.
You can ask them to complete a survey when applying to better understand their profile and suitability for the product being tested (for example, their skin type or hair concerns).
Once selected as a tester, the member receives a notification and an email informing them. They then receive the product and can easily access the brief and the contributions to complete through their profile.
The campaign is only visible to invited members. An invited member can accept or decline the invitation to become a tester.
If they accept, they receive the product and can easily access the brief and the contributions to complete through their profile. The testing journey is then the same as for an open campaign.
What to check
- For an open campaign, the questions added to the form genuinely help assess profile suitability or organize the test
- Messages explain the next step without suggesting that applying guarantees selection
- If you announce a selection date / response deadline, it is consistent with your campaign timeline
Optimization tip
Tailor your messages to the action completed. For example, after an application: "We’ve received your application! Testers will be selected in 5 days. If you’re selected, you’ll receive an email and a notification with the next steps."
Phase 3: Preparation
Once selected or after accepting the invitation, members must know where to find their test and how to prepare to use the product. Product delivery and instructions must fit into a clear timeline.
In their profile, the Your active test campaigns section, above the missions, allows them to find the relevant campaigns and access the requested actions. Learn more.
What to check
- Your communications indicate where to find the campaign and its instructions
- Members know what to do while waiting for the product and once they receive it
- The brief and instructions specify the conditions and length of use required before sharing their experience (for example, a course of treatment that should last at least 2 weeks to form an objective opinion)
- The timeline accounts for product delivery and usage time
Optimization tip
Help members observe relevant aspects during the test. Depending on the product, you can provide a short checklist: getting started, texture, scent, ease of use or usage context. If a photo or video is expected, you can add an example of a format that meets your expectations.
These elements should only guide the creation of the contribution, without dictating an experience or a positive review.
Good to know: a campaign remains visible in the member’s space as long as it has not ended, been deleted, or the member’s test has not yet been validated.
Part 4: Submitting contributions
Members share their experience according to the configured assets: written feedback, photo, video, social media post or specific mission. They must be able to identify how to create and submit each contribution.
What to check
- Each action specifies the expected content, its format, the submission method and the deadline
- The instructions match the configured asset (Social campaigns, Insights or another mission)
- A way to ask for help is provided in case of difficulty
Optimization tip
One action = one clear instruction. What to create, how to submit it and by what date.
Before sending a reminder, check what is actually missing and make a specific request rather than sending a general reminder. For example: instead of "Don’t forget to complete your participation", specify: "You still need to submit the photo of the product."
The automatic campaign reminder is configured as a number of days after the first tester selection. It targets testers with the Testing status who have not yet submitted any contributions. It therefore does not replace targeted follow-up for partially completed participation.
Phase 5: Validation
Submitting contributions and validating the test are two separate stages. Members must understand the final action expected of them, then what needs to be checked by the brand.
What to check
- The final stage of the journey is explained
- Messages distinguish between a submitted contribution and a test validated by the brand
- The conditions for any rewards are consistent with the information provided at the start
Optimization tip
Schedule regular checks of participation and pending validations. If a contribution needs to be completed, tell members exactly what is missing rather than asking them to repeat the entire test.
Important: once the contributions have been checked, click Validate full test in the relevant member’s row. This validation updates their status and unlocks the rewards associated with the test.
This also provides reliable completion rates for the current campaign, as well as up-to-date data on member participation and completion for your future selections.