Tips for Writing Effective and Useful Product Reviews

TIPS

More and more people are reading reviews before they buy online and offline. As an affiliate marketer, you have a unique position when it comes to providing people with the information that they seek. Here are some tips for writing effective and useful product reviews.

What are Product Reviews? 1-product-review

Product reviews are blurbs written about an item, right? Wrong. Those looking to read about the newest coffeemaker or the latest high
definition television are not asking for two paragraphs and a handful of stars. They want to know details.

A winning product review contains many elements:

  • Knowledge of the product being reviewed
  • Pros and cons of the product
  • Perspective (speak as a new user and also as someone who has used that type of product before)
  • Images that show the product
  • Accurate research on the product
  • Examples of product features

From a consumer’s perspective, anything less than that is simply fluff. If you aren’t giving detailed information about the product in question, then the content you provide is not useful. Visitors will begin to bypass your site in favor of one can offer an in-depth review.

What’s the Purpose of your Review? 2-purpose

The answer to this question will help when crafting the review. Sure, as an affiliate, you want to make money with your content.
Hopefully the reader will click on your affiliate link. Actually, this motivation will be secondary if you hope to gain a following from your reviews.

Some reviews are so full of affiliate links that people think they are sales messages. They learn more about how much they need to purchase the item instead of any real information about the product itself. Readers become suspicious of your motives and can learn not to trust your reviews as unbiased portrayals of a product.

Add your affiliate link to the review but do so at the end. Allow the person to read all the information about the product, forming their own opinion as they do so, and then wrap it all up by clicking your link.

Remember, the elements of a winning review are also some of the most common reasons people read reviews in the first place.

Become Acquainted with the Product 3-buy-it

Buy the product before you review it. As an affiliate, you might be eligible for a discount on the product, so ask if that’s possible. Either way, become familiar with items you are writing about.

Be honest. Readers can see through a smokescreen. Think of it this way: If you are the only person not writing something negative
about the product, consumers will think you have something to hide especially if you are also an affiliate of the company.

Leave the decision whether to buy up to the reader. Yes, you can make a few sales with biased reviews but where will that put your reputation? Create quality review content and people will continue to read what you have to say and click on your links. Try to deceive them and go for the quick sale and risk losing your audience.

Craft your Content 4-craft-it

How you deliver your review is just as important as what you actually say. Introduce the product through its features. List them in bullet form for easier reading. Make your content as visually appealing as it is informative.

Who will buy the product? Let your audience know who can benefit most from purchasing the item or others like it. Speaking of benefits, list the biggest value that customers can receive from owning the item. Don’t forget to list other advantages as well.

Answer the silent questions that everyone wants to ask: How much does it cost? Is there a warranty? Where can the product be purchased?

List the pros and cons of the product. Everyone knows that there is a downside to any product. Display both sides honestly. For some, what is listed as a con is negligible in light of the other benefits of the product.

Add your experiences. This isn’t a separate section. Sprinkle them throughout. For instance, as you describe the main benefit of the
5-list product, remark about how that benefit has enhanced your life. Readers will realize that you also use the product, or have used it, so they can trust your opinion of it. It also shows that you have the necessary expertise to write the review in the first place.

Keep the language simple. Say what you have to say in plain terms so that everyone can understand it. The same goes for your affiliate link. Instead of a big button, link the affiliate URL to the product name with a strong call to action.

What do you look for in a product review? Those are the same things that your readers are searching for. Providing that information in an effective way produces a useful product review that will breed trust and bring clicks.