(This post was originally written for my blogging how-to website, basics4bloggers.com in early 2013. I have updated and expanded the post for publishing here!)
Do you enjoy sharing your opinions on products you have tried? Do your friends or family come to you when deciding their own purchases?
If so, you may have a knack for writing helpful product reviews that will boost your Steemit profile!
My Product Review Writing Background
I have been writing product reviews for a variety of companies since 2011. I have worked with many big name brands like Verizon Wireless, Disney, Nintendo, and Best Buy, receiving products they mail to me in exchange for my honest review.
I usually write the reviews on my own Wordpress blogs, but occasionally they will ask me to leave a review on their retail website as well. I often review my Amazon purchases because I really love sharing my thoughts and opinions!
So today, I want to show you how you can become a very helpful Steemian by sharing your own opinions on your favorite products – while also making some money…not just SBD, but real USD! Read all the way to the end if you’d like to find out how!!
What Makes a Product Review Useful
First, you must understand what a product review needs to do. It needs to be an objective look at the item, with your personal experiences and opinions mixed in.
It needs to be thorough as well, so that the potential buyer can make an informed decision whether or not to purchase the product once they are finished reading your review.
So, how do you make your product reviews great? Following these 4 tips, of course!
Tips to Writing INSANELY Helpful Product Reviews
1. Begin your product review with a good hook!
This will pull the reader in, making them want to know more about the product you are reviewing.
Which catches your attention better…”The Blah Blah 3000 is a good product because….”
OR
“Are you ready to get rid of that unwanted hair for good?! Well, I recently tried out the…”
Asking a question or stating a solution to a common problem are great ways to get your reader hooked.
2. Take your own personal photographs!
Stock photos can easily be found on a brand’s website. Avoid using these on your product review, since people can see them when they head over to the retailer’s site to make the purchase.
Instead, use personal product photos of the item right out of the box in your home – as well as in use. That’s what interested readers are looking for – they want to visually see someone using the item before they decide to buy.
If they wanted to see a stock photo, they wouldn’t leave the brand’s site!
3. Do not skimp on the text of the review!
Some bloggers may think a quick overview of the product with an “I like it!” or “I don’t recommend it!” is a sufficient product review. However, these look lazy and give the reader no real info to base their purchase on.
Instead, you want to be very detailed with your product reviews, if you really want people to benefit from reading them.
If it’s a food, tell how it tastes, make comparisons to other foods, tell if it was too sweet, too bland, etc.
If it’s a cleaning product, tell how well it cleaned your stove (a before and after photo would be GREAT!), if there was a bad odor from using it, if you had to use a lot to get a small job done.
For clothing, mention the fit, the color and how it worked with other items in your closet, where you’d wear the item.
People read reviews for the personal opinions and experiences – not just to see a rehashed version of the product description on the salespage!
4. Write the review at least 5 days after you’ve begun using the item!
Most items need to be used at length before you can give an honest review. The exception would be food, a movie, or something that can only be used once.
Be sure to use other items at least 3-4 times so you can spot any benefits or problems that you may have missed in the first use.
5. Tell readers where to buy!
Finish your product review by directing your readers to a salespage for the product, if possible. If it isn’t available online, tell them which retailers sell the product.
Earning REAL CASH with your Product Reviews
If you are posting effective product reviews here on Steemit, you will likely earn some SBD and Steem Power for your time and effort. However, when you can, link to the product from your Steemit post using an affiliate link!
An affiliate link is a special link given to you by the retailer. The code within the link will track the sales generated by your personal link, so you can earn commissions when you help make a sale.
Amazon Associates is perhaps the easiest affiliate program to start with…and since billions of people worldwide already shop on Amazon, you don’t have to do much persuading outside of reviewing the product.
Hopefully you have a better understanding of writing product reviews that are SUPER helpful to the reader. Give one a try on your Steemit profile, and use an affiliate link for additional earning potential!
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Great tips! I don't normally do product reviews due to my lack of consistent viewership making it not worth it to seek out sponsorship for products. (I can't really afford products on my own due to being a student). However, these tips are, in general, really useful for any reviews! Will keep this in mind for future game/food reviews! Thanks :D
Thanks for stopping by, @tadstrange! You could actually review anything...stuff you already own is a great place to start! :)
Fair enough haha!
This is quite helpful
Do you ever mention the value / price relationship in any of your reviews or do keep away from that aspect? Also do you ever make any direct comparisons to another similar item that you may have tried or reviewed?
Lot's of good information you posted. One last question, how did you get on these companies radar screen in order to get free product to review?
Thanks.
I do sometimes mention the value of a product, @sultnpapper. I usually do not include the price in my review since it could change at any time. It becomes too difficult to make sure I'm always stating the correct price. And yes, I have mentioned comparisons when it fits. Finally, there are blogging networks that connect bloggers with brands. You can also reach out to companies PR contacts and establish a relationship to get products to review.
Thanks, mainly just curios but always good to know if I decide to try my hand at it. Thanks for taking the time to answers my questions.
I have a really good prduct that I want to write a review on. It is the first amongst many that I've bought that actually delivered on it's promises. It will be hugely beneficial for new steemians and also attract new people to steemit. I had no idea of how or where I was going to start. Thanks to your post, I'll be getting started on that today.
Can you post an affiliate link on steemit though?
That's awesome, @solomonsel! Be sure to sure it with me when you post it. And I have seen affiliate links in other Steemit posts. I am not sure on the exact etiquette but this tutorial could work on a regular blog outside of steemit too.
Thank you the feedback on my product review. I hope I didn't butcher it too badly. It was my first and hopefully first of many.
And I hope I didn't cross any lines by attaching the AL.
This is real helpful hey! An authentic review is all that we need as a consumer! It's why we ask our friends who tried it before! Because we know we'd get an authentic response. Unfortunately authentic responses are not common but this does the trick! Thanks for the guide! :)
You are right, @maxyong. Some reviews aren't authentic, because either the reviewer didn't really use the item or they just want everything to sound "glowing" in order to get more brands to work with them. I've always tried to remain unbiased and don't let the fact that I received something sway my opinion.
It was good to get your expert take on the review process as I have only recently taken to doing book reviews. I know this is not the same, but I was curious as to whether I could learn from you for my own endeavours. It has certainly given me things to think about. Ultimately, it is about being professional, and creative in your writing. The hook to start is a good one.
Thanks for the informative post.
That's great that you are doing book reviews, @naquoya. I have done a few of them, but I am nowhere near as good of a book reviewer as some bloggers out there!
Nice blog, I hadn't thought about review but have booked marked this for the future. I was wondering if you knew about the plugin that links wordpress and steemit? So you can auto post from wordpress?
I have heard of the WordPress plugin, @insideoutlet, but haven't really looked into it much. I don't think I want the exact same content on my blog and here on Steemit, just because of duplicate content issues.
I had thought of that and haven't yet used it but my wordpress blog is looking very sad since moving to steemit and I was trying to find a way to integrate them and possibly bring followers to Steemit. I did have chat to Curie curators on their thoughts about duplication on websites and they said it was ok so long as they are posted at the same time, its when they aren't that they have issues with it. Either way atm I blog about very different things on those forums but slowly they are coming together.
I started writing product reviews at a product review website in 1999. They went defunct a few years ago. But those were good times. Particularly in the 1990s. Big money for views.
That sounds like a fun gig, @coldsteem!
Awesome tips! Thanks for sharing! I work for an online store and this will really help.
This is a really great post! You have shared so much wonderful, useful information.
I usually head for the customer reviews before buying products online. I like all your tips on how to make them more useful and I agree 100%. Soon, I am certain we will also be going over to steemit to check out reviews. This is good advice for those who want to work in that space.
I do hope that steemit becomes a good resource for consumer reviews and recommendations. It would be a great addition, and one that would bring even more users to this platform!
I've read, watched, and written a number of reviews myself.
If I may, I'd like to add a few thoughts to this:
I've heard YouTubers, who received advanced copies of a product, say, "This product was provided by X for the purpose of reivew," or something to that effect. I think it's a rule: if you receive an advance copy, you should state that in the review.
Usually, if I'm going to do a star- or point-based review, such as one on Amazon, I'll do my best to only pick books that are at least a 4-star. That's because, being an author myself, I know the amount of effort that goes into researching and writing, and I want to do all I can to sing the praises of a good book, while also gving hints to any minor shortcomings.
If, on the other hand, a book is, in my opinion, less than 4-star worthy, I may not leave a review (unless the book is so bad that I want others to avoid it). But quite frankly, I don't recall ever having to do that.
You are correct, @dkfynn, that you MUST state if you have received a product or money for the review you have published. These are FTC guidelines which you could be fined for if you don't follow them. I do know that some bloggers won't write anything negative, or will tell the company they will not publish a review if they have to be negative. I tend to review it anyway, if it's a product, but I can see where you are coming from with it being a book that an author spend lots of time on.
very informative useful info.
I found this very interesting. I am a maker, not a purchaser.
I offer custom sewing and knitting, ultimately what I am selling is my happy customer record. Creating a belief that I can satisfy their vision is what I focus on from advertising to delivery.
I found this insightful. It will help me be more critical of the reviews I share. It will help me ask better questions when wrapping up the sale and requesting feedback.
Thanks for sharing it here.
Glad this could help you, @borrowedearth. I agree that it would be helpful to get more constructive feedback from customers when asking questions related to the factors of a good product review.
Great insights. Will come handy when I do my book reviews, electronic goods review etc. 😊
Thanks for this. I'm in the process of starting a series of online "reviews" as a trade for a branded link to my related business. The perspective will be slighty different but the gist is much the same.
Thanks
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A great Steem-related site where you can do product reviews is www.steemhunt.com. Hunt for useful products or the latest & coolest gadgets and introduce them to the Steem community at Steemhunt.