Before we get into this post I want to just say what this post is NOT about, because I’m sure as soon as people saw “reviews” in the title they thought about how they could pick 3 or 4 clickbank products they’ve never used, pick the one with the highest price/commission, put them all on the page with a paragraph desciption each, give one 5 stars and then the rest decreasing stars in order of price and/or commission, and rake in the dough.
Yeah, that’s NOT what I’m talking about.
Now let’s talk how to write reviews. Since you’ve chosen a niche, and hopefully a niche with plenty of physical products there should be something you can review at some point ~ right? From personal experience I can tell you a review post is going to be much more effective if you actually own the product, use it and love it. It will give your writing authenticity. I’m not saying you have to buy every product in your niche, but if you’re going to specifically review a product I suggest you have direct experience with that product.
What makes a good review?
Tone: Keep it conversational. While you’re writing think about it from the perspective of a good friend just asked you what you thought about whatever your product is. Write your review as though you were talking to that friend. Would you use lots of red font, or huge headlines when you were talking to a friend about the new coffee maker you got? No, probably not. But it does bring us to the next thing.
Pros and Cons: Make sure you include any things you didn’t like about the product. If your entire review is glowing it may not seem as genuine. Almost everything has at least some kind of downside to it. So while you’re using the product make sure you think about the things don’t like about it (or could be better about it) as well as the things you love.
Rate it: Be clear about whether you really liked it or not. People should know before they finish reading your review if you recommend people buy the product or not. I’m not saying you need a little star rating at the top of the page ~ but you need to let them know where you stand. A review without a clear opinion isn’t really a review.
Be yourself: Let people know your story ~ why did you buy it, what do you love about it, what you hate about it, would you buy it again, when is your favorite time/way to use the product. The more personal you can be the more people are going to connect with you. The more they connect with you and your story the more likely they will be to relate that story to themselves and think ~ “yeah, I need that too”.
This is a review, it’s your opinion, this is no time to write as an impartial observer. The more of yourself you can put into the content and the tone the better your review will do. This isn’t the evening news ~ people aren’t looking for an objective view of the situation. They want to know what you think. They want to know what you experienced. They want to know whether you’d do it all over again ~ so tell them!
Visuals: For some products this isn’t possible, but if you can use images/videos you’ve taken of the product or better yet, you using the product all the better. Here’s a Concept2 Model D Indoor Rowing Machine squidoo lens a friend of mine recently did and she did a great job on this part. You can see the images she used in this lens are of herself, (and dog) using the machine. This builds credibility for her lens, and any review you do because people can see that you actually use the item and you didn’t just make it up.
Compare: If you’ve used different types of this thing and this is your favorite feel free to compare and contrast, why this is the one you like the best. Recently we were at Home Depot (hubby heaven) and he was talking to a random guy about table saws ~ he knew the ins and outs of every saw there, and I couldn’t help but think in my marketer mind “too bad he won’t make a squidoo lens on this”. lol. He definitely had one that he thought was best ~ but he could back up his recommendation with clear reasons ~ that makes a quality review!
Who is the product right for: If the item might not be right for everyone, say that, then make sure you let the reader know who the product is perfect for! This again will build credibility for your review. It will also improve your conversion rate because you will send more people who are just right for the product to the sales page.
Affiliate links: feel free to add your affiliate link into your post, however, do it the “right” way. Don’t put a huge banner ad in the middle of a post shouting for people to buy the product. Instead, add the link in the content of your post. When you mention the blue widget you’re talking about, use the words “blue widget” to link the person to the sales page. This type of linking has time and time again proven to be much more effective than banner ads. It is also WAY less “salesy”.
Keywords: Make sure you take a look at the keywords for the product you are targeting. Check and see if there is any search volume for “your product review” ~ and any other review type keywords. You also want to check your product keyword search volume. Once you’ve checked search volume make sure you use the keyword in the title ~ and it’s always good idea to try to use review as well, because even if it doesn’t show up in the google tool there will be someone out there looking for a review of the product. Make sure you use your keyword in the content of your post. Don’t worry about keyword density and all that ~ just talk like you would talk to a friend and you’ll be fine.
Disclosure: With the new FTC guidelines you will need to make sure you have some sort of disclosure statement on your reviews. If you received the item for free then make sure you mention that (and if you become an authority in your niche that CAN happen!). You also want to mention somewhere that you will be making some money if people buy through your links. For review posts I would make sure you’ve got a disclosure statement on the same page ~ either within or right under the post. I would not leave this type of post to be covered by your site wide disclosure policy.
I think those are the top elements you want to make sure you include in your reviews. I thought I’d share some of my favorite “review posts” with you so you can see how they can work for any topic and any product.
Hooked on Phonics Review: This is a fantastic review from NoTimeforFlashCards.com
In Step Quick and EZ Bike Trailer Review: This is a review I did a while back when we got the bike trailer for Hanna.
Hydration Backpacks: This is a review (kind of) by my favorite Bike blogger. This is a great way to show how to put yourself into your reviews, and how they can be as different as you want them to be. His reviews are always fantastic, and he frequently moves me to buy!
Micro Niche Finder Review: This is the review I did a while back for MNF.
Hopefully these reviews will give you some good ideas on how to incorporate this type of post into your site. If you have questions about how to write reviews just ask in the comments section. Please ~ let us know when you get your first review post published so we can check it out!
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Hey Jackie,
Would you include the FTC-compliant disclosure statement at the end of a post on a free ad blog?
Thanks!
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