Reviews of products and services among bloggers and blog readers have gotten a bit of a bad rep over the past few years, as many companies send products to bloggers for free along with a set of talking points or benefits to mention that have been crafted by their PR team and Advertising Agency. Let’s just say the end result wasn’t always an honest review of the product.
Good Reviews Have Their Place
That said, I think there’s still a place and a need for good product reviews, and they can create great content for your blog. You’ve got to do it right. Readers can spot a phony review from a mile away, and it will hurt your credibility. An honest review of a product, or service, you’ve actually used, on the other hand, can be very helpful.
Review What You Know
Only review products you’re actually using and are finding them helpful or worth the money. Don’t review something just to make a quick buck on a sponsored article or affiliate commission. Keep the big picture in mind. You want to be a source of value to your readers.
Additionally, I recommend you only review products you’ve bought yourself. Mention that in the review. It adds a lot of credibility to your product review, but it’s also a good filter for what to review. If you wouldn’t buy it, why would you expect your readers to fork over their hard-earned money?
Go Through the Motions & Speak About the Good
Use the product or service and put it through its paces. How is it working? How is it holding up? What do you love about it, what do you hate about. Who would you recommend it for and is it something you’ll continue to use. That’s all the valuable information that your readers are looking for. Use your own pictures and possibly even unboxing videos and demos if you can.
Be Honest About Flaws
Don’t be afraid to point out anything you don’t like about a product. Let your readers know if you think it’s a dealbreaker, or if not, how you’re getting around it or why you’re continuing to use it despite the drawbacks. Maybe a kitchen appliance isn’t easy to clean, but it does such a great job that it’s worth the messy clean-up job.
Mentioning anything you don’t like about a product again lends credibility to your review. Your readers will pay more attention and be more likely to take you up on the recommendation if you sound credible. Try it.
The Rundown
Implement these tips and product reviews can become a very educational, popular and potentially profitable part of your blogging schedule.
