How To Write A Killer Product Review For Your Affiliate Site

Product reviews are a great venue for bloggers to get the word out. In fact, almost every blogger writes them, but the problem is that the reviews aren’t always good ones. Some focus on highlighting the negative aspects and disregard the good ones, while others simply don’t provide enough details and leave their readers unsure and uninformed.

This infographic from Vendasta shows just how large a role product reviews play in influencing people’s purchasing decisions.

Whether you blog about gadgets, fashion, or fishing, the rules for writing an effective review remains the same. All you have to do is make sure that it’s well-structured, thoroughly researched, and covers all the important details.

If you want to write a killer product review, this guide will show you how. Read on!

The 3 Popular Approaches to Writing Product Reviews

Below, you’ll find tried and tested methods of creating a product review that’s sure to create a surge in your commissions:

Method 1 – Stick squarely to the facts.

If you’re reviewing an electronic gadget, and one with complex features, it’s best to stick to facts and avoid purposeless statements that don’t add anything relevant. This is because the type of people who usually shop for gadgets are looking for something specific, such as a performance evaluation, a list of specifications, and a comparison chart that includes other similar products.

Method 2 – Feed your readers the benefits.

Another school of thought to crafting killer product reviews is to shower the audience with all the advantages of using the product. We’re not advocating this ourselves, but it is a method that’s proven to work for many bloggers. One approach you can take is to do this only with exceptional products that have little to no negative customer reviews.

Method 3 – A mix of ‘factual’ and ‘feel good’.

The third school of thought, and one that we recommend, is to write reviews that combine relevant information (with pros and cons) with honest-to-goodness praises. The goal is to provide readers with everything they need to know while, at the same time, highlighting what makes the product stand out.

Know Your Target Audience

Always know who you are writing for. This is a fantastic way of tailoring the product review to appeal to your readers. If you don’t have a lot of data on your target audience, then hold off writing the review until you do. One way to do this is to think about who would likely buy the product and what they would use it for.

For example, if I want to write about training shoes, I would tailor my review to appeal to fitness enthusiasts, gym-goers, and sports buffs.

Other aspects to consider about your target audience:

• Age
• Gender
• Social Status
• Interests
• Purchasing Behavior

Doing the Research

The road to writing product reviews is paved with research – LOTS of research. If you’ve owned or used the product before, it will be easier. If not, you’ll need to throw yourself into the research until you have a strong grasp of what the product is and isn’t, what it can and can’t do, and what support people can expect from the maker or manufacturer of the product.

More tips:

• Get information about the product that others don’t have to get an edge over the competition. You’ll sound like an expert and be more likely to establish trust with your readers.
• Don’t be afraid to contact the manufacturer/creator to get more information about certain features of a product.
• Check both the best and worst reviews for the product and see if you can find a trend, then mention it.

If you want ideas on what affiliate products to promote, make sure to check out this article.

The Structure

There is no absolute way of structuring a product review. You can either choose to copy the structure used by famous review sites, or you can come up with your own unique one. Most great reviews will include all or some of the following components:

• A headline
• Introduction to the product
• Link to the product
• A bullet points list of all the main features and specifications
• First sub-headline for one of the key features
• Paragraph about the key feature
• Second sub-headline for another key feature
• Paragraph about the key feature
• Summary of customer reviews and scores
• A paragraph listing some negative aspects of the product (should ideally include a few lines that mention the benefits of the product despite its drawbacks to end it on a positive note)
• Brief conclusion that ties all the main points together

The Writing Tone

As a blogger, you’ve probably adapted a writing tone that your readers are already familiar with. If so, stick with it. While most guides will tell you to sound professional and authoritative, it’s also a good idea to write naturally so you don’t sound overly promotional.

What you can do is stick to neutral language when giving an impression of a product. This will help to inform readers without making them question what your intentions are. Also, maintain a conversational tone, use frequently the worlds ‘you’ and ‘your’, and avoid unnecessary jargon.

The Content

One great model to keep in mind when writing the content is AIDA. It stands for Awareness (or Attention), Interest, Desire, and Action, and is used by countless companies all over the globe for marketing and advertising. Basically, these are the stages every customer must be taken through in order to reach the desired outcome: a sale. And it works just as well for product reviews.

For more info on using AIDA for your blog content, click here.

Another great rule to follow when writing product reviews is to make the content ‘skimmable’. This means keep the paragraphs short, use sub-headings often (but not too much), and be sure to include keywords without stuffing. Keywords should fit fluidly with the text and not sound forced.

Be sure your assessment of the product is balanced. As mentioned above, mention both the pros and cons, always share how well the product works for its intended purpose, and tell readers if it’s a smart buy. To end everything on a positive note, repeat one of the best qualities of the product.

If you haven’t joined an affiliate program yet, make sure to read our  beginner’s guide.

Have some tips of your own you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

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