If you are an affiliate marketer, you will need to write a product review so that the audiences can know why they need to consider it. There are many ways to do it, here I will share some of my secrets on how to write a product review that makes sales. These techniques are actually from the traditional marketing which I acquired during the period I worked for Unilever.
Product Reviews play an important role in my affiliate sales in the long run. Actually I think that they are a key source of sales of all affiliator, not only me. These product reviews will get ranked in the major search engines (such as Google, Bing, etc) and continue to make sales for years!
Here are some consumer survey statistics related to this topic:
83% of consumers say that product reviews influence their online purchasing decisions
70% of online shoppers actively seek out product reviews before they buy
More than half of US online shoppers surveyed, read user reviews as part of their product research
Nearly 9 of 10 US online buyers read reviews at least "some of the time" before making a purchase
I believe that you can realize it as you are also a shopper for some kinds of products, right? And you can realize it via many big e-commerce corporations such as Amazon, sephora, etc.
Ready to learn how to write a product review which actually drives audiences to purchase? Great! Read on...
There are 7 elements that go into a great product review:
Image/Video
Product Description
Buyer Description
Proof
Negatives
Call-to-Action
Keyword Phrase
Always remember that the job of the merchants is to sell the product. Your job as an affiliate is to enhance needs and maximize the REACH for the product. A good product review will help the visitors with their buying decision so that they buy the right product, and feel good about doing it.
Product Image/Video - Promotion
In the basic Marketing theory, all marketers know and use the Marketing Mix as Product, Price, Place, and Promotion (for FMCG, there are other 2 Ps as Proposition and Pack). Actually, although this is an affiliate marketing and the nature is different, we can use this model to set your thought process.
Product Image or video plays a role as a communication material and benefit or value visualization. We can consider it as promotion part in Marketing Mix.
So keep in mind that You should always put an image and/or video of the product or service that you are reviewing. This helps your visitors visually connect your review with the product or need that they are researching, and draws them into your content.
You can take a photo of the product yourself, use an image from the merchant's website, take a screenshot of the website, or use a picture of you using the product. Or you can contact directly to the merchants to ask for the high quality marketing materials or product shots. Based on the product nature, you might also contain before & after pictures.
Video options include: screen casting for digital products: ordering/using/results, unboxing of physical products, or an explanation of the product (talking head video).
Product Description - Product
Describe the product in detail: size, number of pages, features, ordering process, delivery/package details, functional and emotional benefits, expected results, your specific results. You can get this part from the merchants but my experience is that you should make it more details and visualize the product description as much as possible because it is your value as an affiliate.
People are afraid of scams and real value of the product. They want to know exactly what they'll get if they order this product today.
Share your personal thoughts and personal experience about the product or the decision to order the product. This helps your audiences relate throughout the review, as they are now in the position that you were when you purchased that same product.
Buyer Description - Target Shoppers
This part is targeting in Marketing theory. We need to know who are the target audience to reach and how they believe that this product is for them.
So let the audiences know: Who is this product for? Who is this product NOT for? No one product is a fit for everyone, so don't frame it that way. Be sure to describe the ideal buyer in a way that your reader can easily decide if this is the right product for them - or not.
The point of a product review is to make sure the right people buy the right product.
Tip: If there are two similar products, you might include an alternate recommendation for people who need "abc" instead...
Proof - Reason to believe
In all communication or TVC of big brands, you can realize that they always have Reasons-to-Believe behind their key message or claim. For example, Zero Degree Green Tea communicate "Stress Release" because it possess ECGC which is an antioxidant which can release stress and pressure.
Come back to our affiliate business. Simply there are two types of proof to include in your product review. Proof that you actually reviewed the product, and proof that the product works.
People are skeptical of product reviews and believe that product review sites are biased, and that reviews are based on payment or compensation. Your job is to prove that you have the product yourself, and have provided an unbiased review.
Proof can be achieved by using photos or video, by describing the product in more detail than can be found on the merchant's website, mentioning unadvertised bonuses, and by addressing the negatives (see next section).
People are also skeptical of results, so you should include proof on how the product works if possible. This can include images, video or details about your personal results with the product.
Negatives
Pointing out any negatives with the product itself, or with the ordering process, will make your review objective - and will dramatically increase the 'believability' of your product review. If you don't mention an obvious negative, it will increase skepticism.
Don't be afraid to tell you readers the negatives! They are probably already thinking it, so this is your opportunity to address those thoughts and help them make an informed decision about making the purchase. In reality, negatives are around us every day, and negatives get more attention from people and make it viral better than positive thing. In my professional marketing experience, I already had opportunities to be in 2 big scandals (my company suffered these scandals and as an employee, I was in the team to solve it), and talked with several famous singers and actors. I realized that the negative information viral really fast and make this brand, singers, or actors become more and more famous. The role of a good brand manager or marketing manager is to balance the flows of information, and leverage bad information.
When addressing the negatives, immediately follow that up with the solution - or with the reason why the negative didn't deter YOU from making the purchase.
Call-to-Action
Don't forget this important element! Your call-to-action tells your reader exactly what they should do next, and it needs to be very specific directions with a smooth transition.
For example:
Hurry up and get YOUR copy today for $4.99 only❗ Regular price at $7.99❗
Take a look at the landing page you'll be sending visitors to from your product review, and frame your call-to-action in a way that encourages them to click through - and lets them know exactly what to expect when they do.
Keyword Phrase - Optimization
As always, every piece of content that you create on the internet should be optimized for a specific keyword phrase - and reviews are no different. You may be optimizing your review for the actual product, or you may frame your review around a specific problem or need. Choose your keyword phrase so that you attract the ideal reader.
It's often easier to rank for the product name + review. Simply use the product name and add "Review" at the end.
I used to rank #2 on Google for "Navan Skin care review" just after Amazon's review. This is a great way to continue to make sales on a product, long after the initial buzz or launch phase is over - particularly in the Internet Marketing niche.
Learning how to write a product review that drives audiences to purchase is a skill that will improve over time. Take this checklist and write a product review for your site or blog today!
Best regards
Ryan Holmes