Key Takeaways for you
| – A Review Article is a type of content where you give an in-depth description of the said product/service and it covers the features, benefits, drawbacks, use cases, and if possible, comparisons with its peer products. – In order to make a smooth and better decision, people like to know from other people what they think about the product/service. – You can learn how to write a review article with my simple framework, Headline, What, Why, How, Who, Where, and Conclusion. |
Do you make purchases online?
I am assuming you do.
When you do, do you simply pick the first item you see in the results, add it to the cart, and proceed to check out?
I would be very surprised if you did that!
Can you recall your thought process when you shop? Let me prompt you here.
You would check the price, read about its features, and weigh the pros and cons. You would read about what other users have to say about it. You would browse for other similar products. You would want to know everything there is to know about it.
You want solid proof that you are making the right purchase. The higher the price, the stronger is your dilemma. You read multiple reviews, just in case.
Now swap positions. Think of another person who would be in that same situation as you were while making that purchase and you are a person who has already purchased and used that product. What would you tell them so that they are convinced to take a positive decision?
That is your review of the product.
If you are here reading this article, my guess is that you want to write a review article and want to learn how. It is important that you do. Do you know why?
Nine out of ten people read reviews before making a purchase.
Three out of four shoppers say that they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
What is more interesting is 56% of consumers read at least four reviews before buying a product.
If a customer is reading your review, know that they are in a dilemma, and it is your job to clear it.
What is a review article?
A review article – I am specifically talking about a product/service review – is a type of content where you give an in-depth description of the said product/service and it covers the features, benefits, drawbacks, use cases, and if possible, comparisons with its peer products. The review is crafted to present a neutral, unbiased perspective.
Online services, courses, electronic gadgets, tech tools, home appliances, and books are some of the subjects that can be reviewed.
Your objective while writing a review is to convey through your content that you are just another person like your reader, who faced the same problem as your reader and is now sharing your personal experience of using a product that solved your problem.
Why do people read reviews?
While some people may write reviews to make money and write people-pleasing content, you need to keep in mind that your reader is depending on you to give authentic feedback on the product.
You cannot simply throw in the features and benefits and get it over with. People read reviews because:
• It helps in decision-making, they want to avoid regrets.
• It is social proof in the form of conformity. It is all about looking at others for a sense of belonging, to be a part of the tribe, and to fit in.
• Anecdotal reviews can be revealing. Writing from your experience of using the product, will give your reader a sense of relatability. When they relate, they are able to trust more.
• There is a lack of brand awareness and authority – hence your credibility is also on the line. It is important, to be honest. When in doubt, always take the side of the user and write what the reader deserves to know.
• A review indicates what is the best that could happen and, the worst that could happen. This helps them take a balanced decision.
• It gives insight into product quality. Get into the shoes of the customer to know what they are seeking and what common apprehensions they might have.
Now you must be wondering how to go about writing a review that does it all. It is not too difficult if you follow the framework I have devised.
The Framework
The Headline
Every content needs a headline; it is that power bait that draws your reader to your content in an atomic fraction of a second. There is also your responsibility to set the right expectation about what your content is about, a promise to be delivered in your content.
Introduction
After you have baited your reader to your blog, now is the crucial part of holding onto their attention. You can achieve this by using the Attention-Reason-Benefit (ARB) Formula:
· Narrate an anecdote, state an astonishing statistic, or a thought-provoking analogy to retain their ATTENTION.
· Give them the REASON, why you are writing the article.
· Tell them how they are going to BENEFIT from your article.
Introduce the product you are going to review. It helps if you can make your content conversational. Write like you are talking to one reader and not everybody. The personal approach makes your reader feel like you are talking to them alone. They feel heard and important.
The what
Here is where you describe your product, features, and all. Tell them everything there is to know about the product.
It is good for your credibility if you are writing from personal experience. List out the features and benefits of each of them for the user.
Think of what your readers care about the most while buying the product and try to provide that throughout your review. Remember your review needs to be useful. The more details and specifications you add, the better.
The why
The buyer always has plenty of questions.
• Why should I buy this product?
• What does this product do differently than the competition?
• What does this product do that is great?
• Is it worth the money?
• Do I really need it?
• What may be the flaws in the product?
• What if it is not for me?
The list goes on. Go on and answer every one of them. Tell them why they should buy it, and also why they should not. It will surely help your reader in making an informed decision once you convince them beyond a reasonable doubt.
There is no need to be goody-goody about it, give factual and reasonable negative remarks, if any. It is not for the sake of it. But it may be a deal-breaker for the buyer.
The How
People will want to know whether they will be able to comfortably use the product and make the most of it. They want justice done to the money spent, well who doesn’t?
You can walk the reader through the working of the product. Give them a simplified step-by-step guide on how to use the product. If you can get into different aspects with all possible use cases for the product, on when and in what circumstances the product would be useful for them.
As far as possible use layman’s terms so that your audience understands it all without having to google for technical terms. You can assume they do not know and explain it in detail.
Demonstrate the practicality of the product. When people are looking for a product for a purpose and they see that it fulfills it just like they want, you can rest assured, they will go for it. It also saves their time and further search.
The Who
It is important to mention the intended target audience of the product. Let us save everybody’s time and tell them who the product is for.
All products are not 100% perfect, and not all of them are for everybody. There are always flaws and drawbacks. So quit beating around the bush and tell them who exactly it is for and who may not be able to use it productively. Trust me when I say this, people appreciate it.
When you describe the ideal user persona for the product, the reader will answer your checklist with “that’s me, that’s me!”. It is perfectly alright if they say “that’s not me” and move on.
The where
We talked about always taking the side of the user. Tell them about the best deals and where to find them. Give them that last encouraging push they need in taking the step to actually buy the product.
You can use Call to action like “Buy now”, “Apply now”, “Register Now”, etc.
Conclusion
To summarize, you need to remember the four Ws and one H – the what, the why, the how the who, and the where. Do not forget that product reviews are all about being empathetic and honest. Keeping the users first will increase your authority and credibility, no doubt. You can also make money along the way.
I recommend using my structured framework because it gives you a checklist to go by. You can go ahead and steal it!
Bonus Tips
I did promise you bonus tips.
- Expand it to a comparison: A comparative review is even better when the user is unable to choose between closely featured products. They get a clearer picture when you put them side by side and highlight the pros and cons of both.
- Get ideas from other actual reviews: It is easy to review a product when you have used it. For once, you can actually care about others’ opinions. Reading other reviews gives you different perspectives and ideas to write yours.
- Let me also suggest you a book by Robert Cialdini called “Influence: The psychology of persuasion”, which I am sure has a lesson or two for you to implement on your review journey.
Do you like writing reviews? Has your review helped someone make a purchase decision?
Let me know in the comments.
