I’ve long been a fan of publishing product reviews because they are a great way to serve your audience. If you invest the time to research different options or share why you love your favorite kitchen tools, you can save your readers a lot of time, money, and frustration in the long run.

Even if you find you really DISLIKE a product, you can still help your audience by letting them know what issues you experienced AND then offer alternatives that solve the problems you encountered.

What’s more, I’ve consistently made money by publishing in-depth product reviews. Here’s what works for me:

• Always include pros and cons in every review. No product is perfect for everyone – so if a review is too over-the-top, it will lack credibility. A product review isn’t meant to be a hard core sales pitch. Instead, your goal is to help your readers find the best resources for them.
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• Provide alternatives. When you include a valid “con” in your review – go the extra step to share viable alternatives. For example, if Product A has a high price tag, offer Product B as a lower cost alternative, (but explain what the trade off is for the lower cost). Again, your “job” is to help them choose the best solution, not to hard sell them on anything.
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• Show how you use the tool or appliance in your own kitchen. If you don’t own the product, share ideas for how the tool or appliance can help them save time, save money, or achieve a healthier lifestyle. The easier you can make it for your readers to picture themselves achieving these results, the more likely they will be to invest in one for themselves.
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• Understand the difference between features and benefits – and focus on the benefits. I spent my 20+ year corporate career in outside sales and marketing, and I can’t begin to tell you how many hours I’ve spent translating features into benefits that matter to customers.
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  A feature is merely a fact about a product, while a benefit is the value derived from it. The fact the Vitamix 64-oz. container incorporates the stainless steel blades into a single integrated unit is a feature. On its own, this fact doesn’t mean much. However, once you explain how fast and easy this design makes it to clean up after your morning smoothie without needing to disassemble and tinker with sharp blades and other parts, your readers can begin to see how this might make their morning routine a little bit easier.
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  Bottom Line: People don’t buy “features.” They buy the value those features give them, so share lots of real life examples with them to show how Product X can make their life better, easier, or more fun. 🙂
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• A picture is worth a thousand words. So, include pictures – especially of your own favorite tools and appliances in use as you create your favorite recipes! If you don’t own a specific product, use a stock photo or use one from the manufacturer or retailer (make sure you have permission first).
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• Send a note to your audience (via email and on social media) once your review is published. As you consistently share great material with your readers, you will become a trusted resource to them. Give them a little backstory on the review – why you decided to tackle it, why they might find it worthwhile, etc… Let them know you took the time to review the top products in X category for them – and would love to know their thoughts.
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  Keep the conversation open and ongoing. People appreciate when you genuinely try to make their lives easier.
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  TIP: Add this message to your email autoresponder (remove any timely content about the current weather, time of year, etc…) after you send the original message to your list. This will ensure new subscribers to your list don’t miss some of your best content.

• Consistently link to your best in-depth product reviews with every new recipe you add that utilizes that tool or appliance. Content published on your site tends to get “buried” over time, but linking to it repeatedly from new posts will help keep it alive.
• Always include a clear Call-to-Action. Take the time to spell out “what’s next” so your readers aren’t left wondering what they should do with all the great information you just shared with them.Something as simple as, “If you are ready to stop wasting time and money on ______, you can order your __ here” clearly shows your readers where they can order their own item, while reminding them of the benefits of doing so.

In short, I’ve found that the key to long-term success with product reviews is to go the extra mile for your readers – and to consistently over-deliver with a personal touch! 🙂

If you need some help getting started with helpful and profitable product reviews, check out this Healthy Small Kitchen Appliance PLR package. 

‘Til Next Time,

Trish