Finding the best places to post reviews

The most valuable place your reviews can be posted is on your own website. After all, you’re contributing this value to help your online business succeed and empower your customers to make better decisions. Therefore, you should incorporate any reviews you write to appear alongside the products you’re selling on your own website.

After that, you want to spread the word about your knowledge and demonstrate to the larger community your experience with, and the professionalism of, a given product, to raise your profile as a product expert and expose new potential customers to your company. Start by doing some investigating online, and look for websites that offer reviews of products you carry.

These major online sites offer reviews:

• ConsumerSearch (www.consumersearch.com): Using human editors who gather information without regard to advertising or commercial considerations, ConsumerSearch (see Figure 2-1) collects the best reviews they can find on the web and provides analysis and recommendations on what to buy, in categories that range from health and beauty to electronics and more.
• Amazon (www.amazon.com): The world’s largest online retailer offers a wealth of reviews for its growing catalog of items. These reviews and comments are some of the drawing points for customers to this site.
• eBay (www.ebay.com/gds): The world’s largest online trading platform has been incorporating reviews and guides that its members provide. When eBay buyers are looking around for their favorite merchandise, they can read buying guides written by other eBayers about those same products, to help make up their minds about whether they should buy or bid on them.
• CNet Reviews (www.cnet.com/reviews): This online technology news site has amassed a growing array of product reviews for computers and consumer electronics and even services such as web hosting. Below the editor’s reviews is a section where all user reviews are grouped and averaged per product.
• Facebook (www.facebook.com): Every page that you can like, whether it’s for a local business, brand, event, or almost any organization, has a Reviews section where its users can input their reviews, as shown in Figure 2-2. These reviews are summarized on the main page, but you can click through and read what other users think of the business or brand behind their Facebook page.

Other places cater to different niches, such as Growing a Green Family’s Product Reviews (www.growingagreenfamily.com/green-product-reviews) for ecofriendly products and PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com) for computer components. If necessary, ask some of your customers where they do their research before they buy.

Every once in a while, you should check up on your product reviews to see what other readers are saying in response. Reader feedback can provide invaluable advice about whether your reviews are hitting the mark or are too confusing. Keep an open mind about their comments, and treat this strategy as another learning exercise.

In the end, you should be persistent and not overbearing. Allocate a specific amount of time per week to contribute reviews so that you don’t spend all your time filling up page after page. Stay current, and approach new avenues as you have time. If you deal in new products, make sure that you’re one of the first people to review a product. That way, you lend greater authority to your opinion and provide your own helpful early warning if you review an item you sell that customers have a frustrating time using properly.

Writing the review, section by section

After you know where to post your review, it’s time to write one! You don’t need an English degree to write reviews, and you don’t have to carefully research, document, and stamp each one for approval. Most people are looking for honest, candid, easy-to-understand information that breaks down the essentials about a product. The best way we have heard someone describe how to write a review is this: “If friends asked you what you thought about product X, you could hand them your review as the answer.”

Have the product in front of you when you start writing. Being able to hold up the product, scan its box, read its specifications, and experiment with the product can trigger thoughts and confirm suspicions when you’re writing a review.

When you’re ready to write a review, make sure that it has these basic sections:

• Initial impressions: Start by writing your initial impressions of the product. What were your initial thoughts the first time you saw the product? What did you think about the first time you used the product? What were you hoping the product would provide, and what did you expect it to be?

  Don’t worry about immediately assigning a product a number between 1 and 10 or coming up with a title. These issues should be the last ones you write about, because writing the rest of the review can lead you to the ultimate ranking answer.

  Your initial impressions should provide a quick summary of the product, your impressions, and a sense of whether you favor it. Someone reading only your first paragraph should see all the basic information and know whether you approve or disapprove.

• Pros: Write the reasons you like the product, no matter how big or small the issue. Include the ways that this product is better than similar products on the market, and describe its best features.
• Cons: Write the reasons you dislike the product. Think of the features you’re not happy with or that you wish could be changed. Note whether the problem prevents you from using the product correctly or just bothers you individually. Obviously, rank the problems that affect your usage higher than your personal opinion.

• Experience with the product: Regardless of whether you love the product or hate it, does it do what it’s supposed to do? If it’s a digital camera, for example, does it take high-quality photos? Even if the camera is hard to use and its battery life is low, does it perform its main functions? Most products have a purpose or a use, and people want to know how this product can help them. A great-looking item might be completely useless, or an item that solves a big problem might be difficult to use.

  Talk about your experience with your product in a positive, non-confrontational way. Don’t say that you love it because it sells well. Say that you love it because the product is so solid that your customers love it and that’s why it sells well.

• Recommendations: Would you buy your product? Would you recommend it to someone? Would you recommend it only for a specialized need or a certain kind of user?

After you complete all these areas, you should have a good idea of how you would rank the product on a scale from 1 to 10. You might be asked to rank certain individual characteristics on some websites, so consider them last too, after you think about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The title of your review should be a one-sentence summary that captures the essence of what you’re saying. The easiest titles to write are for products you absolutely love (“This product is the best thing since sliced bread!”) or absolutely hate (“Don’t buy this product, even if they’re giving it away!”). For most reviews that lie between these two ends of the spectrum, choose a good point and a bad point, and emphasize the one you most agree with. For example, say something like “Good product for the money, but don’t expect full features!” or “Product X: Adequate but in need of improvement.”

Make sure that your reviews are sincere and honest. Don’t rave about a product just because you sell it and hope that a good review will boost sales. Readers will see through an insincere review, and your plan could backfire because they will go online and warn other consumers not to trust you or your reviews, opinions, or business.

After you have completed your written review, you can also turn it into a video review. Record yourself in front of a computer webcam, a handheld video recorder or tablet device (such as an Apple iPad), or even certain smartphones, and then upload the product review to popular video-sharing sites such as YouTube. Don’t forget to brand your review by embedding a link to your website. Video allows you to visually demonstrate a physical product, which will only add to your review’s effect. If and when you do a number of video reviews, you can set up your own YouTube channel where people can subscribe to you and see your most recent postings.

Speaking out with video

In the past, you could make connections with potential customers by agreeing to speak at their Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce meetings about your chosen subject area. The Internet and high technology have combined to create different ways for you to deliver that same information — without the rubber chicken and the echo from the borrowed sound system. One way is called the webinar (short for web seminar), which combines video, audio, and graphics to give the audience an experience similar to sitting in a lecture hall.

When you prepare and deliver a webinar, you control the message, the delivery of that message, and all the accompanying information that goes with the message. The formatting of your presentation is always the same with a webinar, and your presence cannot be deleted, because your image, voice, and slides drive the presentation. One leading service that produces webinars is WebEx Event Center. You can read about WebEx Event Center services and prices by going to www.webex.com/products/webinars-and-online-events.html.

However, many people are learning through shorter videos than a full-fledged “web seminar,” and one of the leading websites that hosts and promotes this content is YouTube, which is now owned by Google. YouTube is considered the second most popular search engine based on number of requests, as people now type their queries into YouTube to get an answer delivered to them with video, not just with plain words with Google.

Whether you use your smartphone, laptop webcam, or professional video equipment to record your videos, the key is to focus on a clear delivery of information, something that can take a few minutes (on average) to illustrate. As you record more and more videos, you may want to consider getting your own YouTube channel so that all your videos are accessible in one spot to all your current and potential customers.

Given the volume of educational videos on YouTube, YouTube organized this information into a dedicated YouTube channel called Creator Academy (see Figure 2-3). Your focused educational videos can be a part of this system and help potential customers learn more about areas where you can offer useful information.

Given the shorter time frame with a YouTube video, organize your thoughts for a video like you’re delivering one precise lesson, not an entire classroom lecture.

Book 4, Chapter 3 provides more information about how you can turn video into its own profit center rather than just a mechanism for raising your profile.

Billing yourself as an expert

Given the immense amount of information and options for consumers, the easiest way for them to cut through all the noise and presentations of the high-tech world to find what they’re looking for is to rely on the low-tech, time-tested tradition known as word of mouth. Most customers make their decisions based on recommendations from family members and friends. In the absence of a friend or family member, however, online consumers look for an expert in that area. That’s where you come in.

Expertise isn’t a degree that a university can confer on you; it’s the real-world experience you build up in a given subject area or product category. It’s up to you to share that information in a constructive way so that customers see you as the expert. After customers start asking you for advice, they also find out about your business. When it’s time for them to buy a product, they’re much more likely to choose someone they consider an expert over a nameless, faceless website with a slightly lower price.

To become an expert, spend some time in the places where your potential customers congregate and ask questions about your area of expertise. Four of the most popular places to frequent are Twitter, LinkedIn, discussion groups, and mailing lists. Follow these general steps:

1. Identify the discussion groups, LinkedIn Groups, or Twitter topics that pertain to your area.

   Dig around, do some research, and use search engines or your favorite websites to see where people are gathering online to discuss topics.

2. Join the designated groups, and find out how to participate correctly.

   Take the time to complete the registration processes at each of these sites, and choose usernames that advertise you, not your business. If people see that a corporate name is contributing information, they might see it as an invasion for sales only. (For Twitter, see what topic names, or hashtags, are used consistently, and be sure to use the relevant hashtag in your reply.)

3. Set up your profile and signature file.

   Make sure that your business and website address are clearly mentioned at the bottom of your signature file and Twitter Profile Bio field, so that people can follow up if they’re interested.

   In your profile and signature page, always reference one landing page, or a web page that will consistently reference all your online articles, websites, and online references.

4. Start looking for discussions and questions that you can contribute to easily.

   Start by monitoring conversations to develop a sense for the tone that people use in their responses. Don’t feel that you have to dive in right away. Start by providing a comment here and there, and take some time in the beginning to observe the atmosphere and get to know the major contributors.

   Don’t use these places for blatant self-promotion. Participate in a healthy manner, and make sure that your signature file contains a line or two about your web business.

5. Set up a regular schedule to contribute to one or more discussions.

Include this process in your weekly routine so that you don’t forget about it as time goes on. Maybe you spend a half-hour each Tuesday logging in to see the most active discussions. You can spend a few minutes each day and look for the most relevant discussions for your area. Find something that fits your schedule so that you have the time to participate without feeling rushed.

Make sure that each posting is free of any obvious spelling and grammatical errors. Use a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word, to write your post so that you can easily check and correct mistakes. Then copy and paste your words into the listing.

Tailoring your article topics

When you were told to write a paper in school, you probably didn’t have much choice about the topic. Now you have complete control, so be sure to write articles that appeal to your customer base. You can easily fall into the trap of writing only what you know, even if that topic is nowhere near what your customers would be reading.

Writing what you know about works in the beginning, if you need some motivation to start writing articles.

As a business owner, you’re already looking to stay ahead of the curve to see where your market is heading. Now you get to use that knowledge to help tell customers what to expect. You can choose from a variety of angles for your article, including these:

• Provide straightforward, concise explanations and examples of a new technology.
• List four or five nonobvious ways that a product or service can be beneficial.
• Create a step-by-step guide for accomplishing a specific task.
• Describe how to improve a (popular) way of doing something.
• Specify what not to do in a given area.
• Create a case study showing someone’s right and wrong actions, and then explain why.

The best topics, sometimes, are about issues you just faced with your business or your personal online adventures. Think about how you handled a given situation. Did you learn a new trick or two along the way? Did the recommended solution pan out? Did an unorthodox method (or even the tried-and-true method) produce measurable results? If so, ask yourself this question: “Would other people benefit from what I just learned?” If so, and if you’re not revealing a competitive advantage, start making notes to turn into an article.

Putting together your article

Don’t be afraid to brainstorm and jot down ideas to revisit later. Your articles have to capture readers’ attention, even if it’s just for the first paragraph, so it has to be relevant, useful, and interesting. Most people — whether they’re reading newspaper stories, magazine features, or online write-ups — see a headline, read (maybe) the first paragraph, and then move on. That’s why articles have to grab you in the first paragraph.

Put together your articles in this fashion:

• The first paragraph presents the overall picture. You need to accurately and vividly describe the situation you address in your article. If the article is about a solution to a problem, first discuss the problem. Remind readers about how much of a headache this problem can cause, and detail the pain, so to speak. If you’re writing a step-by-step guide, use the first paragraph to talk about the problem this guide will solve. Then make sure that you end the first paragraph by telling readers what you will say in the rest of the article.
• Middle paragraphs contain the “meat,” or the essence, of the article — namely, the information that readers want to read. Stay away from technical jargon or low-level details or specifics, and provide an overview in plain English of what readers should do, look into, or implement themselves. Let them do the additional research of finding the specifics. Your article should identify the solution path and give readers enough information to continue investigating.
• The last paragraph wraps up your article with a summary of what you presented, and shares either a success story or a result that readers can expect afterward. If readers need to take action after reading your article, you want to leave them with an important reason to get started, even if it’s an obvious reason.

The average length of an article is about 300 to 600 words, or one or two double-spaced pages in a word processor. If you’re direct and to the point, don’t worry about sending out a 280-word article. Conversely, if your article continues page after page, it had better be useful and not repetitive or fluffy.

Even though you’re not being graded on your work, be sure to check for any spelling or grammatical errors before you send it out. Mistakes detract from the professional image you want to convey in your article, which would defeat the purpose.

If you’re curious about whether your article is ready for distribution, use a small group of friends, employees, or customers as your test market by sending them a copy and asking for honest feedback. Don’t expect them to correct any mistakes — just listen to their feedback and consider their comments. A peer review usually makes a piece stronger, and a stronger article is more effective.

Handing out your articles

After you write and prepare your article with the correct profile and web link, you need to distribute the goods. You can submit your articles to dedicated online article directories and e-zine newsletter sources, which then do the work of disseminating your article to various sources. These directories stay in business by providing content to hungry websites and newsletters that need content to attract visitors.

Most directories have a submission process that’s available on their websites. Submit your article to as many sites as you want. You can find a good list to get started with in Table 2-1.

Don’t be afraid to mention the release of a new article in your blog, Facebook business page, or Twitter stream. You gain publicity and reinforce the image you’re presenting to your audience. Every reference to a new article shows how you’re working to keep the community informed and gives you a great reason for a new, current blog entry.

If you’re already a member of niche news sites, check into submitting your article directly to them. Look for an e-mail address of the editorial director or a reporter in the About Us section of that website, and send an introductory letter along with your article. You might be offered a column or contributor status, or you can serve, at the least, as a good source to find quotes for the site’s upcoming articles in your area of expertise. The effort of sharing these articles all goes back to raising your exposure and achieving expert status. After all, you never know who might read your article next.