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Hi Kaju...wow, and I thought I was the only one that hated them too.
There were two product reviews that I actually did enjoy writing though. The first one, which was my review of WA...and my third one, my review of Jaaxy.
I also always thought that they need to be authentic and a trial needed to take place...but in the MMO niche that can be costly. Because there aren’t very many out there that are free to try like WA.
You normally don’t gain access to any of the programs unless you pay something first. So, you really have to give it a different approach to the many different money making programs out there.
I enjoyed reading and look forward to seeing your future posts on this. Your posts are inspiring!
I wish you the best!
Bob
Bob,
Thanks much for your comment, i do understand where you are coming from.
My view is that between the many online products and services I've already used, and the countless other products out there that allow you a 14-day Free Trial, or even send you a sample of a physical product at no cost. I can be knee-deep in product reviews and still do them authentically.
I did my first one yesterday, it was 3311 words, and I'm very happy with it. But I'm honestly not a big fan of the process, although you can make good money with it.
Kaju
Aww heck, if you’ve got that many things or services you’ve tried...my hats off to you then. Knock yourself out with the authenticity of your reviews.
I didn’t know you had that much that you’ve tried. That’s actually an awesome experience then.
I wish I didn’t have to do as much research before my reviews. It does make it more of a hinderance, but a necessary one.
I wish you the best!
Bob
I hear ya. Thanks again.
Keep throwing that line out Bob, I hope you catch a big fish!
Cheers, and all the Best,
Kaju
Writing reviews has been a dread of mine for too long. I've watched only one of Grace's training videos about writing reviews, and I will watch however many more she has created.
I enjoyed reading your post and I can relate to a great deal of what you say. I absolutely agree with your last sentence. There's nothing easy about creating success, but great enjoyment can be celebrated when the results happen.
Thank you, Kaju. There is a lot to absorb in your post so I will be reading it again. I'm getting weary and am about to log off for the night.
Enjoy your day, Kaju.
My Best Wishes :)
Valerie
Hi Kaju
You are not alone with this my friend
I feel exactly the same however I too am following Grace's training and my Goals are set
All we have to do is keep writing and keep writing more and more and we can do this.
Because success is perspiration so let's keep moving :)
Vicki
Amen Vicki,. I agree 100%.
I know we can do this.
We all have to make a living.
However, refer to my comment to Midvum below.
In reality by doing so, are we any better than "snake oil salesman"?
Hahahha and I thought I was the only one that dreaded them...hence why WA Promotion site in Boot Camp, is not as fast as my niche one lol...
Hi Kaju,
Although writing product reviews based on first hand
experience is authentic, it is not always possible to do
and even if someone used the product for a few days
or few hours to write a review, it is not really authentic.
Let me tell you why.
In regards to MMO products/services-it takes time to
see results with a product.
For example, lets say this MMO product is teaching
you how to make money through instagram.
You can't make good enough money through instagram
without a good following.
The product may teach strategies to teach you how to
build a following.
How many product reviewers wait till they use the
strategies, build the following, make decent enough
money and then write about the review?
Really few or Nil.
In regards to physical products-we can see there
are so many "product testers".
The way these product testers use the product to
do the review is not how an average customer use
the product.
So reviews, even if they are first hand are not realistic.
In regards to MMO niche, if we have the basic understanding
of fundamentals of internet marketing, then we can provide
our "opinion" regarding the product.
In our perspective the product may be good/bad, that
doesn't necessarily mean the product is "good" or it
should be good for others to get results.
I do agree on one thing-it is better to get review access
to a product or trial access to do the review instead of
doing the review solely based on the sales page.
Let's both agree on the last paragraph Mid, I would consider a trial basis review to be a better review for authenticity.
I understand what you are saying about, " In regards to MMO products/services-it takes time to see results with a product."
Then what you are actually saying is there can NEVER be an authentic review guaranteed for ANY given product or service. As all the reviews written say for i.e., an Instagram "build a large following" or monetize product could almost never be written in a time cycle where the effects of the product could be accurately gauged.
Then I will say, since every review is merely an "opinion" every "review" out there holds much less merit. And we should be taking all reviews with "a grain of salt".
Kaju
Thanks so much again Midhunvm:) I have a new You Tube channel where I'm producing great content.
Check out our great Tokyo story as well as my Efren Reyes match win video play by play:)
Send me your YT link and I will Subscribe. You can Subscribe to my channel here:)
http://bit.ly/2T21P2N
If you don't yet, I will happily return the favor when yours is up.:)
I will soon be following this path. Trying to get some bugs out my website first, then the research will start.
I totally agree that you must believe in the product you are reviewing.
And there are gradations of this, with I use the product myself being at the top.
Thanks so much again Phil:) I have a new You Tube channel where I'm producing great content.
Check out our great Tokyo story as well as my Efren Reyes match win video play by play:)
Send me your YT link and I will Subscribe. You can Subscribe to my channel here:)
http://bit.ly/2T21P2N
If you don't yet, I will happily return the favor when yours is up.:)
I’m in the same boat as you. I made a vow to myself to do product reviews. If Grace says its good then its good.
Keep keeping on.
Laura
Very good Laura. But it doesn't matter.
Sure they are good, but the most important thing is to keep the reviews authentic. Are Most Product Reviews Truly Authentic? Other wise you are doing your readers a disservice.
Important to remember that.
Success,
Kaju
Sounds like you found your spark to get the ball rolling on those product reviews. Yes, they are time consuming, but once you get your format down and determine your level of analysis it will get easier.
It is also good to get aggressive and set some short and long range goals. Just make sure they are achievable so you can bask in your successes when you reach those milestones.
Wishing you a successful journey!
Thank You Gartner, I have a plan and I know I will gt there. Aggressive is no problem.:)
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Writing product reviews in the MMO niche was a turn off to me until my paradigm shifted. I'm prior military and I feel strongly about protecting people. Reviews are all about consumer protection.
When I realized that people (like my own family members and friends) are out there one step away from a scam, it made me more eager to do product reviews as a way to protect others. Money and time is finite and when people buy products that are sub par, they waste some of it, and may not get that life potential back.
They could buy something that leaves them discouraged and redirects their path to something that's less effective than what they originally intended. I've bought something before and been discouraged that led to years of not-as-effective time.
Now, when I write product reviews, I imagine I'm talking to my younger cousin or someone I care about whose considering the product: good or scam.
When I haven't bought the product, I leverage my experience of observing telltale signs and communicating why I would buy and why I wouldn't buy. For me, I typically don't buy without a proven concept (especially if it's a higher cost), so when I look at products (even if they look good), if it doesn't have a proven concept or a way to test drive it to prove the value myself, I write the review to reflect that.
If it has a proven concept, then I identify head to head the competitive advantages of this versus that. You should be able to identify the competitive advantages without purchasing otherwise, you can state that, and your feedback can be helpful to the product creator.
Ultimately, your original quams are probably like mine....I didn't want to be required to talk bad about anyone, and I didn't want to feel like I was imposing my opinion. It doesn't have to be that way though.
Lastly, I would recommend that you narrow down from MMO into something a tad more specific. I was reviewing anything that could help a person make money online and I wasn't getting regular referrals until I niched down a little more. In the beginning, we have to be laser focused to build our site authority. I would say narrow it more into, let's say for example, Wordpress Security plugins. You choose a favorite one and use a series of review posts to illustrate why that #1 was your favorite. Interlink the reviews to your #1 and you'll have alot of link juice pointing that way.
Once your getting results in that vertical, then you move more into something else. MMO is really a broad niche (or not one at all), so if you don't niche down, it takes longer to build authority and rank well.
Also, be careful of how to's and educational content because it doesn't convert as well, so if your primary goal is income, focus most on money posts starting off. I did how to's because that was my favorite post type and I added PPC, SEO, and social media traffic, and it doesn't convert as well.
People read tutorials but don't necessarily buy from them. They may just want the idea.
It's okay to attract non-buyers once your bills are paid, but when you want to pay your bills, you want to attract buyers. Haha.
I'm at nearly 300 posts now, and I'm telling you from my experience that I wished I had known (or that "clicked") a little earlier. I'm just starting to get daily referrals to WA, but I wish I could've been further along.
I still had alot of trial and error though. Now, I feel like I've figured out something (still have more figuring out to do), but I'm seeing a pattern of when I do (blank), then (blank) happens.
Keep it up Kaju! Hopefully this encourages you.
Thank You for your comment. I hear you T, but how are you ensuring that you are protecting others if you can not authenticate the true quality of a review?
And I am pretty sure you cannot, for several reasons:
1 As mentioned by Mid (which I agree), for many MMO products/services, it simply takes time to see results with a product.
Due to the time constraints to make money and drive traffic, most reviewers never give it the minimum necessary time to truly see if the product is effective, scam or not.
2. Most reviews are based on other reviews, and even if you are using something like Amazon Verified Purchase this still doesn't cut it.
3. When you say, "....I typically don't buy without a proven concept (especially if it's a higher cost), so when I look at products (even if they look good), if it doesn't have a proven concept or a way to test drive it to prove the value myself, I write the review to reflect that."
If I understand you correctly here (and correct me if i am not), this sounds like since you don't have a proven concept (and you haven't bought it), you will be writing a negative review. If this is the case, that isn't right either, because just because you can't see a proven concept (and haven't purchased it), doesn't mean the product is bad or not useful. Your review may be harming a good company and product.
As I mentioned, I will stick to the countless products and services out there that I either have used in the past, or allow me a 14-day Free Trial, or even send you a sample of a physical product at no cost. That's how I will do authentic reviews.
As far as making money, I hear you about being very specific, but there are even more efficient ways to monetize. Right now, I am getting daily referrals on some days.
Your intentions are honorable T, but I don't believe any of us can truly protect anyone by writing product reviews - unless we truly have experienced the product or service and tried it ourselves.
You can see even more of my reasons I stand firm on this, by reading my past post: Are Most Product Reviews Truly Authentic? For these reasons I will say (as I said to Mid), every review is merely an "opinion" and holds much less merit. And we should be taking most reviews with "a grain of salt".
I appreciate your comment.
Kaju
Sorry it took me so long to reply. I had to get my kiddos ready for school.
I completely understand your concerns and I had the same ones.
In summary, we're in sales. When you're in sales regardless of what company, the companies don't always require that you buy the product, so how do salespeople sell?
They get their product knowledge by talking to the company, by reading the descriptions and details, by hearing what others are saying, and sometimes, by trying it out.
Men work at Women's fashion stores and they can make sales. Women work at men's fashion stores and they can make sales, and they can do it ethically.
Copywriters write product descriptions on Amazon and other places and they don't have to buy the products to write a good description. In essence, we're copywriters whose #1 goal is to protect the buyer and help them make the best choice for them--us 2nd. (At least that's my #1 goal).
It's important to keep that in mind.
We're not being asked to act like we own the product, and there is other valuable information we can share with potential buyers aside from our experience.
I think the question you should ask before writing a review is "How can I give this person all of the information that would be necessary to make a buying decision?" Compiling that information does not always require a purchase, but if you have the startup capital to invest in buying each product you decide to review, go for it.
If you're following Grace's training and you're shooting for 400 reviews, then at an average of $20 or more per product, you'd need to set that money aside. You could choose a vertical like plugins where the cost per product is fairly low on average or where there's lots of free or free trial products to review. That would be entirely up to you.
I do prefer to have experience, but that's what I will do when I reinvest in my business. I won't let that paralyze me in the meantime. That has to be your personal choice though.
What makes me feel peace of mind is when I'm objective: providing readily available facts and not trying to read between the lines. Our experienced opinion weighs alot when analyzing product descriptions and other experiences. You can identify competitive advantages in the market often times without a purchase. I try to make sure on each review that I don't make any assumptions and I only speak facts that I see and know. Product developers who don't provide enough facts do get docked in my reviews--that's my standard.
I'm an advocate for providing enough information to inform the prospect well, and to follow the sales copy thru with a quality product/service delivery.
Majority of my review is strictly facts: are there video reviews? are there third part reviews? are there testimonials? what do they say? what does the product do? what problem does it solve? what type of people need a solution like that?
Most of my questions can be answered on the sales page and I answer like that (whether I've bought the product or not). I want to tell the readers the facts about the product.
I leave a portion at the end that says "my opinion". In my opinion is where I can be me and state, " Based on my experiences purchasing or reviewing similar products, (I don't recommend customers to buy) or (I do recommend customers to buy) because..." My "because" is usually based on the facts.
I've recently created a standard that will transcend all of my reviews, so there isn't as much bias or personal influence. As a standard, I don't recommend products and services with no third party reviews (Google Search results, Trustpilot, G2Crowd, ShopperApproved, etc.), with ethical issues like repeated billing complaints or bad customer service complaints, stealing or things like that, and my standard goes on. It's too much to write here. Haha.
What I'm saying is we (reviewers) should have a consistent criteria of good and bad before we look at any products. We should identify what buyers would want to know before buying a product in the vertical and answer their concerns based on what the product creator has in their copy. If their copy doesn't disclose enough information, I say so.
I don't write the review to taint anyone's reputation, but I can identify the information a person would need to make an informed buying decision about the product and identify how the seller deliver on that.
If I've bought the product or service, I tell my experience, but that's not the most valuable information for making a buying decision. When you look at the most popular review sites, they generalize and provide trends and expert reviews, so my goal is to offer the readers facts, a general consensus on how the product/service serves others, and my "expert opinion" based on the readily available facts and trends.
Added to that, there are plugins that make it where your comments can be visitor reviews so you can have your rating influenced by actual buyers. Allow the readers to engage and say "This was a general consensus on this product, but what are your thoughts?".
Hopefully that helps Kaju! This was like a full blog post. Haha.
You like to write, I will give you that T!
Wow, that's the longest comment I've ever seen (lol!)
Sure I get it. I was in retail furniture sales for many years, and I used to sell 1000's of products I never owned.Read the literature, went to the sales meetings, tried some out, some I didn't try out. Wrote over $1 Million in sales one Year. Broke all the records.
I don't follow just one specific set of training, I use many different sources of training. Whatever I believe is useful, I will always listen.
Sales are sales. For everybody. At times it requires that you convince yourself that you are doing something fair and for the good of the consumer even if you are not. Some will do anything to get the sale. That used to be me. No more though.
I'm not the same person I used to be though these days, and I have a different set of values. Perhaps if I was the person I was 20 years ago, I wouldn't even give it a single thought or blink an eye. Perhaps that's also why I sold so much too. Even though I thought at the time I was doing the right thing "by the client."
I still believe I will ultimately succeed at this MMO niche without (as I've always succeeded in other endeavors) without compromising any of my current values, and thus my sales won't suffer. Even though I now subscribe to a stricter code of ethics.
Thanks for your comments.
Kaju
I'm big on ethics too Kaju! Most of my posts are about ethics. There can be a balance of ethics and getting this done is what I'm saying.
Your readers will appreciate your stand on your ethics and your service before self attitude. You're right, you don't have to sacrifice ethics in order to be succesful at this, and at the end of the day, you create the standard that makes you have the most peace of mind.