Product reviews are a piece of cornerstone content on any blog. Not only do they help you create a worthy blog in terms of importance in your niche, but they also give you an extra stream of income. By reviewing products and offering your affiliate link, you can make money through the sale of that product.
According to recent FTC rules, it’s very important that you note in your blog post that the links you are offering are affiliate links and not just standard links. Be sure to note that you will receive a commission if someone decides to click on the link and purchase. Being above board with your affiliate links is the only way to stay within the FTC guidelines and be able to legally make money Internet as an affiliate.
That being said, there are four different ways that you can frame your product review in order to get an honest opinion of the product while still encouraging the reader to purchase through your link.
1. Product summary review
This is the most standard type of product review, and it’s often the first one that people think of when they think of a product review. This review goes over the major points of the product. It discusses the main idea and all of the features that are included within the product. For example, if I were to review a product of affiliate marketing I would discuss the method that the author recommends, the amount of pages in the product and any bonuses that the product includes. This type of review gives a snapshot of what the buyer receives when they purchase the product.
2. The “Why it Works” review
This product review takes a look at the basic concepts in the product and then describes why it works. This gives powerful external proof of why a concept or idea will work in the real world. For example if the affiliate product in question is about using Facebook to get targeted traffic, the product review can discuss how I’ve used Facebook successfully in the past but I increased my results with the techniques in this book. It shows that the ideas are on the right track and are based on sound information.
3. The “What’s Missing” review
Even the most perfect products have something missing. This gives you a great opportunity to write an honest and insightful review of a product. A lot of affiliate marketers use nothing but sunshine and rainbows to describe the project that they are promoting. You can stand out from the pack by pointing out what may be wrong or what may be missing. This is also a great opportunity to create a bonus product that you can offer for people who purchase through your link in order to fill in the gaps.
4. The in depth point review
This review is often the easiest to write because you take just one aspect of the product and do an in-depth review of that aspect. For example with a Facebook affiliate product, one of the techniques may be to create a Facebook fan page and publish content to that page. You can write the review all about the impact of Facebook fan pages and how this is a smart technique.