Blogging Tips

Some of my first blog posts were music reviews. At least, that was the intent. I’m not a particularly critical person and my music knowledge is limited, so the posts came off more as bad comedy then musical critique. The response from audiophiles was not good. Since then, I’ve done a few reviews that better matched my interests, and it’s gone better. In particular, I find my best reviews are the ones where I answer the following questions:

Is the product accessible to your audience? It’s important to explain to your readers why a product is or is not for them. If your visitors are not tech-savvy, you’ll probably want to warn them away from a complicated gadget. Likewise, experienced cooks probably don’t need a “how to boil water” style cookbook. Also, take into account other factors that might affect whether something is a good fit for your readers, such as where it’s available and how much it costs.

Speaking of cost, your review should answer this question as well: Is it worth the price? Simply labeling something as “cheap” or “expensive” is not particularly helpful. Does the product provide a return on investment? This is a question you should answer even if the “cost” of the product can’t be counted in dollars. If a new web app requires you to sign up and invest time in it, is it worth it? Let your readers know so they can make wise decisions.

Also, how does it compare to other products? If a product is truly unique, you may not need to talk about competitors, but this isn’t usually the case. You should at least mention some of the major products in the same market. If you can, discuss how the product you’re reviewing differs significantly from its competition. This can help give your readers a frame of reference for understanding your review.

A big part of writing a review is gut instinct. Either you like a product, or you don’t. But even if you hate something, you should take a step back and ask: Does it achieve its purpose? If you’re unimpressed by the item, it might be a bad product or you might not be the intended audience. Try to consider it objectively, and show it to other people to see if they have the same reaction. You may want to give it a bad review, but with a caveat that it might be appropriate for certain users.

And let’s face it, if you review very many products, you’re going to come across some stinkers. But rather than just give it a thumbs down, try to answer the question: What would make it better? Show that you’re the appropriate person to review this product by giving constructive feedback. The creator of the product is likely to read your post and may choose to take your advice. And, again, this is a way for your audience to understand where you’re coming from in your review.

Of course, the most important thing is to be honest with your reviews. Your personality and unique experience should come through in the post. By doing that and answering the questions above, you’ll get a reputation as a reviewer readers can trust.

Do you write product reviews? What do you do to make them stand out? Let us know in the comments.