Tips on Writing Reviews

I think reviews are one of the hardest things to write. You have to stay fair and balanced (and not the Fox News kind).

How to write an effective review post:

• Have an opinion and share it. People like to see what others really think about a movie or book before spending money on them.
• Be balanced and include pros and cons and need-to-knows. This is great information for a baby product like a swing or pack and play. Does it fold up? Has the brand been recalled before?
• Don’t be afraid to come up with a rating system, just stick to it and make it realistic. Use another rating system as a guide.
• Compare with other reviewed items. Reviewing Nooks vs. Kindles is a good example.
• Tell who will benefit from the product.
• Use personal stories and connect with your readers. Did you once have a bad experience with buying a Ford vehicle or going to a certain dealership?
• Give details such as product stats, pricing, how to buy, etc

Use humor as much as possible and the people who think you’re nuts for loving or hating whatever you’re reviewing will think you’re a little less insane. In fact, be sarcastic, but don’t be arrogant.

A great thing on your blog would be to review books or other materials on what your niche is about. For example, tomorrow I’m going to be reviewing the Writer’s Digest’s Weekly Planner, and you’ll get to see a good format you can use for reviewing books on your subject.