How to Make Money Writing Product Reviews
Many opportunities allow you to make money or, at the very least, earn income by writing product reviews. Newspapers, magazines, large websites and personal blogs all feature product reviews, and each outlet is capable of generating or issuing payments for product reviews. Publications and sites with better credibility increase the chances a writer has of receiving an actual cash payment instead of free product as compensation, as does a personal history of producing quality product reviews and review compilations.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Earning Money for Product Reviews for Paper Publications
-
1
Query newspapers and magazines in your area with product review article pitches.
-
2
Pitch an article that reviews the three best or five best of a particular product group instead of focusing on a review of single product. For example, pitch a compilation review article focused on the three best smartphones instead of a review of Product X only. An article featuring multiple products provides more value to publication readers and also helps keep smaller publications from appearing biased.
-
-
3
Pitch articles that focus on reviews of local products to small-town publications. An article that zeroes in on providing insights and reviewing product details about local wines, coffees or bakery goods offers more value to publications with lower circulation and provides content not found in national publications.
-
4
Query national publications with product review article pitches. With the exception of reviews of highly exclusive or unique products, it is still best to approach product reviews from a compilation approach or to pitch an entirely new angle on the traditional product review. National publications generally pay higher prices for content than local publications, but your product review article must meet a different set of standards and feature the voice a particular publication favors.
-
5
Sign up for focus groups or panels both online and in your area. Focus groups typically expose you to a new product or service and ask you to review the product through a series of questions and answers.
Earning Money for Product Reviews on Websites
-
6
Start a website or blog. Review the terms of service for any free blogging platform you use, as each has different rules regarding graphic-based affiliate ads and text-based ads.
-
7
Write blog posts or produce website content reviewing products you already own or use. This establishes your online presence and demonstrates the tone, construction and depth a potential client can expect in your product reviews.
-
8
Query companies that produce goods you already use or products similar to those reviewed on your website. Let the company know via email the product you would like to review, tell the company a bit about your site and relay your site's traffic statistics. Iterate exactly how your product review could benefit the company at the both the beginning and end of your pitch.
-
9
Wait two full weeks before sending a follow-up email if you do not hear from the company. Include your contact information and a brief summary of your initial query or an attachment of the query in your email. Do not repeat the content verbatim in the body of the email.
-
10
Review the product if the company sends you a sample. When you receive a free product from a company, it is not the same as receiving money, but the dollar value of the product is considered income by the Internal Revenue Service. Even though you do not earn cash, you are receiving compensation for your efforts.
-
11
Provide the company with a link to your review immediately and submit traffic metrics for the post after a pre-designated period of time has passed. Continual contact with a company helps build a rapport with the brand that can lead to more expansive opportunities such as your site hosting paid product features, paid advertisements or sponsored brand content. Opportunities abound for website creators and bloggers, but opportunities that pay in cash require setting a bit of ground work through uncompensated product reviews.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Include a disclosure at the bottom of website content or blog posts when you receive a product or compensation for a post. Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" requires the disclosure of any relationship between a site and a brand.
