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How to Get Products to Review on Your Blog {An Intro for New-ish Bloggers}
By Stephanie | July 18, 2009
So, here’s the thing about product reviews.
I think they’re fun – fun to write and fun to read. I appreciate creatively crafted reviews that have a personal touch. It’s super helpful to read another mom’s take on things and I often make purchasing decisions based on reviews in the blogosphere.
And for the record (FTC: please take note), I really don’t care if the blogger behind the review bought the product with her hard-earned money or if she received it for “free” or if she was paid a million dollars to promote it. Because blogging is all about relationships and I TRUST the bloggers that I read.
I could probably write 102 posts about product reviews (how to get products, whether or not you should get paid for reviews/giveaways, how to write authentic and interesting reviews, etc.). But – for the sake of brevity – I’m going to target this post to the new-ish blogger who wants to “break into” product reviewing, but doesn’t know how to get started.
There are really two ways to get products to review on your blog:
(1) Join a blog review “network.” This is how it works. You fill out a form with some basic information about you and your blog. You are then contacted with review “invitations.” You can accept or decline at will. If you accept, you typically receive a product (that is yours to keep), write your review, and then also typically get some kind of nominal compensation as well (a gift card to Amazon, entry into a giveaway, etc.).
Here are a few review networks for you to consider:
- Mom Central’s Mom Testing & Survey Panel (my favorite review network)
- MomSelect (open to non-bloggers too!)
- Prizey (become a free member and you may get connected with PR companies as a result)
Blog networks are excellent for new bloggers because they give you an opportunity to “get your feet wet” with reviewing and to grow your audience. All the “work” is done for you and you just wait for your products to show up (how cool is that?).
The downside of review networks is that you don’t have “control” over what product invitations you receive. You may want to review a MacBook Pro (don’t we all?), but instead you may receive invitations to review Ghirardelli Chocolates or the latest laundry detergent. I participated in “blog tours” with Mom Central quite a bit in my early blogging days, but now I almost never do because I like to focus on personal content…and I like to pitch for products myself (which leads me to my next point).
(2) Ask. The second way to get products to review is to…ask. Find a company that you would like to work with and send an e-mail, asking if they would be interested in sending you a product to review on your blog. Give a few details about you and your blog…and press “send.”
Can it really be that simple? Well, yes…and no. It’s hard work to craft articulate and persuasive inquiries (maybe someday I’ll share my “top secret” formula for this) and to establish positive relationships with PR agencies and brands. But it’s well worth it. And it’s tons of fun too.
Sometimes people ask me how “big” their blog has to be before they can start doing this. There’s not a specific “number” to reach, but you should have a decent amount of solid, high-quality posts on your blog and at least a moderate number of followers.
So, go for it. Send an inquiry.
Oh, wait!!! Before you do, keep this in mind:
*** Don’t sell your soul for a 3-pack of juice boxes. It’s totally cool if you want to try out those new juice boxes or that bathroom cleaner, but be sure that you can present the review in a creative and interesting way. And be sure that the product is something you can “stand behind.”
Example: I was recently offered an invitation to review a Coach bag. At first, I said “yes.” Then, I decided to decline. Not because I think Coach bags stink (they don’t…in fact, they’re beautiful), but because I would never pay $300+ for a purse (come to think of it, I don’t think I would spend over $20…). It’s just not ME.
I actually decline more product review offers than I accept because (a) I don’t want to “clutter” up my blog content and (b) I want my readers to trust me. 100%. I want them to know that I’m giving them the real deal, all of the time – review post or not.
This is precisely why I will usually decline reviews for medications (we’re kind of anti-medicinal around here), baby DVDs (we rarely watch TV), and low-fat/fat-free snack items (yucky!). I will, however, accept products that help me cuddle a baby and type one-handed more effectively…or that help my hair not to be so frizzy in pictures (since I clearly need help in that department):
Note: This picture was completely “unstaged.” No make-up. No fixing of the hair. No moving away from my “favorite spot” on the couch. This is me in true colors.
Topics: blogging | 22 Comments »
July 19th, 2009 at 4:58 am
Ahh great tips! I have a few ideas of companies I would like to contact down the road. Since starting my blog, I have had a few opportunities to review products some I have accepted and some I haven’t. I also am picky about what I will accept.
Thanks for sharing the links. I joined Mom Central a while back but don’t get anything from them. I’ll be sure to check out the others.
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July 19th, 2009 at 7:17 am
All of these posts have been great, Steph! (And they’re getting closer to convincing me to start mine…) Thanks!
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July 19th, 2009 at 7:27 am
thank you for all the tips!
i love that picture too–you are queen of muli-tasking!
(and i remember last year at blogher thinking “wow, she can type so fast with just one hand!” Now, I know why!) :)
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July 19th, 2009 at 8:27 am
“Don’t sell your soul for a 3-pack of juice boxes” Preach it, sista.
I’ve seen mom bloggers get crazy excited to review (get for free) the smallest things. I want more bloggers to realize their worth, the worth of their blog, and the worth and value of their readers.
I rarely do a review. Not that reviews are a bad thing, but I’m just not easily impressed or excited by something for free. I’m so busy in my personal/business life that it would take a lot (right now) to get me off my ‘review behind’ and write one up. lol
And I love the picture of you and your baby. You look fantastic without makeup and hair a muss.
Nell
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July 19th, 2009 at 8:57 am
When I first started, I’d take anything. Honestly…I was really caught up in the excitement…
And then I realized the same thing you did…and this is the question I TRY to ask myself all the time when offered a product. Would I buy this? If I were at Target or wherever and saw it on the shelf…would I buy it….if the answer is no, then I must turn it down…..
Do you know how much you ROCK? Great great post (all of them actually!)
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July 19th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Great post! I’ve just received my first offer to review a product and I’ve been sitting on it giving it some thought and this post along with reader comments has been very helpful! Thanks so much!
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July 19th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Those are great suggestions, really a great series of posts overall. I have always been interested in doing reviews but had no idea really where to start. Thanks I’m going to check those sites out.
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July 19th, 2009 at 11:08 am
I **really** appreciate that you’re being true to yourself on this blog. It makes me much more likely to stick around, after all, since the reason I started visiting your blog regularly is because I felt like I had a lot of lifestyle similarities with you.
Also, I just had to say that I love your candid picture. You look just as gorgeous there, IMO, as any made-up planned-for picture. And *that’s* a treasure!
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July 19th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
You look fantastic! And, oh, how I’m missing having a teeny baby curled up on my shoulder. Sigh….
Great post. I think it’s especially fabulous that you’re setting an example for other bloggers by being true to yourself.
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July 19th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Great posts…. sooooo informative! Great pics!
Your a mac girl too!!! Awesome!
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July 19th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
These are fun to read because I’d love to do reviews, but don’t have the time or blog followership(?)! One question I have is, if you review an item and totally don’t like it at all, do you tell the company first or just write your review and then tell people what you really think. I don’t know if I’ve ever come across a review of an item that was not liked at all. Just curious. Thanks!
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July 20th, 2009 at 8:07 am
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with us. I would love to hear your “top secret formula” one of these days!
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July 21st, 2009 at 9:22 pm
When I first started blogging I was really, really excited about the opportunities to review things and get stuff for free and so was willing to take anything offered. That wore off pretty quick. Now I only go for things that:
a) I would buy if I could afford it (i.e. I’d never spend $300 for a purse, but I would spend it on a fancy shmancy kitchen gadget so… I wouldn’t review a $300 purse, but I would review a $300 blender if I were ever offered the chance because if I could afford it I wouldn’t think twice about spending $300 on a really awesome blender.)
b) It’s valuable enough to make the review worth my time – no more juice box or cleaning product reviews from me
c) or… if the product just really sparks my interest I’ll take it to review even if it doesn’t meet the first two criteria – I can’t think of an example for this point but the possibility is always there – you offer something that makes me curious enough and I’ll take you up on the offer to review it.
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July 26th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
love that last picture. i have a special spot where i can feed baby and type one handed in a old hand me down Ikea chair. :)
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August 2nd, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Great tips for getting into the review business. I am in the initial phase of starting my own web site. Thanks and good luck.
Chuck Urrea
Outsiderep.com
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August 5th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Great tips – and what a comfy spot!!! :)
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August 12th, 2009 at 5:10 am
What a great post! I have been reviewing products lately and hosting giveaways, although in a very limited manner due to my location (I live in Dubai, UAE). I say, I salute you for being so truthful and so transparent in your product reviews. You’re one of a kind!
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August 12th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Hi,
I am actually on the other end. I am looking for bloggers to review our software. So if any of you bloggers out there would like to review our software, I’d love to speak with you. Please email me: johanna@gotobilling.com
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September 13th, 2009 at 10:56 am
This is truly one of the most helpful posts I have found -to date, for this topic. I can’t thank you enough. I have signed up with the sites you recommend, and look forward to what comes next.
Also, I love your insight and the bit about “not selling your soul for a juice box”. It’s true that I trust the reviewers that “don’t clutter” their content more than others.
THANKS AGAIN!
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October 5th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Great post!
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April 22nd, 2010 at 8:08 pm
This was a great read. I have just started blogging and am looking to do reviews as well. I have found two companies and am not having luck finding others. I will try asking more and see if that helps.
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April 26th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
This is really awesome. Thanks for the tips. I already have a book review blog for almost a year and a half now but I decided to venture out more and now I am a new Product Reviewer. I just launch my blog today and I am scouring tips from blogs like yours. I do not want to embarrass myself too much and researching is key :)
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