One common form of Web 2.0 marketing is publishing users’ product reviews. Amazon.com is one of the largest sites that practices this marketing technique. Not only are readers’ reviews published on the product page, but visitors who read the reviews may rate the review as helpful or unhelpful. And thus, a ranking system is born for the reviewers who generate content for Amazon’s enormous website.
However, not all is well, according to Slate’s Garth Hallberg, who penned his suspicions about Amazon’s reviewer ranking system in “Who is Grady Harp?” One reason Hallberg has a problem with the ethics of Amazon’s reviewer ranking system is that there is evidence that reviewers agree to secret alliances where they give each favorable ratings.
There is something fishy going on here. Harriet Klausner, Amazon’s top reviewer, claims to have exceptional speed-reading skills. But would you really believe in a reviewer who claims to read an average of 45 books a week? Probably not.
If you are generating content in this manner, try to approve content that sounds reasonably trustworthy. Or if you are trying to write a product review yourself, here are a few tips on how to make a worthy contribution:
1. Use language that is proportional to the quality of the product.
“It is a glorious achievement for the culinary arts.” If you are writing about a great jam, for example, this statement would sound overblown and flowery. Avoid language that makes you sound like a corporate shill masquerading as a simple customer.
2. Provide a rationale.
So, why did you like or dislike a product or service? Giving a reason makes your argument easier to swallow. As opposed to simply saying “This lipstick sucked,” explain how so. “The lipstick dried out my lips and rubbed off in five minutes” would help supply a more thoughtful review.
3. Consider your audience.
Think about the people who would be interested in reading your review. Write the review with your audience in mind. If you review a book of a scientific nature on a general website, for example, you should take care to avoid excessive jargon. Also, if the product itself only appeals to a certain demographic, you should mention this regardless of your personal opinion on the worth of the product.
One Comment
You write very well.