You know you’re an able writer, you’re good at researching on the web, yet somehow you feel it’s not right to review products you haven’t used yourself.
Look, forget the naysayers who claim you must have actually used a product to review it.
We know it sounds logical, but let’s face it – who’s going to send you products for review if you’re just starting out as an affiliate marketer?
Moreover, there is no way you can afford to buy each and every product you intend on reviewing when you’re yet to make money from your venture.
So, what’s the solution?
How do you write reviews for your affiliate site that don’t scream FAKE and gives your audience the impression that you’re only after money?
We’ll explain everything in this guide.
Things you’ll learn in this guide
• How to use the AIDA model to write affiliate reviews
• The mistakes that make your blog look like a scam and how to avoid them
• The power of images in boosting authority and getting more conversions
Some Ground Rules For Your Reviews
Physical Products
Obviously, the best case is to actually use the product and base your review on that.
If you do not physically try out the product, then you at the very least need to do some heavy research. Remember, your audience may end up parting with their hard earned money based on what you tell them; you owe it to them. 
Don’t lie to them.
Don’t ever claim that you personally used the item.
Understand how the product works, what it does and the benefits – follow the AIDA formula below.
A great source would be third party reviews – e.g Amazon, Ebay, Walmart,Google Shopping, etc. You can check other review sites but be careful because they may be promoting the product as an affiliate, so could be biased.
Digital Products
Be very careful here. I will not review a digital product unless I have personally tried it out
You should follow the same practice, particularly if it’s a product in the “make money online” niche or some kind of self-improvement course. For some of these products, you can get a free trial and if you can utilize that, then that may help.
To give you just one example why I don’t review digital products that I haven’t tried – there was one product that appealed to me both as something I could use and also with an eye to writing a review, so I checked it 
out starting with the reviews already posted. The first FIVE pages of Google results were almost all extremely positive – all were recent, but the product was very new also. I checked for a guarantee and signed up as it was fairly cheap.
What I walked into was possibly the “scammiest” item that I had ever seen! (I’ll review it very soon as I feel it’s my duty) If I had sent anybody to that site, I couldn’t live with myself. So there.
By the way, I got my money back, probably because I paid with PayPal, and I now have great information for a review post.
Now, let’s get on with this article.
Using The AIDA Model
AIDA stands for Attention Interest Desire Action
The AIDA is a time-tested marketing strategy that helps marketers communicate with their audience in a way that creates a sense of desire, leads them to take action, and make profit as a result.
The system sets up a funnel with the intention of making people buy a product as the final goal.
The AIDA begins with brand awareness; it then gradually builds interest in the potential buyers and entices them to take the last step of buying a product, subscribing to a service, etc.
But how do you put this idea into use?
To demonstrate, we’re going to pretend that you’re selling vacuum cleaners for pet hair as an Amazon affiliate. This is roughly how the AIDA model will apply in your case:
1. Attention
From the moment a visitor lands on your site, you have just a few seconds to capture his or her attention.
To do this, make sure you start by writing an eye grabbing short sentence that is quickly consumable.
Ditch the old methods of writing paragraph after paragraph as an introduction. People just don’t have the time to go through it all nowadays.Well, they do but mostly they just can’t be bothered.
Since you’re going to be targeting people with dogs and cats, more precisely people who are having problems with cleaning pet hair, it is important to take with an empathetic approach.
What not to do: don’t even think about showing pets in a negative light. Your audience won’t appreciate that.
Instead, introduce the concept of vacuum cleaner for pet hair and how it will make their life easier.
2. Interest
Now that you’ve got your audience’s attention, it’s time to build up an interest in the product you’re selling.
People like to buy, but hate being sold to, so focus on genuinely solving the problem instead of pushing your affiliate product.
Remember: people only buy stuff that they think would solve their problem or buy stuff that they have a deep desire for.
If you’re going to tap into their emotions or logic, you have to really dig deep into the mechanisms of vacuum cleaners and explain how they’ll help in maintaining a clean home.
3. Desire
To create a desire in the hearts of people, you have to appeal to their emotion.
While a vacuum cleaner might not be the best product to evoke emotions, you can still market your product by showing how it is superior to many others in the industry.
Again, the necessity of solving a problem takes priority above all else. Here are two ideas that you can use to generate interest in pet hair vacuum cleaners:
• Do comparative reviews with your competitor brand and show how your product is superior
• Use testimonials to show how other pet cleaners are happy with using your product
4. Action
If you have done all the three steps correctly, your affiliate product review should be leading them to a Call-to-Action (CTA) and urge them to buy through your link.
Instead of putting “Buy Now” in your Amazon affiliate button, you can consider using less pushy alternatives like “Check Out Price on Amazon” or “See Best Price.”
Amazon works great for affiliates (even though their commission is relatively small) because they have an enormous authority in the eCom marketplace. Above all, the “Amazon cookie” works in your favour so even if they opt for a different vacuum, you will probably still get a commission. Getting your reader to Amazon is half the job.
Mistakes to avoid that make your blog look like a scam
You know what, we’re going to make this simple as possible and give you a seven point checklist.
Here we go:
- Avoid salesy language at all costs. People can tell who is trying to sell them what.
- Don’t try to play it safe by following the layouts and patterns of your competitors. If you make “just another affiliate site,” then your audience will find something else that is unique.
- Don’t procrastinate on the research phase because the impact your reviews will have depends on the knowledge you have on those products.
- Don’t just review top rated products as that’ll give the impression that you’re trying to make sales. You should review some inferior products also following the exact same guidelines we show you here, except your opinion will not be a particularly positive one. Your Call to action should maybe point them to an alternative product, preferably another one you have reviewed elsewhere.
- Don’t rate every product 5/5, hoping your audience will buy just about anything you recommend.
- Don’t miss out on the opportunity to quote industry experts and authority sites as that’ll help you boost legitimacy.
The power of images in boosting conversions
If you want your affiliate reviews to make the most impact, you’re going to have to use images liberally to retain attention and drive people to take action.
So, make use of infographics, images of stats and data, customer testimonials, product images, etc. and scatter them throughout your review.
You’ll be surprised to find out how much of a difference they make in boosting time on page. The longer you can hold your audience’s attention, the better are your chances of making sales.
You can either create infographics yourself using a tool like Canva or order one off fiverr.com for cheap.
The use of quality images in your blog posts can help establish you as a trusted authority instead of some hack trying to make a few quick bucks.
The Bottom Line
Writing affiliate product reviews is not tough; it’s just time consuming if you take into account the time spent on research. Remember, don’t skimp on the research because whether you buy the product yourself or not, you need to offer a valuable service to your readers.
Remember to utilize independent reviews.
If the manufacturer claims that their product will, for example, lift pet hair from your carpet, then that is something I look for in the comments/reviews.
I won’t bother with an article if there are less than about 300 reviews on Amazon, for example, because it shows there is demand and also you can find enough solid evidence from that many. I will also read at least that many reviews. The Amazon reviews are generally the fairest because Amazon, as I well know, tends to favor the purchaser and are very tough on sellers of poor products. If the seller receives a bad review, it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to erase it.
Remember, the public is well informed and you are in effect channeling a lot of information into one article so you are providing a service. Don’t lie and say you have used something when you haven’t. Also, never quote directly from or copy an Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, or any other review.
I use the phrase “based on our research, we find X to be a quality product, find out more here (add the link).
So, the next time you’re about to write a review keep the tips of our guide in mind. We promise that the process will become a whole lot easier.
It’s unfortunate that most people just go ahead writing reviews on products that they’ve not tried. I believe that’s a very bad idea because it can lead people to getting products that end up being a total loss after you recommended it. Being original and trustworthy would help you in your affiliate world.
Hi Dhayours:
Thanks for your comment. Yes, there is a difference between writing a review on a product and writing a review and recommending a product if you have not tried it. What I try and do is to take the third party reviews and check them against the manufacturer’s information for the same product.
If the manufacturer claims that their product will, for example, lift pet hair from your carpet, then that is what I look for in the comments/reviews.
I won’t bother with an article if there is less than about 200 reviews on Amazon, for example, because it shows there is demand and also you can find enough solid evidence from that many reviews. I will also read at least that many reviews. The Amazon reviews are generally the fairest because Amazon, as I well know, tend to favour the purchaser and are very tough on sellers of poor products. If the seller receives a bad review, it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to erase it.
I use the phrase “based on our research, we find X to be a quality product, find out more here (add the link).
If you feel uneasy, don’t write the article.
Remember, the public is well informed and you are in effect channeling a lot of information into one article so you are providing a service.
The introduction to this post really got my attention. I just feel a kind of guilt trying to sell a product I haven’t actually used. Feels like I’m giving a fake review. I’ll keep the AIDA tip in mind next time I write a product review. This one of the reasons I love wealthy affiliate, there’s just so much to learn .
Thanks for sharing
Thanks Louis:
Feeling guilt is natural and I feel the same way. Be yourself and do what you feel is best.
I just added the following to my article since I posted it originally to give a little more context:
“I won’t bother with an article if there is less than about 300 reviews on Amazon, for example, because it shows there is demand and also you can find enough solid evidence from that many. I will also read at least that many reviews. The Amazon reviews are generally the fairest because Amazon, as I well know, tend to favour the purchaser and are very tough on sellers of poor products. If the seller receives a bad review, it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to erase it.
Remember, the public is well informed and you are in effect channeling a lot of information into one article so you are providing a service”.
Thank you for the information. I just started doing affiliate marketing and haven’t write a product review page. I’m planning to write one today, but still not certain what is the best format to write it. There are lots of suggestions here and I will be sure to read and research all products I plan write about. What would you suggest how many products should I review on one post? Could you provide a link with an example of a product review?
Hi Shellykh:
If doing a “comparison review” I tend to stick to 3 or 4. Sometimes a good post is with just 2 products, where you can do a direct comparison between the two – e.g, IPhone vs Samsung Galaxy.
Here is an excellent review article that reviews several comparable items:
https://www.startstanding.org/…
The best strategy is to check within your own niche. If your niche is “hiking backpacks”, then google “best hiking backpack reviews”. Check the results and get some ideas to see what kind of information is put out there – I still like the AIDA as a base as far as getting your information across.
Thanks
Can you give me an example of AIDA writing style? Am I asking too much? This is the area that I need to definitely practice more and write a better review. Another question, do you like writing a long review (1,000 words and up) or a short review ( less than 1,000 words). The reason that I asked is that when I write my reviews, they are always long but when I think about reading other people’s reviews, if they get too long, I tend to skim it or skip it completely. Maybe it is just me and my attention span. Want to hear a second opinion. Thanks
Thank you for getting in touch. I will get an AIDA style review to you – I’ll send it to you separately..
My reviews are rarely less than 1,000 words in length, even if it’s only one product.
There are two types of review that I write – one is the the single product review that goes into great detail. This would most often be an AIDA style review.
I find a long article is necessary for digital products especially, because people need more information and convincing to part with their money if it’s not a physical product. Most physical products can easily be returned (especially if buying through Amazon) so they are more likely to say, “well if I don’t like it, I can always take it or send it back”. They don’t think the same way about digital goods, they don’t trust them as much.
For digital products, you must grow the trust – that is why i never promote them unless I have tried it.
The other type I write are the “comparison” or “compilation” reviews, where I review two or three products in the same post. These are easier to write because you really only compare a few different products and concentrate on the actual features that each one has, such as speed, weight, reliability, what each one does, how it fits, etc.
If you want a good “authority” review, then expand one of these comparison reviews to write 1,000 words on each product so that you have a 2 or 3,000 word article. Google likes long articles because it can help give the impression that you know what you are talking about (authority).
Personally, if I am interested in something, I want as much information as possible.
The dilemma of actually making use of a product before writing a review of it is considered a nightmare for a lot bloggers. We all feel it is unethical promoting something you have actually not used. While there might be some truth in this the fact is that you cannot make use of every single product out there. It is just not possible.
Shoppers know this so it is important that we as bloggers don’t think this way and try lieing to our visitors. We can be honest and review the products the right way and the visitors would know that we are been honest.
The AIDA method is a really good one. I have not tried it out and I think I would when next I review a product on my site.
Thanks Jay, you are absolutely correct.
I put the following into a reply to an earlier comment and also added it to my post:-
“I won’t bother with an article if there is less than about 300 reviews on Amazon, for example, because it shows there is demand and also you can find enough solid evidence from that many reviews. I will also read at least that many reviews. The Amazon reviews are generally the fairest because Amazon, as I well know, tend to favour the purchaser and are very tough on sellers of poor products. If the seller receives a bad review, it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to erase it.
I use the phrase “based on our research, we find X to be a quality product, find out more here (add the link).
Remember, the public is well informed and you are in effect channeling a lot of information into one article so you are providing a service.”
Thanks a lot for sharing such instructive and helpful article when it comes to writing product reviews. A lot of people thinks that it is so easy to write a product review and I saw many sites just writing product reviews without any value. I don’t buy products that I review but I do deep research on it and I think that it is the most important thing, trust.
Hi Daniel:
Thanks for your input. Yes, if you’re doing the research, then you are providing a service. I still avoid digital products though. Physical products purchased through Amazon are easily returned.
Attention Interest Desire Action. This Acronym alone has already made the work easier and I am gaining some confidence already prior to the series of reviews am going to write soon as I build my website because I just joined Wealthy affiliates few weeks ago. Wealthy affiliates have made me understand a lot about internet and affiliates marketing. Thanks for sharing this information.
You are welcome Kenechi:
I hope you find it helpful and I wish you every success with Wealthy Affiliate – it certainly helped me tremendously with starting my online businesses.
Thanks for sharing this guideline on how to write product reviews.
I already have a website on the health niche and I’m planning to start another one which will be primarily for product reviews. However, I’m not exactly sure how to pull it off because I was told that if I were to write a review on physical products, I’m gonna have to try them out first. And for digital products, I would have join which means I will be spending money. Good if they have a money-back guarantee, otherwise I would be spending a lot of money even before making some.
If I may ask, where do you usually find products to review other than ClickBank? I tried signing up for ClickBank and it turned out that it’s not that easy to get in.
Hi Alice:
To be clear, for general physical products, I do try them out myself, but for those that I can’t, then the easiest way is to use Amazon – it’s quite simple,
Look up products in your niche by going to Amazon (if you want the best sellers, then go to amazon.com/bestsellers) and then click on the category on the left hand side and find products or the specific product you are looking for – for example for health care best sellers, it is https://www.amazon.com/Best-Se…
From there you can see which products are selling. Go through the reviews. Do the same with any other retail website.
If you have not tried the product yourself:
Look for the number of reviews – for myself, I look for at least 300 reviews but for some niches, it can only be 200. I think any less and you can’t be sure that you have sufficient information or independent verification.
If you have tried it, then you don’t need any other reviews – just your opinion but it is good to point out what others are saying.
For digital – You should try Clickbank again – maybe there was a glitch when you tried to sign up. CJ Affiliate is another one (formerly Commission Junction) and maybe Rakuten.
You can also google something like “best online training course for (whatever interests you, writing, web design, guitar lessons, weight loss,etc)” and see if there is one you can get a free trial. To be honest, that is how I found Wealthy Affiliate.
Great post and good info.
My niche is bodybuilding and fitness supplements, so it is already clear I can’t neither afford to buy but also not to try every single product. There are just too many out there.
What I do is investigate with some people how good the product is, we ask to many people, product reviews and so much more, and for that, it gives a complete vision how good it is or how bad.
Anyway, you made a very good point and it will help people. Thanks a lot !
Thanks Emmanuel. Your strategy is excellent also.Good luck.
Online reviews should address the pros and cons of an item, benefit or even an entire brand with the goal that customers comprehend the key selling points just as its market qualities and shortcomings. Just like you pointed out, there is the need to be as honest as conceivable in light of the fact that clients need to ensure the item is the best of its kind before making a purchase.
You are absolutely correct. If someone asks a follow up to a review and ask for my personal experience, I tell them if I have or have not used it. It’s actually only happened once. Again, if I haven’t used it personally, I sum things up with “based on our research, etc” and I gather much more information than I would if I had used it.
Wow! That’s so good content! You are so right about everything!
I just realized how important is to do things in the way you mentioned and also how important is to keep it clear, simple and honest.
I had a look on your other titles and I definitely want to read all your posts.
I feel so lucky I found your website. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Thank you Anna for your kind words. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Good luck to you.
Hello,
My questions are reading your article are the following in the case that I promote digital products as an affiliate.
1 How can I make my opinion as an affiliate on a certain product, not biased?
2 It is useful to first place a review of an information product that is a scam and then recommends another that is a good product?
Thanks for your help! Claudio
Thank you for your comments.
I am assuming that you have tried the products. Due to the sheer volume of review posts, most people reading a “positive” review assume that you have some bias if you are also promoting it.
The best practices to help reduce this bias are:
1. Point out the Pros and Cons – try and find at least a couple of “cons” – I had a hard time with this when I reviewed some products that i believed in strongly, such as Wealthy Affiliate, but you can find them – be nit-picky if you have to.
AIDA – You should focus more on the I in this case – Interest – go heavy on the problem they have and then how the product can solve a problem or problems. If they came to your review because they want the best way to lose weight – losing weight is NOT the problem – the problem is that they are overweight, maybe too lazy and as a result they are suffering. Point out how they will feel better through using your product and how it can help relieve that pain. Let the reader think of that.
You have come up with your own idea for this last part – Another good way to reduce any feeling of bias is to review another product in the same post so you can show comparisons. Your comparison product need not always be a scam though – it may just be not quite as good as the one you wish to promote.
The second point of your comment is a good strategy. Again, you can show the pain caused by someone falling for the scam and show the benefits of your product.
I have never been very good in PRODUCT reviews but you have put a new perspective on how to go about it is always good to learn new ways but you have provided very vital information that I have been missing all the way I do hope to improve and be better thanks to this review I have learned well.
Thank you Charles. Please read some of the earlier comments and responses also. you may find something else that will help. All the best to you.
Good evening Joey,
I thought this was an interesting post as I have been wondering how to review without buying the product. So there your post was very helpful.
I agree to be honest with your reader is of utmost importance. To check third-party reviews is a good tip.
Attention: Keep it short as most people are in a hurry
Interest: Tap into their emotions
Desire: build up their desire for this particular product.
Action: The soft push approach
Good that you have this list of mistakes one has to avoid. I agree with you, one needs images to keep the attention of your visitors, only text is boring. Thank you for all this information I now feel well prepared for my first review.
Regards,Taetske
Thanks Taetske for your comment. Your summary of AIDA is also excellent.
Hi! Thank you very much for your advice concerning writing reviews. I must admit I have fallen in some of the things you mention here.
Concerning reviewing digital products, I agree with you. It is unacceptable to write about them without testing them ourselves. We are going to save time to our readers, but to do so, we must write having our own experience with the digital product.
Concerning physical products, our review could be based on research.
I have a question: How do you find products to review? Where do you get your ideas from what people are interested in and what they are not interested in?
Hi Henry, thank you for your comments.
For finding products in your niche, Amazon is a great resource because it is the biggest market in the western world and it’s no use promoting something that doesn’t sell. To find the top sellers, go to amazon.com/bestsellers, then look for the category on the left hand side of the screen. You will find what is selling, along with all the reviews.
Use Amazon as a search engine. In Amazon, i keyed in the search bar “treatments for back pain” – over 8,000 products showed up!
Also, look for chat boards or forums in the niche – just google “(your niche) forums”, check them out and see what people are talking about. As an example, I just googled “photography forums” and the first one has a section devoted to new equipment, gadgets, along with problems people are having and what you need to correct it.
Facebook groups are another place. You will see what people are promoting there.
Pinterest is another great resource. Just key in your niche, subject, or problem in the search bar and you will be hit with tons of ideas and products.
Hope this helps.