I’ve talked a lot about being honest and fair, so here are a couple of quick ways to spot a bad blog review and go looking for something better (my blog might be a good place to start – wink wink):
- The blogger has obviously cut and pasted most of the content directly from the brand’s web site.
- The blogger has only published stock photos and none of their own showing the product in use.
- The blogger’s photos are very small, of poor quality or there aren’t enough of them.
- The blogger’s grammar and spelling are bad, or the writing style is of poor quality.
- The blogger makes claims that can’t be substantiated: “Although I haven’t tried their stain remover yet, I bet it’s just as fantastic as the detergent!”
- The blogger makes a lot of emotional statements (“Isn’t this just the cutest dress?” or “The motor oil is absolutely amazing!”) but little or no practical assessments (“After repeated washings, the fabric still looks like new” or “The shoes seem to run small so I suggest buying a size up.”)
- The bloggers doesn’t give any useful product specifications (measurements, size, capacity, quantity, etc).
- The blogger hasn’t tested the product long enough, or in the proper fashion, to give an accurate assessment (for example, she used the detergent only once or tried the wood soap on her tile floors).
Here’s what I hope you can take away from my post today:
Every type of review has its advantages and disadvantages. Becoming aware of that, and learning to weed out the good and the bad, can help you become a truly savvy shopper.
Did I miss any good tips? Please share.
Don’t forget to read Part 1 – Can You Really Trust Blog Reviews?
Check out! Tough decision deciding; Renting Space vs. Wholesale vs. Consignment.
Since blog reviews are so very subjective by their nature, I don’t find it to be reliable unless there’s at least ONE flaw mentioned. Nothing is perfect. (I know it’s silly, but if it’s presented as everything is perfect wine and roses, I wonder what’s not mentioned.)
I totally agree with all of this, and I tend to stop reading a post when I see many of these things (ESPECIALLY the poor grammar/spelling). Granted, I make typos. My Mother texts me within minutes of publishing with things like “Spelling error, paragraph 3.” (I love how she doesn’t actually TELL me the error and makes me find it.)
Sometimes it can be hard, as a reviewer, to share the things you liked less about a product because you feel like that is letting down your sponsor. I disagree, since a sponsor will benefit from readers taking your assessment seriously!