If you have the most amazing product in the world, but no one knows about it, is it still successful? In today’s world, everything is publicized, and your “silent tree” product would most likely go unnoticed. To avoid this disappointing scenario, use product reviews as your brand megaphone to increase your sales and secure your business longevity. Since you’ll have to sing for your supper with hard-to-get reviews, let’s start with a killer recipe.

Who, what, when and where – right now!

OK, you have the product and it’s great. Now what? It’s time to start talking. And yes, it is ironic that your “shortlist” of potential reviewers will (and should) take a long time to craft. Start building your list by answering the following questions:

• What established print publications should your product be in? (Include magazines and newspapers that span national, local, and niche markets.)
• What blogs should you target? (Remember that this is now a far-reaching space encompassing everything from influencers to specific product review sites.)
• What video bloggers need to know your name? These people are becoming huge in today’s world and have impressive credibility that needs to be tapped.

Once you’ve targeted the desired home for your review, find the specific person that’s the gatekeeper to making it happen. If you send your story to an online submission form, it’s almost guaranteed that this move will be as successful as sending a paper message in a bottle. Be proactive instead:

• Find the person that is in charge of your beat and get his/her email and phone number. Yes, it can be hard to find this information, but put on your detective hat and take to the web, or call the front desk for a legit contact source.
• Before you reach out to any reporter or writer, familiarize yourself with their work. Don’t stop at an article published last week – go back and cover a year of content. With a thorough background check, you’ll better understand who they are, what they like, what irks them, and what products make their lives better.

Now that you understand your reviewer, it’s time for the pitch. This can be pretty daunting, so it’s important to remember that this is not the place for an information dump. Simple and straightforward emails will give you the highest possibility of a response. Here’s a very basic successful pitch guide:

• Good subject line: Make it quick and to the point. Consider adding a question mark (i.e. “Product for your June summer round-up issue?”) to pique the interest of someone scanning through a packed inbox.
• Introduce yourself: In one sentence explain who you are and why you matter.
• Dangle the bait: What is your product and why is it worth their time? Keep this to a couple of sentences.
• Make it actionable: In one line, ask when and where you can mail the product and what other things you can provide.
• Add relevant timing they can’t refuse: Is there an upcoming event (like a holiday or national-themed day) that your product review could be paired with? Writers and editors crave cohesive issues that can intertwine relevant and overlapping content. Highlight this connection in the initial pitch.
• Close it up: Make sure you provide your contact details and provide a specific timeframe for follow-up within the next couple of days. Make this a friendly and quick sentence wrap-up.

The follow-up is a delicate dance, drifting between the fine lines of being proactive without being a nuisance. Keep it friendly and light, always holding the position that you are helping them through this great product review. Answer any questions they have right away, and make sure you find out specific timing for the press date. Sometimes online content is posted weeks before the print hits the shelves and you’ll need to be prepared.

Once this positive review is in your hands, it’s off to the races to extend your impact! Take on these next steps with vigor:

• Write a press release.
• Put the article (scanned PDF) and appropriate links on your website press page and on the specific product listing page.
• Decorate your social media pages with the good news and make these posts different for each medium, especially utilizing photos/quotes for the more visual vehicles like Twitter and Facebook.
• Get other blogs and writers to post this positive review on their own sites.

Met with enthusiasm from the masses, your sales will (hopefully) increase in response. Is your inventory ready? Make sure you can fully accommodate this bump in demand, preparing extra products well in advance of publication. The last thing you want to give potential new first-time customers is a backorder status.

All the places a review will go!

A good product review is deeply valuable, and you owe some gratitude to the person that published it. Reach out to your writer/reporter on a regular basis, not just when you need something. Send this person hot tips and insider information from within your industry (not company-specific) without asking for a favor in return. This goodwill will go a long way and you can quickly become part of their short-list, a truly advantageous place to be for future product releases and company news.

Remember, a shining product review is the best pitching tool you have! In fact, once you nab a great review, start the entire pitching process all over again! Use this review as credibility to secure even bigger and better reviews from publications and people that you might have assumed were out-of-reach. Keep building the momentum and leverage every bit out of this review. You will quickly find the long-lasting impact of a good report card far exceeds the initial 5-star rating. 

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