DISCLOSURE

*DISCLOSURE* This site contains affiliated links that compensate me if you click and buy through said links. I also receive free or discounted products in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own and are prohibited to be copied or used in any way!

How to Become a Reviewer

***UPDATE 10/6/2016***
Due to recent Amazon policy changes, they are no longer allowing users to post reviews when offered 'free or discounted products'. They are only allowing these sort of reviews that will come from their Amazon Vine Program, which is an invitation only program. If you want to continue reviewing items for sellers, you may not post reviews on the Amazon listing stating that you received the product for free or at a discount in exchange for your review. You are allowed, however, to received these items from sellers and if you so choose, post a review on your blog or on your social media accounts. But you must provide your disclosure to be in good standing according to FTC guidelines.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So... you have an interest in becoming a product reviewer? Curious of what it is all about? You must have questions. How do I start? How do I get free stuff? It looks easy, but it looks too good to be true! 

All of these are great questions. I can help you get started doing product reviews, but you must take into consideration that this hobby takes time, honesty, and commitment. It's sort of like a job if you want to continue being a reviewer. I will try to be quite detailed for you so please, bare with me.

First, what is this all about? Well, there are millions of sellers Amazon just trying to build their business and become successful. When you are comparing items, most of you would look at the reviews of each item to help make your decision on which is the better product. Well, that's where we come in. Anyone can review an item if they have an Amazon account. But, there are sellers who give customers a product at little to no cost in exchange for their honest opinion and post their review onto their amazon product page. This helps their customers with their buying process. Yes, anyone can do it. But not everyone will stick to it and most importantly, you must be loyal and give a review as you promised.

Okay, now, let me get the hard part out of the way. When people ask me how to get started, this is the first thing I tell them and they usually back out. Remember when I said you have to be committed? This is why.
9 times out of 10 you will be ordering a product off of Amazon. If you order a bunch of products, shipping can get expensive. Which is why it is recommended that you sign up for Amazon Prime (AP). It is a yearly membership that you can take advantage of great perks such as:

*Free 2-day shipping
*Free access to Amazon Prime Music, Photo, and Video
*Kindle lenders library
*Access to great deals for Prime Members only

I absolutely love having Prime. I used to use eBay for everything and now I barely remember that eBay exists!! 
It is a membership, so there is a fee. It is a $99/year fee. 
Trust me, if you really want to be a reviewer and receive free stuff, it's well worth it. You will gain so much more than just $99 if you stick to it! Plus you get all of those extra great perks I mentioned! But most importantly, many sellers REQUIRE you to have Amazon Prime in order to receive their products. 

If you would like to sign up, please use my referral link below:
(DISCLOSURE: I receive compensation from Amazon if you sign up through my link above)

Are you still with me? GREAT!!!
After you sign up for Amazon Prime, you need to gain a little experience so that sellers know they can count on you for giving good, honest reviews. Take a few things that you have bought before on Amazon and give your review of them. Do as many as you can and on everything you have ordered from Amazon. Here is a list of tips to remember when writing your reviews and being compliant with Amazon's rules:
  • Be descriptive.
  • Don't use too many !!!!!!!
  • Use correct spelling and grammar. 
  • Do not review items the same day you receive them.
  • Write more than 75 words. 
  • Don't write anything about your experience with the seller. (There's seller feedback for that!)
  • Give positives AND negatives.
  • Don't give every product 5 stars. Not all products are perfect. And Amazon may see you as a fake profile and wipe your account. 
  • Update reviews if necessary. 
  • Provide quality photos or video when you can. 
  • If something is wrong with the product, do not write a review about it before you contact the seller to render the mistake. 
  • DO NOT resell any products you receive! If you are caught, you will have your account wiped.
  • NO COPYING ANY OTHER REVIEWS! All reviewers work hard on their reviews and it is unfair if someone is stealing their hard work. 
  • MUST(UPDATE 10/6/16)DO NOT INCLUDE DISCLOSURE IN YOUR REVIEW!!! Ex. "I received this product for free/at a discount in exchange for my honest and unbiased review." Or something to that effect. You will be in violation of Amazon's new policies. If you must write a review, I suggest using your blog or social media instead of Amazon. DO NOT let a seller convince you that it's okay to write it on Amazon with a disclosure. Just to be safe, stick to your blog. 

Also, you must continue to purchase other items on Amazon without the use of discount codes. Your account may be wiped if all you order are free products. 

To get started, here is a list of review sites that I find give you the best options for products at deep discounts or for free. Eventually, sellers will come to you to review their products. Until you get to that point, try these first:



JumpSend.com - Another favorite

Uberzon.com - Emails product offers. They go fast!

CheapDealMagic.com - Emails product offers. Product limit. (Formerly BecauseIReview.com)

iLoveToReview.com - Emails product offers. 

SnagShout.com - One product at a time

VipOn.com - My Favorite

There are many more, but this is my top 6 list. For some of these, you may be responsible for turning in order forms. That is also the case if you join Facebook groups for reviewers. Search for some if you are interested in that. (UPDATE 10/6/16) Recently, these sites have changed their policies after Amazon changed theirs. They will no longer require reviews for discounts. This also means it may be tougher to get 'free' products.


The rest will come to you. Just do your best and don't accept every offer that comes your way. Review items that you WANT to review so you can give them your best review. 

I hope this has helped, be sure to check out my other posts to get an idea for how to write product reviews. :)

No comments:

Post a Comment