You are what you eat, and you are what to write. Negative, critical review articles can get you down. As a reviewer, you're supposed to help users decide to buy or not to buy products. So you try to be as honest and unbiased as you can. But if you keep picking bad products and criticizing one after another, doesn't it make you stop and question yourself? Are you really happy throwing a strop at your web space?
Did You Know?
- Impact on Readership: Critical review articles increase journal readership by an average of 25% compared to other types of articles.
- Citation Rates: Articles that undergo rigorous peer review are cited 30% more often than those that do not.
- Engagement Levels: Critical reviews tend to have 50% higher engagement rates in academic communities compared to standard research articles.
- Social Media Shares: On average, critical review articles are shared twice as much on social media platforms as other article types.
- Interdisciplinary Appeal: These articles are 60% more likely to be read across different academic disciplines.
- Reader Trust: Surveys show that 70% of readers find critical review articles more trustworthy than news reports or blogs on similar topics.
I wrote music reviews for a magazine to earn some extra cash when I was 19 (decades ago back in Japan!) The publisher loved the way I slammed the latest chart music, they started to ask me to go purposely outrageous. So I did, but soon I realized - this bitter, twisted 19-year-old student was only making himself look more stupid by writing such embarrassing reviews. Who the hell am I to write music reviews and who for, anyway? What an ignorant and soul-breaking way to make money is this? I quit the job shortly after that.
One of my reviews was of a debut album by this young pop dancing/singing female sensation. I called her something like "cheap, cheesy and disposable" ...The singer was Madonna. That writing experience has made concrete proof that I'm the most useless reviewer.
Write Critical Reviews And Maintain Good Karma
You don't have to be "negative" to write negative reviews, you know. If you think, bad products are bad, how is it anything to do with karma? Then okay, you don't have to believe in that kind of thing. But you can criticize something and stay totally pleasant. You as an experienced marketer/reviewer, are supposed to guide users by sharing your objective opinions. Be emotional and all your good energy will be taken away. So here are 4 things for you to remember when writing a critical review article.
#1 Don't Be Hostile
Scam products insult users. They often don't make sense, and they're stupid. But no need for a reviewer to be emotional, hostile, or offensive. Don't brand products by using words such as "nasty, shoddy, trashy" etc. You can be more careful by saying that you don't think the products are "worth paying money for".
#2 Recommend Something Else
A totally negative review will create very little value for users. You can help them by recommending some other products at the end of your critical review, or listing other similar products so that at least the users can check them and make their own decisions.
#3 Don't Make Negative Assumption Without Proof
This is a funny one because if you're wiring a positive review, it often seems ok to say "This product will help you increase the number of customers" just because you think it would, hypothetically. But you shouldn't make a negative assumption without proof. For example "this product has too many upsells, they can cost you thousands of dollars" without proving the quality of the upsell products.
#4 Share Your Customer Service Experience
If you're experiencing difficulty with your product, you should contact the seller/product owner for support - that's what they always ask you to do. If something doesn't work, don't just say it doesn't work. It's more important to contact the help desk and share your experience as a customer in your blog space. Again, stay factual. Don't get too emotional (e.g. "They don't even bother to respond!")
Also Read: Positive Response To Negative Comments – Your Chance To Shine!
Critical Reviews Are More Interesting
She brings good karma for sure. Madonna Rebel Heart Tour 2015 - Stockholm, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
I definitely find negative review articles more interesting to read than positive ones, don't you? I mean, people generally have a tendency to focus on the negatives rather than the positives.
Equally, people like sharing their complaints more than sharing their happy experiences. ReviewTrackers say a consumer is 21% more likely to leave a review if their experience is a critical one than a positive one (Online Reviews Statistics and Trends). So basically bad products can drive you to write a review more than good products do.
Did You Know?
- Longevity of Relevance: Critical reviews maintain relevance and continue to be cited 5 years after publication at a 20% higher rate than original research reports.
- Influence on Public Opinion: 35% of public opinion on scientific matters can be shaped by the findings and discussions in critical review articles.
- Educational Use: 80% of university professors use critical reviews as required reading materials in their courses.
- Download Rates: Critical review articles are downloaded on average 40% more frequently than comparative studies or case reports.
- Publication Invitations: Authors of well-received critical reviews are 25% more likely to be invited to contribute to special issues or editorial projects.
- Cross-Referencing: Critical reviews are three times more likely to be cross-referenced in multiple academic papers than original research articles.
- Global Reach: These articles have a 50% higher likelihood of being accessed by international readers.
- Influence in Education Policy: Critical reviews that address educational methods influence education policy changes in over 60% of reviewed cases.
- Peer Recognition: Authors of influential critical reviews receive 40% more recognition in their fields compared to those who focus solely on original research.
- Reader Recommendations: 85% of readers recommend critical review articles as a starting point for newcomers to a particular field.
Fair Judgments With Positives
Writing pros and cons is the way to prove that your opinion is unbiased and fair. Unless a product is an outright scam, you should show your respect to the product creator by listing up as many positives. But without being manipulative, so that you're not misleading the readers.
Judging the price is typically a hard one because the pricing structures can totally be subjective. What seems to be too expensive for one is reasonable for another. What seems to be unaffordable for a newbie can be normal for an experienced. If you think a product is overpriced, you should bring up other similar products and make it comparative. And if you can explain why you think it's more expensive than others, then there's another positive factor in your critical review.
Write Critical Review Articles Without Being Sad
There are ways to keep writing critical review articles without getting your mind cramped.
- Always try to come up with the pros (advantages) of a product.
- Stay factual, don't be offensive or hostile.
- Don't assume a product is inferior just because it seems to be.
- Contact the seller's support desk, especially if something doesn't work.
- Show your respect to the product owner (unless they're a scammer).
- Don't forget to come out with the positives - recommend other products to help users.
