Have product; need a review

Whether you are a large company with big bucks for marketing, or a start-up on a shoestring budget looking for some attention, there is nothing like a product review to gain some market traction.

In the old days, you worked with a PR firm to be placed in a magazine or trade journal. Today, your product can also appear as an informal user review, based on a purchase (on the merchant site), or a little more in-depth coverage in some form of social media or online discussion.

The simple lesson here is that your product can be reviewed by your choice and selection, or at the whim of someone who has no connection to your company. In one instance, you can control, to some degree, the outcome of what is said about the product; in the other case, you will have to accept the opinion of others – the worst of which would be to find yourself in a bit of damage control.

This places new emphasis on not only quality control and innovation, but the customer experience as well. You must be watchful for any write-up that may happen without your prior knowledge. There are numerous opinions about how to answer the negative side of things; some people advocate leaving it alone so as not to stir up more dust.

Encouraging reviews and customer experiences on your own Web site is one way to keep order. Without exercising undue censorship, it is better to have people voice their appreciation or displeasure under your roof, than elsewhere throughout the neighborhood. When the commentary turns negative about your product or service, people gain an appreciation for you and your company by witnessing the way you handle things. Reasonable outcomes that demonstrate fairness toward either party can do a great deal of good, and turn a bad situation into a positive conclusion.

Don’t be shy. If you think you have a product that could use more attention, and possibly a critique along the way, reach out to those who write about such things. They are likely as interested in looking at something new as you are about getting the word out about your product or service. But, avoid the ‘blast PR’ strategy of sending out generic press releases or marketing hype as an invitation to do a review or solicit an interview with company execs. Take the time to write something that shows you understand their audience. It’s no different than a freelance writer pitching a story idea; read the publication, first.

p.s. Regular readers and subscribers are aware of my curiosity for why things work the way they do, and how companies compete in the marketplace. The reviews and interviews I have done in this blog are the result of my own personal experience with a purchase or use, something has caught my eye or I stumbled upon it by accident, a reader sends me a note about their own experience, or a company has sent a product to me for testing and evaluation. The range of products varies a great deal. Whether it is a new software application, or something to complete a DIY project, I am always up for a test drive – be it my own motivation and need, or something I think will be of interest to you.