Good Or Bad Reviews Can and Will Make You Money

by Ken Leatherman

Posted: 13 years ago 22 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

The one thing you must do before you market any affiliate recommendation to your list is to do your due diligence on the product before you promote it. Once you have done the review of the product then and only then send to your list. A "Good or Bad Review".

"Ken, why in the world would I do a "Bad Review? I'm in this game to make money not lose money."

That's right! "Good or Bad". By doing so you will reinforce your personal integrity with your list. You may lose more than a few affiliate commissions, when doing a bad review, during the launch or afterwords, but when your next "Good" review, provided of course it is a good product and has merit, in my opinion, you will more than make up the lost revenue from a "Bad" review.

You need to remember that the "lifetime value" of each member on your list could run into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Over the last 2 and a half years, I have seen this borne out with my own list, month after month. Why risk your personal integrity and all that money over a few fast bucks on launch day?

Please take into consideration that your "Bad Review" should not be a scathing, name calling personal attack on the creator of the product. If you do that you may end up in a "Slander and Defamation Lawsuit". I'm not a lawyer and not even sure that is a legal term

; so whatever you do don't take that as legal advice. Instead base your review on the actual product itself.

I would like to say this is my own brilliant idea, but frankly its not. Jeremy Kelsall reminded me of this in a recent thread . He sent me an e-Mail last night and pointed to the thread. Thanks Jeremy.

Ken

The Old Geezer

#bad #good #make #money #reviews

Steadyon 13 years ago

Most affiliates I come across don't even bother knowing about the product before they try to sell it.
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Michael Oksa 13 years ago

WHOA! Hold on there a minute, Mr. Leatherman!

Do you need another cup of coffee. I think you need to clear out a few cobwebs.

Are you SERIOUSLY suggesting, that we...

.

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.

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BE HONEST?

If so, then I agree wholeheartedly.

Good reminder for everybody.

All the best,
Michael
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Leslie B 13 years ago

Here's someone else agreeing Ken. I'd rather make less money and be honest, then make a lot of money by deceiving people

Leslie
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- cryptone24 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Leslie B
  
  Here's someone else agreeing Ken. I'd rather make less money and be honest, then make a lot of money by deceiving people
  
  Leslie
  
  Leslie, that the best statement I have read on here in a while. Trust me, knowing that are being honest about a product will give you a loyal following because it is so rare.
  
  Another thing is also to never over promote a product. Give a good interesting review and throw in few links after you think your readers may be convince.
  
  So may people splatter the banner ads on the first line, which is very annoying and comes off as dishonest.
  
  Just my opinion and what I do.
  
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cashcow 13 years ago

Yes, your honest review can give you a lot of credibility. And the other thing, I think a lot of people might skip reviewing a product because it isn't any good, when in fact you should give your review of exactly what the product is and why you don't like it. Don't view the "bad review" as a waste of time.

Lee
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JohnnyPR 13 years ago

It's great to actually let your list know of a few bad products and THEN tell them about the products you think are good.

The amount of times I've unsubscribed from lists because every other day they try and sell me something that i have to have or my business will die !
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Ken Leatherman

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Chris Kent

Yes, just be honest. It actually works.

I am brutally honest with my Ideas Hive list. I think people appreciate it.

And I get no end of idiots PMing me with crap products they want me to promote to it. I don't even respond to their PMs. I think I've only ever promoted one IM affiliate product to my list (NPC) and possibly 2 or 3 others because I don't think much of anything else.

Plus I can't bring myself to lie and say a product is good when it isn't.

Chris I appreciate your comments and you even brought another thought to mind.

Take a few minutes or better yet and hour or 2, after you write your "Good or Bad Review" and reread it. In the "Bad Review" look for any red flags that could be considered by your readers as being a personal attack upon a competitors product; because you are a competitor.

And yes you can write a "Good Review" for a competitor and have "red flags" in it, in my opinion. A few extra minutes or even an hour or so can keep your "Rep" outstanding.

Ken

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wtatlas

13 years ago

I certainly agree that being honest in your reviews is the correct way to be. What I dislike is the way that some people say (not in this thread I hasten to add) that you should deliberatley go looking for a bad product and then slate it just to make you look good. This isn't being honest, it's turning honesty into just another marketing ploy.

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Leslie B

13 years ago

Originally Posted by wtatlas

I haven't seen that yet, and like you said, it's certainly not mentioned in this thread. But if you bought something and it doesn't do what you expect it to do? Why not tell your list about it? As long as you do it respectfully, I don't see a problem with it

But no, being on the lookout for a bad product so you can give a bad review, that I wouldn't do. Too much work for me LOL

Leslie

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Tashi Mortier 13 years ago

I totally agree with this, in fact it is what I expect from a good list.

If all I get from a list are sold ads and advices to buy stuff, then I'm out of it. I want to connect to its author and not feel like i'm just a "hole" where he can throw all his advertising in.

I hope this post opens the eyes of some marketers, I don't hesitate to unsubscribe from lists that I don't like.

And last thing: I'd definitely recommend a list to friends that I know is honest. But if I know it promotes bad products then of course I don't want to share it!
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tobyR

13 years ago

I would have thought doing a review is basic - if you value your list as you should sending out something that you haven't even tried is scary and daft. i cant imagine why anyone would do that

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Ken Leatherman

13 years ago

Originally Posted by tobyR

I would have thought doing a review is basic - if you value your list as you should sending out something that you haven't even tried is scary and daft. i cant imagine why anyone would do that

Toby,

Unfortunately in the online and off line business world a certain percentage of folks believe that all is "Fair In Love And Business and You do what you gotta do to make a buck." They figure the old adage "Buyer Beware" applies and if you bought without checking it out you get what you deserve. Then of course then there are the ones who are just plain dishonest and will take your money without a thought.

Folks, please understand their are many legitimate and above board marketers who market to their list. And would never stoop intentionally to recommending a product they know is no good. However even the good guys blow it once in a while.

Ken

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Owen Smith 13 years ago

I believe it looks more natural if you have good and bad reviews, for every product I launch, I host an open to all forum area where members can review the product or service.

I do not delete their posts or change them.

However, I think it is important to not, you should provide the best quality within your products, you may then end up with no bad reviews.

-Owen
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zerofill 13 years ago

I totally agree... I am definitely going to be doing a review on those false teeth Ken keeps pushing out there. They definitely do not stand up to beef jerky like he said! He said he tested them... had years of experience with them... taken again!

... now where did I put that dang superglue.

But this is a fact that is very true. When you post honest reviews about things you earn trust. People realize your not jerking them around. So when you actually say "This thing is cool" they buy from you or through your link.

When you say everything is cool, when it actually sucks... they read right through you. Maybe not the first time... But wouldn't it be nice to continually have readers that trust in your judgement versus that one time affiliate commission?
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Ken Leatherman 13 years ago

Don you just can't keep a secret can you. I told you next time I would let you borrow my teeth and the superglue.

Ken
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Dennis Gaskill 13 years ago

I've never endorsed a product without trying it or at least reviewing it first. I've came across some bad products in the process, but haven't written a negative review about them (except a couple that were so bad I felt I had to warn my readers). My reasoning was, the time it took to write a negative review could be better spent on something that else, plus I didn't really want to make enemies. You make a good point, so I'm going to have to rethink that thinking.
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askmrgramson 13 years ago

Great stuff Guru Ken! *bows in general direction several times*

I will use this strategy moving forward.
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- Ken Leatherman 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by askmrgramson
  
  Great stuff Guru Ken! *bows in general direction several times*
  
  I will use this strategy moving forward.
  
  No bows are necessary, throw money only . And please no guru status for me. I'm very fortunate to have some really good upbringing from my folks and my family. The values they instilled in me have stood the test of time for many years and will until the day I lay my head down on a pillow for the last time.
  
  The bottom line is to always treat other people the way you want to be treated. If you fall short then you admit it and learn from your mistake.
  
  As our UK neighbors say good on you, Mr. Gramson.
  
  Ken
  
  The Old Geezer
  
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mikemcmillan 13 years ago

Ken, I agree completely. You opened by saying...

The one thing you must do before you market any affiliate recommendation to your list is to do your due diligence on the product before you promote it.

I understand the crux of your post, and this is slightly off your main thought, but I'll add this. Some time ago there was a very big CB product launch. I got in on it and hit a list with a promo for it. I did get a copy to review, but I didn't review it very good. I skipped over much of it.

I wrote an article reviewing it and submitted to EZA. Two things happened. Many of my people who bought refunded. I got in hot water at EZA because the product recommended doing something that clearly violated the TOS of the directory. In looking over the product in more depth I realized that it suggested doing things that would violate the TOS of at least half a dozen different sites/platforms. Worse yet was the fact that I got quite a few emails from subscribers chastising me for recommending the product.

That opened my eyes and forced me to very carefully preview products before I recommend or promote them in any way. --Mike
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- Michael Shook 13 years ago
  
  I think this is a nice new trend in IM. I have not done it much - writing negative reviews - I have been thinking mostly that it would be more useful to review things that actually had value and that I could recommend.
  
  After reading the OP, I think I could revise my thinking on this and there migh tsome value in that. An interesting idea, thanks Ken.
  
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  Ken Leatherman 13 years ago
  
  Following my own advice I reached out to my list over the weekend and let them know about the recent launch of another product that was discussed in another thread on the WF.
  
  This morning I had 1 person who said I had no business referring people to the WF so they would become WF sheeplin. (Sheep maybe? :p)
  
  But best of all there were 15 e-Mails from list thanking me for the heads up. 4 of the 15 said they had already bought and had already realized they were going to have to ask for a refund. 2 of the 4 had bought into the upsell. The rest of them had 2nd thoughts about making the buy.
  
  So my point being you can be of good service to your folks without killing your affiliate sales. Honesty with your folks will pay off in spades and more.
  
  Ken
  
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