How to write "Sales copy that converts!" for review sites.

9 replies
Hi all - I I was wondering what sort of reviews or copy people find to work the best on their CJ or Amazon affiliate sites.

I have tried the Dan Brock lazy affiliate review template and it hasn't converted for me. The lazy affiliate site in question is low traffic though, so this is not a criticism of Dan Brock's system.

I have also tried just winging it but that hasn't worked out too much better :]

For those of you out there who create affiliate review sites, what works for you? How long are your reviews and do you follow a particular system or strategy?

For products in the $50-100 range, I worry that crazy long reviews will turn off potential customers - maybe they just want to click through to amazon right away? Like, the review might throw off the customer because it is way more detailed than necessary for a $50 product. I really have no idea.

Thanks in advance to anyone who might share! If this new site is going to work, I am going to need to step up my review game and I need all the WF help I can get :]
#review #sales copy that converts #sites #write
  • Profile picture of the author Jillycakes
    I don't run my own affiliate sites, but I do write for clients who do so successfully. Here are a few things I do to produce converting reviews:

    Keep hype to a minimum. People want to read reviews that seem like they were written by a real person, not a salesman. This means paying attention to stuff like your word choices, tone and use of exclamation points. Toned-down adjectives like "helpful" or "efficient" are often better sellers than the absolutes (like "perfect" and "ideal") you might use in a sales letter. Even if you haven't, reviews should give the impression that you've used or at least thoroughly researched the product.

    Don't be 100% positive. No product is perfect for everyone, and part of avoiding sales-y reviews means including negatives. Don't be afraid to talk about customer groups who won't benefit from the product, or discuss potential flaws. These might cost you some sales from "unqualified" buyers, but will make your reviews appear more trustworthy and honest to your actual audience. "The ABC cell phone signal extender works best when installed on a roof, so this may be less effective for apartment dwellers."

    Make sure your review appeals the market who buys it. When in doubt, resort to the 5 Ws (and the H). WHAT is the product? WHO uses it? WHY should they need/want it? WHERE can they get it? WHEN should they use it (if appropriate, such as seasonal or event-based items)? HOW does it work? Answering these questions will tell you a lot about how to structure your review, and what features/benefits to showcase. If you're selling a luxury item, for example, your target market is going to be swayed more by the fact that the item is rare or special than the fact that it's inexpensive. "This caviar costs 30% less than its competitors" isn't going to cut it. Something like "Perfume Fabulous features notes of authentic night blossom, the plant that produces only one flower per year." is more interesting.

    Remember that each niche is different. Finding what converts for yours might require some experimentation. This also means tweaking your gameplan if you switch niches later. A few of my clients use specific templates for their reviews, but others request that they DON'T include common review elements (bullet points, Amazon testimonials, etc.). Their word count needs also vary. I think you're right about keeping it short for inexpensive products, but that goes back to knowing your market. Most people aren't looking for the same in-depth research about a $15 book as they are for a new dishwasher they'll use for years/might be scrimping to buy.

    If you'd like, I'd be willing to take a look at your site and see if I notice any red flags in your reviews. Feel free to PM me if you'd like an extra pair of eyes
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    • Profile picture of the author nazee
      Originally Posted by Jillycakes View Post

      I don't run my own affiliate sites, but I do write for clients who do so successfully. Here are a few things I do to produce converting reviews:

      Keep hype to a minimum. People want to read reviews that seem like they were written by a real person, not a salesman. This means paying attention to stuff like your word choices, tone and use of exclamation points. Toned-down adjectives like "helpful" or "efficient" are often better sellers than the absolutes (like "perfect" and "ideal") you might use in a sales letter. Even if you haven't, reviews should give the impression that you've used or at least thoroughly researched the product.

      Don't be 100% positive. No product is perfect for everyone, and part of avoiding sales-y reviews means including negatives. Don't be afraid to talk about customer groups who won't benefit from the product, or discuss potential flaws. These might cost you some sales from "unqualified" buyers, but will make your reviews appear more trustworthy and honest to your actual audience. "The ABC cell phone signal extender works best when installed on a roof, so this may be less effective for apartment dwellers."

      Make sure your review appeals the market who buys it. When in doubt, resort to the 5 Ws (and the H). WHAT is the product? WHO uses it? WHY should they need/want it? WHERE can they get it? WHEN should they use it (if appropriate, such as seasonal or event-based items)? HOW does it work? Answering these questions will tell you a lot about how to structure your review, and what features/benefits to showcase. If you're selling a luxury item, for example, your target market is going to be swayed more by the fact that the item is rare or special than the fact that it's inexpensive. "This caviar costs 30% less than its competitors" isn't going to cut it. Something like "Perfume Fabulous features notes of authentic night blossom, the plant that produces only one flower per year." is more interesting.

      Remember that each niche is different. Finding what converts for yours might require some experimentation. This also means tweaking your gameplan if you switch niches later. A few of my clients use specific templates for their reviews, but others request that they DON'T include common review elements (bullet points, Amazon testimonials, etc.). Their word count needs also vary. I think you're right about keeping it short for inexpensive products, but that goes back to knowing your market. Most people aren't looking for the same in-depth research about a $15 book as they are for a new dishwasher they'll use for years/might be scrimping to buy.

      If you'd like, I'd be willing to take a look at your site and see if I notice any red flags in your reviews. Feel free to PM me if you'd like an extra pair of eyes
      well i like the way u help him.
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  • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
    As a rule, your role as an affiliate for other peoples' products isn't to do the "hard-sell" by writing up long, persuasive sales copy, or anything that gives off a whiff of it being so. Your job is to pre-sell, by way of a review or some personal story that portrays the product in a useful, favourable light, whilst instilling trust in the reader that your recommendation is sincere and unbiased and - above all - not solely incentivised.

    The more you give off an air of selling, the less the reader perceives what you say as a trusted, reliable recommendation, since the greater the likelihood they'll slip you into the same pigeon-hole as the product manufacturer/vendor/retailer ... who clearly always (especially in the case of the former two) has only good things to say about the stuff they're selling, to the exclusion of anything that may be slightly critical or give light to any trace of inferiority or inherent/comparative flaws/drawbacks.

    So yes, when you're running through a product description/review as an affiliate, by all means highlight the various features of the product and how - if applicable - they've benefitted you ... and try to anticipate the different problems others may be looking to solve (not everyone is spurred on to buy a product by the exact same problems).

    But don't neglect to mention any little niggles or qualms you have with the product, or highlight any areas of improvement. Just because a product hasn't attained 100% perfection, it doesn't mean it cannot be the best (and sometimes only viable) option available on the market to consumers. Just like "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", all praise and no reproach makes Jon Doe a sceptical buyer, indeed.

    I'm not saying your review shouldn't be praiseful of the product, overall - clearly it needs to be, if you're going to stand any chance of "sealing the deal", and especially if you genuinely feel the product is worthy of it - but try to do it in a sympathetic, non-salesy, non-sensationalist, level-headed way; the customer needs to know/feel you're on their side.
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  • Profile picture of the author Big Al
    Definately worth checking out some high traffic websites, mainstream websites and clicking on the paid advertising.

    Often you'll end up at sites which pre-sell CPA offers... these are tried and tested advertising systems using paid for traffic. They either work or the affiliate goes bust.

    See what they're doing and how they write their sponsored articles that are nothing more than a pre-sell.
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  • Profile picture of the author bitriot
    Great tips all, thanks so much!
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    • Profile picture of the author FredJones
      It depends upon the nature of the product. However, I would break it up into 3 sections.

      On the first section, I would give a small introductionn to the niche in the typical "benefit" sense. This would be a paragraph to a few paragraphs.

      On the second section, I would evaluate the models (or the single model, or the multiple models from multiple manufacturer, whichever applies), and talk about features a little bit and associate the features to the benefits. All of this would be in brief. I would add some customer reviews if available, including the link to the review if possible.

      The third section would be a detailed evaluation. This will not be on the main page. Rather, I would put a link to this inner page from the main page and go deeper into the model(s) etc on this inner page.

      Hope that helps.
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      • Profile picture of the author SuResearcher
        First and foremost, know who your target audience is. Once you know this you can write different presell pages with each one pushing the hot buttons of the respective audience.

        For example, let's say you are promoting the latest super duper electric razor which has a bazillion blades and all you need is one stroke and voila your face is as smooth as a baby's bottom. In addition, it's designed to prevent nicks!

        You could have different target audiences for this razor:
        - busy professional who wants to cut down shaving time
        - middle aged divorced man out in the dating scene again
        - gadget geeks who have to have the latest
        - teens who have just started shaving
        - new grads who are out interviewing
        - and so many more...

        If your opening paragraph talks to their interest, to the drama in their life, then your chances of them clicking on your link are much higher.
        You could easily create an article for each target audience and place it on your site.
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  • Profile picture of the author DPM70
    This thread should be locked right now. There are far too many great tips being given away here.
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    I don't build in order to have clients. I have clients in order to build. - Ayn Rand
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  • Profile picture of the author Rough Outline
    The art of making high converting sales copy is to convince the reader you're not trying to make a sale, instead just giving them impartial advice. If they feel like they're being sold to, they'll feel like you're trying to use them, not help them.
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