Recently I was contacted by someone who wanted me to do a review of their product here on Teenius. As I’m not really orientated by money on Teenius (you may have noticed by the lack of adverts – and I only installed them recently to fill up the sidebar a bit), so this request really got me thinking about what you should allow on your blog.
What is a review?
Well, I’m going to guess that all my readers know what the act of reviewing is, but let me explain what a review on a blog is. Basically, someone will pay you to review their product on your blog. They do this as it builds quality exposure for their product and, if the blog is popular enough, it will generate some decent sales. I mean, imagine getting reviewed on a big blog such as JohnChow.com… your sales would go through the roof!
So why did you reject it?
Whilst I was extremely impressed by the product itself (a series of eBooks about flipping for money) I had to think about whether or not it would be suitable for my blog, and the conclusion was ‘no’.
Whilst this may sound rather harsh, I do have my reasons. For starters, there’s you, the readers. If I started reviewing products, how would you feel? More reviews would mean fewer posts, which I know a lot of the readers enjoy. Teenius is, without sounding cheesy, all about the readers, and because of this I have to think about what the readers want when deciding on what content I use. When I did this, the thought I had in my mind was ‘will any of my readers actually buy this product?’ My answer to this, again, was ‘no’. Because of this, I realised that the product was of no real interest to my readers.
I feel, as a blogger, it’s really important to know what your readers want. If you can give them what they want, not only will they return (therefore making it easier to build up a community), but it’ll also get you better known in your niche.
Believe it or not, I actually write quite a few articles for Teenius, and a few of them don’t make the grade as they don’t fit with what YOU as my readers want.
Moving on… how do you tell what your readers want?
There are a few good ways of getting to know what your readers like to see, and below I’ve listed a few of them:
- Popular Posts – Getting a plugin like popular posts (mine is next to my mascot at the top) will show you which posts have got the most comments. Seeing how many comments a post has got is a good indication of what your readers want, as if loads of comments have been left, your readers clearly enjoyed it.
- Know your niche – Probably one of the most important points. If you know what niche your site is classed as, you’re likely to only bring in visitors interested in that niche, and they’re therefore interested in your posts.
- Read your comments – Quite often, the readers will leave a comment where they explain what they thought of the article. By reading these comments you can get a good idea of what your readers are looking for when they visit your site.
- Just ask! – It’s always great to have readers that you can ask what they want. Even if it’s just a small note at the end of a post asking them what they’d like to see more of, it’s well worth doing.
So, what can I conclude?
Well, I conclude that knowing what your reader wants is one of the most important parts of any blog, as it ensures recurring traffic. Also, I can add that you should be selective about what you post on your blog.
I can also come to the conclusion that if you liked this article, you should leave a comment so that I know you like it!
The best way that has worked for me is a poll. Also, sometimes readers leave good hints in comments that you should pick up.
Yeah, a poll is a really good idea, I can’t believe I missed it out! Thanks for the comment, Farrhad!
The poll is a good way, but sometimes the readers don’t know what they want until you try it and while you try a new feature you can ask your readers how are they feeling about it.
Adrian – WPdone’s last blog post..SimplePerfect – A Free Premium Wordpress Theme by wpdone
Another really good point
Yeah, as I mentioned a couple of posts back, blogging is all about making your blog more and more successful, and sometimes that means experimenting through trial-and-error.
Reading Comments is a really nice idea to know what really your readers are looking for..
Very well explained.. and totally accompany you on not reviewing the product here..
Enk.’s last blog post..What is Keyword Stuffing ?
I’m glad that you agree with my decision not to review the product
In itself the product was really good, but I just don’t think that it (or most other product reviews) would interest my readers.
Yeah right.. Readers here expect to read usefull and informative Posts.. they didn’t come here to shop online. haha !
Enk.’s last blog post..What is Keyword Stuffing ?
Exactly. Whilst I may post about free services in the future, I’m not sure if I’ll ever review a product you need to pay for. Even if it is free, it’d still have to be useful and relevant to my readers to get posted
I definatley think that readers comments are a good idea, but so are polls. I think perhaps a combination of both as well as a few “test posts” so that you and your readers can get the feel for a review styled post, or another form of post.
As you said simon trial and error in my opinion is the best way to check these things, if it doesnt work, no harm done you just dont do it again.
If it does then it could be a great edition to your blog.
I don’t what you were asked to review but i dont think reviews of any .
sort really go with the niche of this site.
Great post as usuall!
Matt Dutton’s last blog post..Matt Dutton Forums are go!!
I think there are plenty of products out there that fit my niche (as it’s a huge niche, probably the most popular at a guess), but I had to think of what my readers want, and at this moment in time I don’t think that’s product reviews.
Nice suggestion about the test poll. I’m assuming by that you mean doing a poll of ‘did you like this review?’, or something along those lines?
Thanks for the compliment too, Matt
I agree with Matt, in that polls are awesome. You can use them in the sidebar such as “what topics would you like to see?” and list some you think readers would enjoy, or you can use them on individual posts to get more specific feedback. Nothing beats a poll when it comes to generating helpful statistics!
Knowing what your readers want and giving it to them is important. Otherwise, who the hell are you writing for?
Corey Freeman | Outstanding Writer’s last blog post..3 Tips for Ridiculously Funny Blog Posts
Well, some people write for their own enjoyment
But, yeah, I agree with your last sentence/question.
So, that’s sorted then, I’ll be introducing a poll very soon
If a company/product approaches you with something you think your readers might enjoy, go for it! I like your blog and I would like to see you make money for what you are doing.
At the same time, I think you have to be incredibly honest and open with your readers so the don’t feel like you’re trying to slip something past them.
Nick Tart’s last blog post..Thinking and Growing into $100 Million – JJ Entry #16
This blog isn’t my only website, and I do have other sites that actively earn. Also, as I said before, I’m not sure that I’ll ever review anything that you need to pay for. I like to think I’ve built up a good community on Teenius and actually made some friends too, so to try and sell things to them doesn’t really fit with my philosophies.
Great article on an important topic.
I find getting to know your readers can be difficult but definitely rewarding. I think that it is 1st class of you to forgo the “money” option to satisfy your readers. Nice post with some very helpful tips.
p.s. I keep enjoying your redesign a lot. It is just so functional and looks great!
Seth W’s last blog post..How to Get Your Blog From PageRank 0 to PR 4 in 3 Months
Glad you enjoyed the post, Seth
Also, thanks for the compliments. I too keep looking at the design and it never stops amazing me. I think I’ve got it sorted now to the point where all the changes that need making have been made, so now I can just enjoy it a little bit more
Great article – you know exactly how it’s supposed to be. I do allow “guest articles” if they’re in the interest of my readers. “Product reviews” just plain suck since that is something my readers aren’t interested in.
Nice read and keep up the great work!
Marco’s last blog post..Freebies: "Jungle Flora" High resolution textures
Yeah, I too allow guest posts… infact, I encourage them. I mean, I’m going to be the first to admit that reading the same person’s articles over and over and can a bit boring, so a different author (and therefore a different style of writing) makes any blog more interesting
This is one of the reason why I am big fan of your blog. You think of your readers first.
Lithiummind’s last blog post..12 Website You Must Visit
Thanks for the compliment, but if I’m honest I think (or at least hope) that most bloggers think of their readers before money. After all, even if you are only in it for the money, the vast majority of the time you’re actually losing money by sniffing after loose dollars.
I find that blogging has to be about the readers. Otherwise you are just trying to please yourself and missing the point. Guest posts are a great way to get targeted content on your blog and introduce your readers to new resources.
Seth W’s last blog post..Best Of Series: Writing
Regarding the ‘blogging has to be about the readers’ point, I’m going to disagree. OK, well, the vast majority of the time I would agree, but when you’re running a personal blog or something like that (as just a pastime), you’re unlikely to care too much about your readers.
And, regarding guest posts, yeah, I too think they’re really important for any blog. LIke you say it invites your readers to a new resource, but it’s also good just for a bit of variety.
Great article. I agree with your tips on how to find out what your readers want. It’s important to have your readers come back in order to grow a good blog.
Caden Grant’s last blog post..8 Ways To Get More RSS Subscribers
Exactly. In my opinion, good blogs are based on a quality reader base that not only comes back, but also leaves comments and get involved in the discussion. That’s why, in my opinion, it’s so important to get returning visitors.
Hey Simon! Very good article and I really like your list of how to learn what your readers like. Your blog just keeps getting better!
Keith’s last blog post..Mental House Cleaning
Thanks for the compliments on the blog, Keith, and it’s nice to see you around again
i think one very important point is just being sensitive to what your readers want…and you pointed it out very succintly…don’t be afraid to ask them, if you need to…it is one good part of interacting with our readers too.
elmot’s last blog post..Know the Origin of A(N1H1)
Ah, that’s a really nice way of putting it! ‘being sensitive to what your readers want’
To be honest, if you’ve already got a reasonable reader base, you should definately ask as you know you’ll get a good response, like I’m doing on this post!
I think that the readers comments are really good n its a good idea to make sme changes if required…
n yes nothing can beat a poll wen it cmes 2 generating helpful stats..
Being honest is also must for ur readers…
Yeah, like I said earlier, most blogs are all about the reader, and the best way of letting them have their say is to open up your comments section. By doing so, you can really see what they want!
I really liked your saying that “Being honest is also must for ur readers…”
Enk.’s last blog post..What is Keyword Stuffing ?
As you said its really important to know what our readers are thinking of our blog. I think comments and polls are the best ways to know this. Good post Simon. Little adverts won’t affect anything
Harish | Blogging Kid’s last blog post..List Building – Why And How ?
Yeah, I’m not too concerned about “little adverts”, but when I need to do a paid review I think I (and other bloggers) need to really think about whether or not the readers are going to be interested.
Readers will definitely not be interested if the review is not about the niche you are blogging
Harish | Blogging Kid’s last blog post..A Recap of Some My Best Posts On This Blog
I think a review might be good (i’ve never done one) if it is a product that really would help them in their blogging. Like I can’t imagine readers would be angry or uninterested in a new theme, plug-in, or product that had personally made your blogging successful.
I don’t do reviews, but I can imagine that there are some very useful reviews available to bloggers, but they should have used the product and really found it relevant.
Seth W’s last blog post..Best Of Series: Writing
Yeah, that was exactly the problem I faced. I mean, whilst I read through the product (an ebook), it was packed with some awesome content that I know will result in money for anyone with half a brain cell. The problem was that I thought ‘will my users buy this’, and the answer was no. In my opinion, if it’s not going to convert, there’s no point in risking my readers.
Paid review is good for money, but bad for readers and also for blog rank
shraqs’s last blog post..View and Moderate WordPress Comments From Desktop Via Moderator Plugin
Yeah, they are pretty good for money and I have since been approached yet again about another product someone wanted me to review. I think that readers are more important than a small amount of money though, so at the moment I’m quite happy to turn down offers.
Great post Teenius. I find that the easiest and best ways is to just ask. Readers love to tell you what they want.
It’s also pretty cool that you actually declined a review. Not many bloggers would have done that. Good for you!
Jake | Web Journey’s last blog post..50 Tips to Improve Online Writing
Thanks for the compliment
To be honest, it surprises me that more bloggers wouldn’t turn it down. I mean, for the sake of the money I would get, it doesn’t really seem worth it to risk losing viewers.
I received three review requests in the whole time I have been blogging on Blogussion, and only one of them was actually relevant to my blog.
I don’t think that bloggers should just review anything, if I get a request for something that doesn’t relate to my blog, then I am NOT reviewing it! Someone wanted me to review a casino site on my blog, and I told them there was no way.
Like, what does a casino have to do with blogging? And I’m 15 too!
Alex | Blogussion.com’s last blog post..Wordpress Releases Version 2.8 “Baker”
The reviews I’ve been asked to do are both related to my blog, but I think it’s important to ask yourself these three questions:
For me, if the answer isn’t ‘yes’ to all of those questions, I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole
Thank you for this nice tips!
Hesham’s last blog post..How to Create a Forcing Comment Post and get more than 100 Comments?
Reviews can be a good way of showing you visitors how impartial and dedicated to telling them the truth you are.
I figured out what they want by using a poll. In my eyes this is the most effecitve way to get the opinion of my visitors.
Good to see you won’t sell out for a couple of bucks. Congrats.
Your decision was right man..
Without knowing your audience, your content will be worthless, regardless to its quality. Twitter also helps you to learn more about your readers.
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