Assignment 3, Bootcamp #5 - Product Reviews

[iCraft Admin]

This week, you are going to work with your list of sites, that you hand-picked, try to establish connections with some of those site owners and see if they'd be willing to do a product review on one of your items.  

If you’ve ever done sales, you probably know that making “cold calls” is the hardest job there is and not that effective either. So don’t use that approach – don’t ask people that have never heard of you to do something for you - with nothing in return. Start a conversation and try to get to know them first. Ask how they promote their blog or store. Then, you will see yourself what the best way to approach them about backlinks and product reviews. Keep in mind that there has to be something for them – a win/win.  I will provide a few ideas below, but you have to choose the best approach in every situation.

Product Reviews by other bloggers is probably the quickest way for you to get bloggers to agree to give you a backlink from their site to yours and that what we are going to focus on this week.

Product Reviews – what to consider:

• First, read a bit about Product Reviews & SEO to educate yourself on this topic.
• See if any of your contacts would be willing to write up a product review on one of your products.
• You don't need many links from their post. You just need one good link - closer to the top of the page and incorporating best practices for anchor text (we covered this before - you need to make sure you don't use the same anchor text on all backlinks - variety is the key!)
• Make sure you are working with your Keywords list that we created for your store pages - to suggest best anchor text for your links in those posts.
• Make sure you are linking to your iCraft stores - those pages that we optimized for particular keywords in previous Bootcamp and those are the pages that we are promoting now.
• Links incorporated into the article copy and closer to the top of the page are considered higher quality links, as they are usually editorially chosen.
• You don't want links to be in the right or left column or the footer.
• You can even suggest that you'd be ok, if they simply mentioned your store in one of their articles on a related topic, along with other crafters. Those types of links are as good, as the links from pages covering your products exclusively.
• One thing that you are not interested in right now is reciprocal links - you link to me and I link to you. But don't say no. Show me what they are asking and I'll see what's the best way to handle that.
• In return, you can offer those bloggers one of your products.  
• Not all bloggers will want to write the post themselves. They might ask you to do that for them and then they will include your copy or the whole post on their site. So be ready to do that for them.
• Make it easier for people to contact you!
  Make sure you let other bloggers, that land on your sites/blogs know that you are willing to donate an item for a review or that you are looking to connect with other bloggers. Even mention that you would consider featuring them in your blog too. Add a paragraph on your own blog on the About and/or Contact page inviting other bloggers to contact you and provide a contact box.

Report

At the end of the week (Saturday or latest Sunday afternoon), please post your report on what you've learned and how successful your product review attempts were. Here are the things I am looking for - how many personal connections you've established, but maybe didn't get to discuss product reviews just yet, how many agreed to do a product review, how many interesting things you've heard back from the site owners, like them asking you for backlinks as well etc.

Even if you didn't land a single product review this week, it's all good, as long as you try. You will still learn a lot. Don't rush! It's not a competition, but a learning experience. Also, don't forget to ask questions & good luck to you all!

[Jewelry by Kat]

I am being thick headed again.   How do I put a link of another store on my store? Or is it in a blog which I can do.  Also can I write a blog about a store on another website if she says yes and review her pendants and offer to review others if they contact me?

[iCraft Admin]

Hi Kat,

We don't provide a way for sellers to place links on their store pages, especially links that would point to another store somewhere else. And why would you want to do that anyway? That link would take people away from your store - something you want to avoid.

You can add links on your blog posts. However, we review all posts and only allow links that make sense and don't drive traffic to competing pages. It would have to be a killer post with super engaging content for us to leave links to Etsy or any other competing sites in it.

If you want to use our blog for product reviews, I'd suggest you mix up products mentioning iCraft and non-iCraft sellers, incorporating links to their blogs and not their stores. Again, it would have to be a very good post, as we prefer promoting our own sellers.

Or you can use your own blog to link to their stores. Just don't do reciprocal links from one site to another. Those just cancel each other. Hope this helps.

[Red Rock Designs]

Huh...speaking of reviews...I just received an email from Frugal Mommy offering a product review for the cost of about $35.00.  Are these types of offers something we should consider?  I'm afraid if we have to pay for reviews, it won't have the same effect as if another individual artist reviewed our product....from artist to artist. 

Thoughts?

[iCraft Admin]

Yes, you should definitely consider that. Mommy blogs are great, as your potential buyers visit those blogs. And it's not uncommon to pay anywhere from $50 to $150 for those reviews.

If you want to save money, you can split that cost with other jewelry designers and 2 or 3 of you would be mentioned in a review. As I mentioned before, those links are as good, as if you were the only one mentioned in the review. The only downside is that people might click on someone else's store link and not yours.

[Jewelry by Kat]

I was approached also by Frugel Mommy and since I have been following 3 of these mommy blogs I accepted and will be 'aired' in the morning.  Check it out in the morning to see if they did ok and if you want to.

[JaJeJems]

I was also approached by frugal mommy.  I will see how Kat does!

[iCraft Admin]

Kat, could you please post URL of that post in the morning?

[Jewelry by Kat]

http://www.frugalmommyof2girls.com/

[iCraft Admin]

Ok, thanks, Kat! Looks like a popular blog.
Did she say how long her post will be? Did you provide her with your store URL, preferred keywords and some product shots?

[Jewelry by Kat]

I forget how long Yes to other

[Jewelry by Kat]

My review is nice on frugel mom and it stays on, no limit

[iCraft Admin]

Just ask her to remove numerous links to your store from random words in the article, like "present" or "mothers day". One link at the top on your store name, linking to your store, and a few from product names and product images, linking directly to product pages is enough. Otherwise, it doesn't look natural. Thanks!

[Fairy Cardmaker]

Approaching people is not my thing.  However, I did meet a couple people through a charity team I participate on which I found via blogs: one runs the blog and the other is a fellow card-making team member who has a home stamping business and a nicely laid out blog (she used to work in advertising).

I made a card using stamps I bought from her and already posted it to my blog.  If she reviews it to discuss it critically, is that okay?  It's not quite duplicate content but it is a duplicate product picture.  (Actually, it's the newest card in my shop!)

The other person who runs the team blog might welcome a guest post.  Again, it would be something I made for the team and have already posted on my own blog, but I am certain I could use a completely different content angle.  Is that good?

[Jewelry by Kat]

I don't know how successful everyone is, but no one is responding to my email or contact me.  I have 3 other website I like but  I am not in their league, I could never ask for a review there.  I am getting discouraged.