5 Reasons why incentivising reviewers isn’t necessary

Incentivizing reviewers to leave reviews for your products is a huge trap. It might be a smart idea, but here’s the reality: the consumers are in control, not you. Instagram influencers and vloggers have cost the beauty industry an immense amount of money for promotions ranging from chapsticks to hair extensions. To pay such an insane amount for posing with a small beauty product that takes five seconds to produce, is it worth it?

If your company doesn’t have the budget for this, then the answer is most definitely ‘no.’

Why you don’t need to incentivize consumers to write reviews

For both the brand and consumer, the opportunity to use and test a product for free is a natural win. Brands naturally increase their public awareness, and consumers will want to purchase them again if they’ve enjoyed the product.

We’ve seen this symbiotic relationship take place through our international community of 70,000+ reviewers, who have never been incentivized with any additional ‘gifts’ or monetary compensation in exchange for their honest reviews.

In a survey we conducted within our community, we asked our reviewers why incentivizing them isn’t necessary. Here are the five main takeaways.

1) Consumers are genuinely curious about your product.

Anything new and shiny is always exciting. For some consumers, the opportunity to be the first to experience the newest products from brands they love is already enough incentive.

2) Consumers want to make better, well-informed choices.

Buying a product that does not live to one’s expectations is never ideal. That’s why consumers love the opportunity to test products before making an actual purchase. For the reviewers from our community, the typical four-week testing period is an ideal amount of time for them to reach their final decision on whether or not they would recommend or use the product again.

3) Consumers enjoy writing reviews to share their expertise.

What do electronic gurus, beauty experts, and musicians who play multiple instruments have in common? They’re all experts in their respective fields of interest. Anyone with extensive knowledge of what they do is an ideal candidate for our review campaigns because they can best judge a product’s usability, durability, etc. With their willingness to share their expertise, leaving reviews becomes a second-nature act.

4) Consumers feel appreciated when you ask for their opinion.

There’s something empowering about being asked for your opinion on the little things. From a consumer’s perspective, one can feel appreciated, valued, and even respected by the brand. Even when feedback is negative, consumers’ reviews can influence brand changes to improve the quality of their products.

5) Consumers love to help other consumers.

Why do we help others? Simple. If you had a bad experience with a product, wouldn’t it be worth sharing your experience so others don’t relive the same experience you had? Helping others makes us feel good, and generally speaking, it’s a nice (and right) thing to do.

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