Glossary/Product review
What is a product review?
Short answer
A product review is material in which a creator describes a thing after using it: what works, what does not and who it is for. A brand can order one and pay for it, but it cannot order the verdict — a review in which nothing critical may be said stops being a review.
What exactly is a review?
An opinion based on contact with the product, not on materials from the brand. That is why it takes time: a few days of use, a comparison with something familiar, specifics instead of adjectives. It is the longest format to produce and at the same time the one that works longest — because people look for reviews exactly when they are ready to buy.
How do you order a review that is worth something?
Four arrangements that separate a review from an ad signed with that word:
Give time for real use of the product before the material is made.
Write down that the creator may point out flaws — and that this is not grounds for rejecting the work.
Ask for specifics: who the product is for and who it is not for.
Do not dictate sentences about the product; dictate the facts that have to be right.
Why does an honest review sell better?
Because a flaw said out loud makes all the rest believable. Someone who hears “do not buy this if you are looking for something light” will believe the praise that comes a sentence later. A review without a single downside is read as an ad, no matter what it says.
Where to order it or find tasks
Related terms
Words that come up in the same conversations. Each has its own definition in the glossary.
- Unboxing
- A recording of a parcel being opened: the packaging, the first impression, the contents. The format shows the product at a natural moment and works well for launches. Read more
- UGC
- User generated content — material that looks like it was filmed by an ordinary user, not by an agency. The brand orders it from a creator and uses it on its own channels and in paid advertising. Read more
- UGC creator
- A creator who films material for a brand but does not publish it on their own channel. What counts is the quality and the credibility of the footage, not the follower count. Read more
- Sponsored content
- Material published by a creator on a brand's order and for payment. It has to be clearly labelled as advertising — including when the settlement was barter. Read more
Frequently asked questions
Does a review have to be labelled as advertising?
If it was made for payment or for a free product, yes. The label does not take away its credibility; hiding the collaboration does.
Can a brand reject a review it does not like?
It can reject material that does not match what was agreed — a factual error, for example. It cannot demand a different verdict unless the task stated that it is buying positive material only.
How long does a review take to prepare?
Usually from a few days to two weeks, because the time of real use has to be counted in. A shorter deadline means material based on a first impression.
