Writing Product Reviews That Actually Help Buyers

🔖 I have a problem with content briefs. For the most part, they’re built to help writers hit a word count, not help buyers make a decision. And that’s the/my problem. I’ve seen briefs that look like this: 📄 SEO keyword ✅ 📄 H2s mapped out ✅ 📄 Internal links ✅ 📄 “Make it engaging” ✅ 📄 Call to action at the end ✅ And still—the final piece didn’t help the buyer take the next step. Don’t get me wrong, I think the intent is good, but the execution is poor. So the question now is, what should a good content brief actually do? I believe it should act like a bridge: 👉 Between what your audience is searching for 👉 And what your sales team needs to close deals ➡️ Here’s what I mean. When I create briefs, I start with questions like: 1️⃣ What stage of the journey is this content addressing? 🎯 Is the reader still problem-aware, or are they comparing solutions? 🔖This affects tone, structure, CTA, everything. 2️⃣ What’s the underlying pain or trigger that led them here? 🎯 Are they overwhelmed with tools? Looking to reduce costs? Switching from a clunky competitor? 3️⃣ What objections might come up in their head as they read this? 🎯 That the tool’s too expensive? Too technical? Hard to implement? 4️⃣ What would sales say here if this was a live call? 🎯This one’s key. Because if content doesn’t echo sales insights, it’s not ready for revenue. 5️⃣ What’s one story, proof point, or stat that would instantly build trust? 🎯Real case studies, Reddit threads, G2 quotes, internal benchmarks—stuff buyers actually believe. 💡Now let’s get practical. Let’s say I’m writing a blog post for a tool like Freshdesk. ➡️ The topic is: “Zendesk vs Freshdesk: Which One Is Right For Your Support Team?” ❌ A generic brief would say: • Compare features • Use “Zendesk alternative” keyword • Add 3 internal links • CTA to book a demo ✅ A buyer-oriented brief would say: 📌 The reader is likely a VP of CX or Head of Support 📌 They’re frustrated with Zendesk’s siloed UX, long implementation, and tiered pricing 📌 Their internal question is: “Is switching worth the pain?” 📌 The main objection: “Freshdesk looks good, but will migrating mess up our ops?” 📌 Sales says this is the biggest hesitation 📌 Add a case study quote from a company that migrated in under 30 days with no downtime 📌 CTA should not be “Book a Demo”—it should be “See how [Customer X] made the switch.” Same topic. Same intent. Different impact. 💭 (I've attached a post-brief template I use specifically to understand how to approach content from the buyer's perspective.)

I audited 100+ Amazon product listings. 79% of sellers made this rookie mistake They forgot about benefits. Benefits show the customer how the product solves their problem. Features list how the product works. The problem? Focusing only on features. Here's an example: Features: - 100% cotton - Machine washable - Available in 5 colors Benefits: - Softer than your favorite tee - Stays comfortable wash after wash - A color for every mood Do you see the difference? Customers don't care about the "what". They care about the "why". "Why should I buy this?" Answer the question with benefits. Benefits help the customer envision the product in their life. So how do you write better benefits? 1. Research the customer. - Look at reviews. - Read competitor's listings. - Ask buyers what they liked about the product. 2. Use the "6 Whys" method. - Why does the customer need the product? - Why does the customer want the product? - Why is this product better than the competition? - Why will the customer love this product? - Why will the customer recommend this product? - Why can the customer trust this product? 3. Use sensory language. - Use words to touch, see, hear, smell or taste. - Help customers visualize the product in their life. You're ready to go on and optimize your listings, comment below to let me know how it goes.

Most brands have no clue how to make a static ad work. They slap together a product shot, write “better energy,” and wonder why nothing converts. Here’s the problem: they’ve never seen a golden review. A golden review is the kind of customer feedback that writes the copy for you. It gives you the hook, the pain point, the transformation, even the CTA. We found one recently for Huel that hit all the major selling blocks like it was trained in direct response. First line? “My diet was OK before Huel… but a lot of crap food and missed breakfasts.” That’s a clean pain point right there. Feels real. Relatable. Doesn’t try too hard. Then comes the solution. “Now I replace the missed breakfast and crap lunches with Huel (it’s literally two thirds of my ‘food’ now).” That’s commitment. Believability. Then the review keeps layering on benefits like a trained closer. “I don’t feel snacky like I did. Energy levels up. Concentration much more focused. I feel better generally.” He even throws in a bonus, muscle tone improvement from the same gym routine. And if that wasn’t enough, it goes straight into comparison copy: “I had Joylent for a bit… but Huel gets its carbs from oats and personally I like the look of their recipe much more.” Translation: your competitor sucks, here’s why this is better. Then come the objections. Mixing issues? “I use a blender—it’s no trouble.” Digestion problems? “Expect some flatulence in the first week… but that passes quickly.” This review has everything. Pain. Solution. Benefits. Comparison. Objection handling. Call to action. It’s not a script. But it could be. This is the kind of language your audience actually uses. The kind of detail that can 3x your ad hit rate when you plug it into a static, or learn how to scriptwrite from it. But most brands don’t go looking for these. They get lost on their own product page. Here’s how to actually find golden reviews: Stop looking at just your site reviews. Go deeper. Reddit threads, blog articles, YouTube comments, Amazon reviews (even of competitors), Quora posts. Anywhere someone rants, raves, or gets real about their experience. Because when someone says something like: “I just feel better, faster, content, it’s hard to explain.” That’s copy gold. And it probably converts like crazy.