In our last Bloggie Wednesday, I touched on the topic of editorial control, which is especially apparent when it comes our writing negative reviews on beauty products that did not work for us. Consider today’s topic as a prequel to last week’s, and it is how we approach negative reviews.
It’s always my belief that how we write reflects our character. I don’t mind an occasional rant, but if every negative review is a constant bashing of the product and brand, I’m inclined to question the character of the person behind the blog. Writing honestly does not mean we should allow the words run loose off our tongues (in our case, the keyboard). We can, and should, be professional in what and how we write.
In order to “research” this post, I thought I’d get some input from the horse’s mouth regarding how we should approach negative reviews without burning bridges with the brands we are passionate about, just because one product from the brand did not work for us. I had the pleasure of interviewing several PRs on what their take on approaching negative reviews was. I found their views highly interesting.
- I believe bloggers are free to write negative opinions of products, regardless of whether they are sent them or bought them themselves. But my suggestion would be to make their review fair and balanced, without the need for “product bashing.” It’s important to remember that PRs send the links of any blog mentioning their clients’ products directly to the clients so they will see and read your negative review.
- There is a difficult line between constructive negative feedback and just negative feedback. I think the number one thing to keep in mind is beauty products are completely different for everyone one and while a blogger may try something that has been sent to them from PR and they hate the results it gives them this may be reflective of their skin type and all the other variables that come with using beauty products. We all know from working in beauty that some things work for us and others don’t so while the blogger can say this product did make my skin do this, this and this and I wasn’t happy with the result on varied skin types this may work better. I think that the best thing to keep in mind is that something that may not work for you may be fantastic on someone else.
- Be professional and respectful in your choice of vocabulary.
- Bloggers should never make sweeping statements about a brand when they are doing a single product review. I have come across a few where the whole brand is discussed negatively and I am sure all brands have some products with merits.
- It’s a good idea to address what the product claims to be and then blog in response to that – a lip balm may not be intended to have long colour pay off and staying power it’s probably more about the hydrating ingredients and lip care benefits.
- We are getting quite a lot of negative posts about the price of our products and while this is a very relevant debate the Australian retail price of our cosmetics is not something we can reduce without huge global ramifications. It’s extremely relevant now with the parity of the $ and we all understand this but always saying what the US price compared to the local price is will only disgruntle customers and affect out local beauty industry. If all the prestige brands reduced their prices what would happen to the mass brands? We would in effect change the while dynamic of the market.
- When bloggers mention StrawberryNet and other discount sites they are also just fueling the grey market and counterfeit product industry. We need to educate on official distributors.
- As PR people, we understand that offering a product for review can potentially result in a negative review and that’s fine. We don’t expect every review to be positive and that bloggers need to maintain their integrity and and honest viewpoint – otherwise blogs lose their importance and validity.
- Might be good to ensure that the product they are testing is suited to their skin ie. not using a rich cream on oily skin. Or pass it on to someone who would suit the product to test.
- Mention previous experiences with the brand or similar types of products. This will help understand the bloggers expectations of the product and what they’re hoping to achieve.
- If they have a bad experience, offer for a friend or someone else to try it out.
- Be constructive – do not say that the product will not work for everyone but maintain that it was a personal experience of the product.
- Be open to brands/PRs commenting on the post or getting in touch to discuss the post.
From a blogger’s point of view, who is also in the beauty industry:
“When a brand sends a blogger product to review they know that there is always the possibility it will be a negative review – the transparency of blogs is what makes it appealing to readers as opposed to traditional media. Obviously bloggers are entitled to their opinion but if it is done in a sensitive way, it’s usually taken on board by the brand in a way that can help them long-term. For instance, we had some staffing issues on counter which one of the bloggers (and one of our biggest fans!) flagged for us in a blog post. Without her input we could have unwittingly been irritating dozens of customers by not having enough staff on counter. We thanked her for the post and sorted out the staffing issue with the store in question, so actually we were very grateful to her in the long run. I think stating that a product didn’t work for YOU is also a good thing to point out, as it could (and probably will be) great for lots of other people.”
Many thanks to the PRs and the blogger who responded to my questions. As I have promised anonymity, you know who you are! 🙂
As I conclude, please bear in mind that this post is not written to suck up to brands/PRs, just so I can get more product. Quite the contrary. If I never receive another product to review the next day, I would still be happy blogging (there would be less pressure in my getting reviews out, that’s for sure).
But I think as adults and professionals in our own right, we should be smart in choosing the right words for our reviews. Unless the brand has done something heinous and unforgivable (e.g. the #gaspfail debacle), I don’t think it’s necessary to slag off a brand simply because a product did not work for us.
What do you think? How do you approach negative reviews?
I like reading blog with reviews which are well-balanced. There are some blogs which rant & rave about E-V-E-R-Y single product…but I want to know the cons to a product so I can figure out whether I would like it or not. Obviously, not all products have cons but I want to know that too. This is why I read blogs and not magazines for beauty stuff these days. Because magazines always say this celebrity uses this product and its so fantastic…but when I used to buy into that, I was bitterly disappointed… (okay…I dont know if what I wrote really made sense…)
Anyway, can you tell me more about Strawberrynet?? I’ve never bought anything there but I do notice that a few beauty bloggers are affiliated with them…do they sell fake prods????
Ling recently posted..Urban Decay Ammo Eyeshadow Palette – Review & Swatches
Ling: I know what you mean. I do sometimes question a blog that only has good reviews but have nothing bad to say about the product at all. And then I remembered that there are bloggers who would prefer to only blog about the products they like, and not write about the products that do not work for them. To each her own, I suppose 🙂
I’m trying to get more information on Strawberrynet too. I’m afraid that at this point, I cannot quote the PR who got back to me on the authenticity of Strawberrynet as what she told me was off the record. When I know more on the record, I’ll let you know 🙂
Thanks for sharing this Tine. I have to agree with them – a negative experience with one item in a brand does not mean its a washout and being diplomatic and reasonable goes further. With regards pricing, I can understand globalization and how exchange rates affect prices of products but with globalization I do think a certain element of comparison can be expected. I had a PR call me out on saying that the items were priced higher here as opposed to their home country. It was a fact and when compared to other comparable brands, it was. They just didn’t like seeing it said I guess.
As for Strawberrynet or Sasa or any other online discount site, I realise it affects local sales but they do do good deals, have some older items still available, and thus far everything I’ve gotten is genuine. Online websites have to buy from official sources too, I’m guessing, if they want to maintain their credibility. So unless its been proven that we get fake goods I am still likely to purchase there for convenience, price and availability 🙂
Paris B recently posted..When I want my lashes to hold a curl all day the Paul & Joe Curly Mascara does the job!
Paris B: At the moment, I haven’t yet have PRs call me out on price comparisons, but then again, I do not do price comparisons on products I receive for reviews, just the ones I purchased. It’s such a grey area when it comes to what you should and should not write when it comes to products sent for review. If you could write about your experience on this, that would be great 🙂
So far, all the products I’ve gotten from Strawberrynet are genuine. I admit I’m apprehensive in buying the ones which are 1) unboxed or 2) old products on sale, just in case they’ve expired. Other than that, I’ve not had any problems with the new ones.
I’m the worst at writing negative comments, if I dislike a product then most of the time I can’t be bothered to review it on my blog at all but if I’ve received it from PR I’ll always find good and bad points and will be happy to disclose both since not everyone will have the same bad experiences. It’s very rare to find a product that doesn’t have some problems with it anyway. That is so interesting about what the PR says about people saying negative things about prices in Aus compared to US, unfortunately I can’t help but balk at paying our local prices, for example I really wanted to buy the the Nars Dogon duo and was completely prepared to buy it locally but it cost $72! I was able to get it from the US and paid $42.95 plus postage. I just could not justify paying such a high price as much as I’d love to buy things locally, that mark up is insane and I would rather share that with my readers so that they can also take advantage.
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Megan: I know what you mean. I have the same problem in writing about price points as well. I guess that’s why I’m quite picky in what I do receive for reviews. How I go about it is this: for products I receive for free, I do not add price comparisons, but for the ones I purchase, I do. Most of the time, the beauty products I do purchase, especially makeup, would come from the US, and I share about that to my readers.
The ones I do receive for reviews are mainly products you can get from Australia, and are affordable. Well, most of them anyway 🙂 That way, I don’t feel like I’m ripping my readers off.
hi tine. i enjoyed reading this post, and when reading the point about pricing i was ready to disagree, however when it comes to the actual review and merits of the product, i agree that pricing should not come into effect, however i do feel that the local price should be included as a mention at the end of the post (although i also like to see the price it is in other countries as well). also a good way to look back to see how much things were in the past.
pricing as a whole, i welcome change, because it would only have a knock-on effect. luxury brands will always be luxury brands and reducing say a foundation from $80 to $60 still doesn’t make it affordable to me. however i doubt all the grumblings in the world aren’t going to make anything cheaper in australia at the moment.
i feel any type of shopping whether it be online or in physical stores, the buyer should always beware, as the saying goes. i don’t believe strawberrynet itself sells counterfeit goods, however items might be past their used by date, in which refund and returns policies should be scrutinised before purchase.
Tish: Love your comment. Highly agree about posting local prices, which is what I try to do in my reviews. I find it ambiguous for an Australian blogger to only just put US prices, even if they’re lower than Australian retail.
I can’t be 100% sure about Strawberrynet but in all my purchases with them, I’ve never had one that was a counterfeit. Of course, I’m not an expert, so again, I can’t be 100% certain. But I do question the ones which are unboxed or the ones which are already discontinued on the shelves but are still available on S’net. Goodness knows how long those has been sitting there.
I was brought up to be thoughtful in words – if I have nothing nice to say, just keep quiet. Well, unless I was completely taken over emotionally, then, I do end up saying something stupid which I will regret… not that I can delete and edit!
I absolutely agree with you when you said that we have to mind our words when writing. We have plenty of time to edit before posting, and in some articles that I read, I do end up thinking – was that necessary? Then I probably won’t go back to that site again.
I’m new to blogging, and I find that I’m still unsure of what’s politically correct to write. I believe bloggers have to stay true to themselves, but we still have to be polite and courteous, AND be fair to the brand. Readers have the right to know what’s not so good about the product, but I do presume they get turned off if the blogger bashed too hard. As for strawberryNet, I find some products are actually cheaper here in Malaysia!
Lily recently posted..Dior Diorskin Forever Liquid Foundation & Importance of choosing the right foundation shade!
Lily: The best way to go about blogging, in my opinion, is to utilise post scheduling to the max. I seldom post on the go these days. The advantage of post scheduling is so that you can go through your words again and see if they’re okay before the article is published. Once it’s out, you can’t retract it.
So even if I’m writing something now to be posted today, I’ll schedule it to be published a couple of hours later. This way, you can preview the post, check for errors, etc first 🙂
As for product reviews, there’s no right way or wrong way to write. As you said, a blogger has to stay true to him/herself, but really, courtesy goes a long way. Unless the brand did something bad to you on a personal level, then every product review is a personal experience, and even if it didn’t work for you, chances are it will work for someone else. Needless bashing is juvenile.
Great post, yet again! Earlier on in my blogging days, I’d be rather harsh on products, ignorant to the fact that it may be great on someone else. I’ve matured since (I hope!) and would emphasize how the product works ON ME. And if possible, I’d give suggestions on how it may work for others. But sometimes when I feel indifferent, that’s the worse. I’d have no idea what to write about!
In response to Strawberrynet, I think it’s alright to mention where you’ve gotten the product from. I don’t think there’s anything wrong to share where there’s a good deal but I’d still try to mention the price and availability of the product locally knowing that not everyone would want to shop online.
Connie De Alwis recently posted..Beauty Budgeting Chp. 12: Emptying the Bottles
Connie: Excellent point, to give suggestions on how a product may work on others. I’ll definitely keep that in mind!
As for the products I’m indifferent about, chances are I won’t blog about it. If I have to think so hard just to come up with what I think about it, then no point lah 😛
Yet another great Post Tine!! I totally agree with you about not being too harsh with your words because there are indeed so many beauty products that do not work for you but could be wonderful for somebody else. Whether I receive a product from a PR or buy it myself, I make sure to point out both the positives and negatives. I just do what I expect from other bloggers as a reader 🙂
Harshleen recently posted..7 Lust-Have Holiday Makeup Sets
Harshleen: That’s good, to expect from other bloggers as a reader. I do that too! 🙂
Tine, you always have great advice. Totally agree with everything you just said. xx
MsCritique.com recently posted..Coffee Blog: DeLonghi Nespresso Lattissima+
MsCritique: Thanks love. Although, I have to say, I didn’t write most of the above. The PRs did. I just wrote verbatim on their response. Hee hee 😛
Hi
I love your blog especially your bloggie wednesday posts which are really, really helpful!
nutty recently posted..Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Collection
Nutty: Thanks Nutty. Love your name! 😛
Wanna say that in response to Strawberrynet, I think it’s fine to mention where you’ve gotten the item from. We don’t think there’s something wrong to share where there’s much but I’d nonetheless try to point out the price and also availability of the merchandise locally knowing that not everyone would like to shop online.
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Ruth: That’s a good idea. Local availability of the merchandise is still important to me, but if we can get it somewhere else cheaper, I think it’s also fair to the readers that they know about it.
I started blogging nearly six years ago and I was pretty sure that I am going to enlighten the world with my opinions. Well, yes – I did, I still do, but I try to show both sides of the story. I do not test products that are obviously not suitable for me.
I also do not evne like to write bad revews! Sometimes I buy or get something where I think WTH?! Therefore I tend to skip negative reviews. Unless it is one of my favorite brands where I am used a certain quality, then I am not afraid to say: Bad product, now even more expensive (happened just last week). But this happens really seldom and I am really happy about it. I think giving a negative review but still very nicely can help the company to improve products.
This happened here in Germany with an organic brand after my feedback and also the feedback of the readers/customers. A blogger is also a customer!
Andreea recently posted..Die Winterbraut – ein monochromes Make-up von Giorgio Armani Make-up
Andreea: There are a lot of beauty bloggers who do not post negative reviews at all. They know a certain is definitely not going to work for them, so why bother. Or they trial a product that didn’t work, so they don’t post it. And that’s absolutely fine. Every blogger is different, and that’s what makes him/her interesting 🙂
I still think it’s a good idea to give feedback to the brand if something didn’t work, even if you do not blog about it. Like you said, it helps the brand to work on improving the products.
Negative reviews really aren’t my favorite thing in the world to do; however, I remember that I have a duty to my readers. Someone else may have the same problem that I do. In reviewing skincare product, I make it really clear that I have very sensitive skin (meaning just about everything irritates my skin). That being said, I try to focus on things that the product did deliver on while stating that people with sensitive skin may want to stay away from it.
Lizzie recently posted..St. Ives Naturally Smooth Review
Thanks for your comment Lizzie. Bloggers with sensitive skin who report on products for sensitive skin do a great service to the beauty community because you’re actually helping them sieve through the myriad of beauty products and deciding what works on sensitive skin and what doesn’t. It can be a painful experiment on the skin if it doesn’t work. So kudos to you for helping your readers out 🙂