Writing Informative Product Reviews

6 Elements for Writing Engaging Copy 01 Start with their pain. End with your solution. Lead with what’s keeping them stuck. Then show them how you solve it. Pain gets attention. Relief drives action. 02 Don’t just describe the product. Describe how life feels with it. You’re not selling a mattress. You’re selling better sleep and easier mornings. Make them imagine the result, not just the item. 03 The best copywriting isn’t about persuasion. It’s about making the decision feel obvious. If they see the value instantly, you don’t need to convince them. Remove friction. Eliminate doubt. Make saying yes the easiest option. 04 Replace filler words with power words. “Very effective” → “Proven” “Really fast” → “Instant” “Helps with” → “Solves” “Easy to use” → “Effortless” “High quality” → “Premium” Because words shape how people feel. 05 The best copy doesn’t sound like a pitch. It sounds like a solution. Your audience isn’t looking to be sold. They’re looking for answers. Make your copy feel like help, not a sales message. 06 Specifics sell. Generalities don’t. “Save money” is vague. “Save $312 this year on your grocery bill” is convincing. Details create trust. Trust drives sales.

Your most returned product can teach you the most. Every return tells you something. But a lot of the time, we don’t pay attention. Here’s what to do: Step 1: Find the product with the highest return rate. Step 2: Read through the reasons people give for returning it. Step 3: Make simple content that helps stop those problems before they happen. Some examples: • If people say it’s “too small” → Add a size guide video on the product page and send it again after they buy. • If they say “doesn’t match the photo” → Show real photos from real customers, in natural lighting. • If they say “didn’t know how to use it” → Send a quick how to guide when the product ships. You probably don’t need to change the product itself. You just need to set better expectations.

Your Prime Day sales spike means nothing if 30% of it comes back in a return box. That’s the average e-commerce return rate, and it only climbs higher after big promos. With Prime Day fast approaching, how ready are your listings for this big sales event? Here are some of the strategies my team of Amazon experts do for our clients to help prevent product returns after Prime Day: According to the 2025 Global Returns & Profit Impact Report by Rithum, 61% of consumers return products because of poor fit, and 33% send items back due to discrepancies between what was shown and what was received. These two issues alone account for the majority of e-commerce returns and both are fixable with better listing optimization. To reduce returns based on these findings: 👉 Make size charts and fit guides easy to find and understand—don’t bury them in the A+ 👉 Ensure your main and secondary images match exactly what ships, down to accessories and packaging 👉 Include real-use visuals and infographics to set clear expectations before purchase Returns are predictable. And preventable. If your listing is vague, outdated, or dressed up to trick the algorithm, you're setting yourself up for a returns hangover. Amazon buyers don’t want surprises. They want certainty. Show the right info, and you won’t have to deal with regret boxes showing up on your doorstep two weeks later.

If your copy isn’t landing, I’ll bet I know why. You’re writing for an audience. Try this instead: Think of one person who perfectly represents your dream client. Someone real. Now, write to them. 👋 Start with their name. ✏️ Write the thing. ✖️ Delete their name. If this is easy? Congrats—you know your audience inside and out. You get what drives them, what keeps them up at night, what they secretly hope for. If it’s hard? That’s a sign you need to dig deeper. Because if you don’t know what matters to your audience, how can you expect them to care about what you’re saying? Think about how you’d recommend a restaurant to a friend. You wouldn’t list every menu item and describe the table settings. You’d say: ✅ They have the best spicy margaritas, your favorite! ✅ It’s 10 minutes from your office. ✅ Oh, and the chef? He was on your favorite food show. You know exactly what to say because you know her. That’s what great copy does. It speaks to the right person in the right way. And the fastest way to nail that? Customer interviews. The best way to understand your audience is to hear it straight from them. If you could get inside your dream client’s head for a day, what would you want to know?

𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀! Here's how to lower them AND keep customers happy. 👇 #𝟭 : 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 The best insights come from your own reviews. Look for common reasons customers are returning products and address these issues. If customers mention misleading sizing, inaccurate colors, or poor-quality materials, make sure to update your product descriptions, images, and details accordingly. Many 1-Star reviews can be avoided simply by updating your display page. #𝟮 : 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 Clear and detailed product descriptions and images help set accurate expectations. Includes dimensions, material details, usage instructions. etc. to ensure customers know exactly what they're buying. Content accuracy reduces returns due to unmet expectations. #𝟯 : 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Often, products are returned because customers aren't sure how to use or care for them. Includes easy-to-follow instructions for setup, usage, and maintenance in the product listing or as a product insert. This not only reduces returns but also increases customer satisfaction. #𝟰 : 𝗘𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 Damaged items are a major cause of returns. Make sure your product packaging is sturdy enough to withstand Amazon's fulfillment process. Packaging should protect fragile items and prevent any shipping-related damage. Investing in durable, tamper-proof packaging can prevent these avoidable returns. #𝟱 : 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 When customers encounter a minor issue, good customer service can prevent them from initiating a return. Respond promptly to questions, provide troubleshooting help, and offer solutions like partial refunds or replacements when appropriate. Effective customer support can turn potential returns into positive experiences. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Reducing your return rate is about setting accurate expectations and being proactive. Don't wait for them to come. Tackle them ahead of time. _ Find this useful? ♻️ If so, repost it to your network and follow Ian Rollin Berry for more.

I used to think "write like you talk" was the holy grail of copywriting. The result? Boring copy that sounded just like everybody else. ❌ Copy that was "professional, but relatable." ❌ Copy that I thought sounded good. ❌ Copy that felt natural – to me. Then I realized: My audience isn't me. They're: 👉 CFOs in growing financial firms 👉 IT leaders in healthcare organizations 👉 COOs at logistics and transportation companies 👉 CMOs at eCommerce companies with $50M+ revenue 👉 Information security officers at growing tech companies They don't talk the way I do. And they respond to copy that sounds like them. (Not like a snarky college professor.) So how do you create messaging that actually stands out? Capture how your audience actually talks. And reflect it right back to them. Here's how I do it: ✅️ Talk to your customers Nothing can touch live conversations for getting insight into your buyers' needs, challenges and goals. They're the best way to learn how your audience is talking about your product. ✅️ Creep on their online convos There are so many places you can go message mining: G2 reviews, podcasts, Slack communities, subreddits. Go find out how your audience communicates when no one's watching. ✅️ Define your brand messaging guidelines Distill your findings into a clear brand messaging strategy – so every piece of copy sounds like you're one of them. Make it easy for everyone on your team to get on the same page. With data-driven brand messaging, you're not just writing like you anymore. You're writing like them. And that's how you get readers thinking, "this is exactly what I've been looking for." So don't write like you talk – write like they talk.

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.

🔖 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.)

If your copy sounds like it belongs in a boardroom or a bank lobby ... your buyer’s already mentally closed the tab 💤 It’s a common misstep (we've all done it once): Describing a product how the builder sees it instead of why the user needs it. You can tell it’s happened when the copy reads like this: ✨ “𝐀𝐈-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.” … instead of this: ✨ “𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲—𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.” If your audience can shrug and ask, “So, what?” — you're stuck in feature mode. (Scroll back to the first ✨ and you’ll feel it) ✅ Feature = what it does 💡 Benefit = what it fixes, saves, or makes the person feel People aren’t waking up thinking, “𝘖𝘩, 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘩, 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘮.” They want breathing room. Less dread. More solutions. TL;DR? Good copy tells you what a product does. Great copy makes you feel what life’s like with it. —— 🧠 Want to "pick my brain"? I did it for you. The image for this post is part of 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑤𝑎𝑏 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑢𝑚, my guide to writing copy that connects *and* converts. DM me for the full PDF (it’s free!) to get clear, actionable tips on writing better.

You know what’s worse than writing content no one reads? Writing content that doesn’t actually help your audience. If they read it and don't find value, they bounce. And that impression of your brand being "not helpful" sticks with them when they leave. Let me break it to you: Writing content based on your product features isn’t cutting it. You need to be publishing content that aligns with the real reasons your buyers are "hiring" your product. This is where Jobs to be Done (JTBD) content comes in. JTBD content is all about understanding the specific goals or outcomes your customers are trying to achieve. Instead of focusing on how cool your features are, you’re talking about how your product helps them solve real problems. For example, don’t just say, “Our SaaS helps automate processes.” Instead, say something like, “Stop wasting hours on repetitive tasks. Our tool helps you automate workflows so you can focus on the big stuff—like growing your business.” Why does this matter? Because when you speak directly to the “job” your customer is trying to get done, you’re speaking their language. You’re aligning with their needs, not just pushing your product. And here’s the bonus: Analyzing the “jobs” your customers are trying to do can help you uncover new opportunities for innovation and even find gaps in the market. So, take a minute and ask yourself: What *real* job is your product solving for your audience?