How to write a review?

1.Briefly describe the product or service. In a couple of sentences or less, describe the product that you’re reviewing. You will reveal other details throughout your review, but the initial description will give your reader a sense of what you’re talking about.

• If it’s a movie or book, don’t spend your entire review summarizing the plot. There’s no need to give the entire story. Just a brief overview in 1-2 sentences will suffice.

2.Write with detail. Give lots of detail and evidence for the argument that you’re making. If you’re reviewing a music album, talk about the instruments or vocals on a particular track. If you’re reviewing a movie, talk about why the cinematography is groundbreaking and give examples from the film.

3.Use complete sentences. Your review will carry much more weight if you write in complete sentences, rather than fragments that leave the reader wanting more. Don’t write things like, “okay food, terrible service.” This doesn’t tell the reader anything specific and therefore doesn’t make for a helpful review.

4.Include useful descriptive words. Skip words like “meh” and “okay.” These words are not very useful in terms of describing a product. If you want to write a compelling review that gives the reader an idea of what you experienced, choose more descriptive words.

5.Personalize your review. Relate your review directly to your personal experience. Don’t use vague statements and generalities. People reading your review will want to know about your experience, so they can determine if they’d like to use that service as well. Tell a story about why you like to go to a particular nightclub or why you find your yard service so reliable.

6.Position this product or service among its peers. Think about where this product fits among similar products. You should certainly judge the product on its own merits, but people reading your reviews will find it useful to have a reference to a restaurant they’re familiar with. This makes the comparison – and thus, the evaluation of whether to try a product or service – easier for readers of your review.

7.Include a sample. If possible, give your reader a sample of what you’ve experienced. This might be a picture of a meal that you ate, or it might be a link to a trailer for the movie, or it might be a snippet of a song from an album you’re reviewing.

8.Keep it truthful. Be honest in your review. Don’t stretch the truth to fit with your argument one way or another. Don’t make up stuff or exaggerate to make your point. If you don’t have enough evidence to support a point you’re making, leave it out.

9.Give a fair review. You may have had a terrible experience with a particular plumber, but balance your review with what the plumber did right. If a meal was excellent except for the crud in your water glass, mention the negative part. People find reviews more credible if they admit the good and the bad together.

10.Be creative and interesting. The best reviews are ones that hook the reader and draw them in. Write in a way that is imaginative and that captures the essence of the product or service that you’re reviewing.

• Some reviews are written in different formats, even as poems or haiku. Other reviews are tongue-in-cheek, conveying the facts in a humorous way.

11.Add privileged information to your review. Include information that a reader wouldn't have from checking out the service’s website or seeing an ad for the service. Provide information or details that you can only get when you’re using the service.