Fake Product and Book Reviews: Avoid the Temptation (or Go to Court!)
The New York Times just posted this piece about a marketing and P.R. firm that was busted by the FTC for posting fake, glowing reviews of apps in the iTunes store.
Fake reviews have always struck me as wasteful attempts to influence buyers. The people hired to write them have tin ears for how real people engage with products and summarize their experiences.
Fake reviews are transparently goofy, involve too many exclamation points, and are either pointlessly vague or suspiciously copywriter-like in their deployment of superlatives. Experienced online shoppers know the ringers and shills when they see them, because their reviews are short, sweet and overwhelmingly positive: “Fits great!,” “Finally! I’ve found the perfect dress to transition from summer to fall!” or “This book will change your life.”
Real reviews have context and tell a story, however brief, oftentimes describing the ups and downs of the consumer’s connection to the material or object being reviewed (e.g., “Per others’ reviews on this site saying this item ran large, I ordered it down a size, a 7 instead of an 8, and it fit my narrow foot perfectly.”).
If you’re trying to sell a product online and you’re considering paying someone to write fake reviews for you — don’t do it. And don’t do it yourself, either, because now the risks officially outweigh the benefits. Better to spend your time and money finding and getting your product into the hands of people who are likely to be excited by it.
