jmottle
Member
My experience with this both from a website review end and working with print publications. On websites, the reviewers generally are compensated in one or more of the following:
1) Exposure/name recognition that comes with being associated with the review. Perhaps their company name is linked at the end of the review for example.
2) They are paid to do the review. On the website end, this is generally not that common. It's more typical in print publications but does not pay incredibly well. Usually in the $200-500 range. That's how it works in the 3d computer graphics industry anyway.
3) They get free product in exchange for doing the review. While the immediate reaction might be this contributes to a biased review, you counter this by being upfront in the article that the reviewer received product in kind. You also tell the company providing if a review is done, it's with the understanding it will be a balanced and fair review, showcasing both good and bad. Usually if you find bad things with the product, you can reach back to the company to get their feedback. Perhaps the next version is addressing the issue, perhaps it's user error etc. Then include that in the review. Finally, if you write balanced reviews, people will see that and you build trust with the audience and the companies providing the products for review.
Most people who do reviews are not looking to get paid or get something for free as they are generally looking to contribute to the community by supporting it. The exposure and other perks are just a bonus. Generally unless you are paying someone, you're not likely to find someone random to just provide content.
1) Exposure/name recognition that comes with being associated with the review. Perhaps their company name is linked at the end of the review for example.
2) They are paid to do the review. On the website end, this is generally not that common. It's more typical in print publications but does not pay incredibly well. Usually in the $200-500 range. That's how it works in the 3d computer graphics industry anyway.
3) They get free product in exchange for doing the review. While the immediate reaction might be this contributes to a biased review, you counter this by being upfront in the article that the reviewer received product in kind. You also tell the company providing if a review is done, it's with the understanding it will be a balanced and fair review, showcasing both good and bad. Usually if you find bad things with the product, you can reach back to the company to get their feedback. Perhaps the next version is addressing the issue, perhaps it's user error etc. Then include that in the review. Finally, if you write balanced reviews, people will see that and you build trust with the audience and the companies providing the products for review.
Most people who do reviews are not looking to get paid or get something for free as they are generally looking to contribute to the community by supporting it. The exposure and other perks are just a bonus. Generally unless you are paying someone, you're not likely to find someone random to just provide content.
