by Matt Weik
I’ve been going back and forth on this topic for quite some time now, and I’m on the fence about how it would be received (even though it’s definitely not a new concept). I’m simply trying to see all sides and angles of this topic. Here’s what I’m thinking and talking about. What if supplement companies were to supply discounts to those who purchase products from their website and post a review? Would these supplement reviews benefit everyone (consumers and the brand), or would they be somewhat biased? Let’s discuss.
Mind you, this article is 100% based on my personal opinions – your mileage may vary.
How the Supplement Brand Benefits
As a consumer, I don’t want to speak for you, so I’ll only speak for myself, but I look at reviews on products before I decide to make a purchase or not. Supplement reviews play a part in my purchasing decisions, and I try to gauge whether or not other people found value in the product and if it actually did what it claims to do. That said, I’m always a little suspicious of supplement reviews.
A supplement brand can benefit if they have a ton of authentic supplement reviews that tout their product(s) as being amazing – in fact, the more supplement reviews, the better. Think about it, if a brand has 15 supplement reviews, will it seem that the brand is selling a bunch of products or that consumers are enjoying their products? Probably not, right? But if a brand has 1,000+ five-star reviews, that’s pretty impressive and grabs your attention, no? It holds much more weight than only around a dozen reviews.
Therefore, the more supplement reviews a brand can get, the better its look and appeal are to consumers.
So, where does the discount come into play? Following a sale/transaction, most brands will send an email confirming their order. But what about a follow-up email around 30 days later asking how they liked the product and asking if they would be willing to write a review of the product? In exchange for their time, the customer would be given a discount code that can be used on a future order (say, within the next 30 days before it expires).
If the customer enjoyed the product, they’re generally going to buy it again, right? And the fact that a supplement brand provides them with a coupon code is a means of trying to build a loyal customer who doesn’t get distracted by other brands attempting to grab their attention. The discount is a way for them to retain their customer and continue building sales.
The fact that the offer would be sent around 30 days later would also time things nicely with when the product would probably be getting low and running out. It provides the consumer with an incentive that can be used to restock on the product or even try something new if they wished. It makes sense, right? But let’s look at the other side of the equation when it comes to supplement reviews.
How the Customer Benefits
This is pretty straightforward – the customer gets a discount on a certain product or on their entire next order. It’s also a nice gesture since the discount is offered for an authentic review, which will only help the supplement brand build its sales and authority in the industry.
If a customer is provided a discount code, they’re probably going to take the supplement company up on their offer and provides their opinion and insight through supplement reviews so that they can save some money in exchange. Do people love discounts? Damn right, they do! If some individuals can save some money, you could find them selling their soul to the devil. But as they say, “Money makes the world go around.” A discount to the customer is always a win in my book.
Can You Trust the Review?
First off, could discounts for supplement reviews backfire? I mean, not everyone is going to love their purchase and may be foaming at the mouth and fuming mad that they wasted their money. Now, you’ve sent a follow-up email and asking a disgruntled customer (unknown to you) to leave a review that could end up tarnishing the product and brand. It’s not a good look, and it’s a real risk that needs to be considered. However, if a brand is confident in its product(s), it should mitigate any concerns that could trigger someone into writing negative supplement reviews.
But with all of that being said, should you (as a consumer) always trust supplement reviews? No. And I’ve actually had a whole article published on the topic. There could be people who consider the discount code as a form of “compensation” for hinting at having them leave a good or positive review on the brand’s website.
Or even worse, a brand reaches out to people and says that if they purchase the product and leave a good review, they will be fully compensated for their order. This is extremely shady, but I know for a fact that brands out there are using this very tactic I’m mentioning – especially new, startup brands. Is it morally and ethically wrong? Yes. But I guess there are some brands that will do anything and everything they can to grow their business.
Would You Utilize Discounts for Supplement Reviews?
Personally, if a supplement brand were offering up discounts (that actually saved me a decent amount of money on my next purchase) in exchange for supplement reviews, I’d probably take them up on the offer. Depending on what the discount is, I’m not naive to think the discount is already padded into their margins (even without having any offer given), but that’s really none of my concern as they can make their margins and pricing whatever they want – it’s their business, not mine.
The question is, would you take advantage of discounts for supplement reviews? I know some brands are doing this, but would it be beneficial for more brands to adopt this strategy and implement it into their follow-up emails? Another question would be, if you didn’t like the product, would you still supply them with a review even if you had no intent to make another purchase? Let us know down in the comments.
