Practise you lot think leaving an Amazon review is a waste matter of fourth dimension? Then, an Amazon programme that's been effectually since 2007 might accept y'all thinking twice. Amazon's Vine Program consists of a grouping of handpicked reviewers who become products for free in substitution for honest reviews.

Amazon doesn't give away likewise much almost how reviewers are selected, just at that place are some basic guidelines that you can follow in an attempt to be one of the lucky ones receiving free swag.

What is the Amazon Vine Program?

Amazon's Vine Program is an invite-simply grouping of reviewers that receive products for gratis in commutation for impartial reviews. They volition ofttimes receive products before they are released. Amazon explains its purpose:

"[...] to provide customers with more data including honest and unbiased feedback from some of Amazon's most trusted reviewers."

Anyone who is a member of the Vine Program volition have a bluecoat on all the reviews they leave on Amazon distinguishing them asVine Voices.

That doesn't mean every single review they leave is the result of a freebie. If they received the item as part of the program, that review volition be labeledVine Customer Review of Free Product.

While Vine members used to receive a monthly newsletter featuring books and other products they chose from to review -- with products valued at anywhere from a few dollars to close to $1,000 -- they now have access to a rolling listing of items they can lodge at whatever time. According to NPR, Vine members cannot sell or give items received through the program away and Amazon can ask for the items back -- although they don't appear to do that.

Amazon says that Vine reviewers are not expected to get out positive reviews and that writing a negative review will have no impact on an Amazon user's ranking.

How Do You Become An Invite?

So how do you go one of Amazon'southward most trusted reviewers? Amazon will reach out to you if they feel you are a good fit for the program but the company does offer some guidance on what it's looking for in a Vine Voice.

Rather than focus on quantity of reviews, they are focused on quality. It's no good if yous're out there on Amazon leaving one-word reviews left and right. Existence a prolific reviewer is no guarantee of joining the Vine plan. Amazon's guidelines for a Vine Vocalization are:

  • A reviewer's rank, which is based on the overall helpfulness of reviews, while also factoring in the number of reviews.
  • Demonstrated expertise in one specific production category.
  • More weight is given to contempo reviews. (Rankings are updated every couple of days.)
  • An interest in products similar to those enrolled in the Vine plan.

While an involvement in the products enrolled in the program is key to getting an invite -- bated from looking for Vine reviews on Amazon (which is non an easy chore), there's no real way to know which products are enrolled. All nosotros know is that vendors pay to take their products included -- a fact that Amazon did not initially disclose, leading to some negative coverage of the program in the past.

In any instance, in its explanation of the program Amazon writes:

Ultimately, Vine Voices go eligible based on the value and trust other Amazon.com customers place in the Voices' power to provide helpful and insightful reviews.

Helpful Votes

And so if you desire to be considered, avoid leaving extremely brief reviews. Avert complaining about something in the production that is clearly stated in the description. Think about the questions you were asking yourself before you took the plunge and ordered that $200 gadget that you knew you didn't need but really, really wanted.

Amazon likely scours the thousands of reviews left on products bachelor on the site and looks at how those reviews are being received by boyfriend customers.

Reviewers whose feedback is consistently marked as helpful have a amend adventure of being invited to the plan.

Stick to I Category

As for the second criteria - Amazon looks for your involvement and expertise in specific product categories. Anecdotal evidence shows that sticking to 1 product category, and condign a recognized and helpful expert in that field gives y'all a better chance of becoming a Vine member.

There's No Clear Science

Amazon doesn't provide much data on how it makes that decision. For instance, we found Vine Voice reviewers who received 4,000 helpful votes. Some Hall of Famers have received over 88,000 votes simply are not a office of the programme. There is conspicuously no verbal science in play here. One Vine Vocalism reviewer posted on Quora that he received his invite with over 30 reviews and over 300 helpful votes. In addition to numbers, according to him, it as well depends on which categories Amazon is looking to add together new Vine Voices -- in other words -- there'due south no guarantee.

One major slice of information that Amazon does non share is how oftentimes it invites users to the Vine program, so it's never actually clear if Amazon is actively recruiting new reviewers. So if y'all want to be considered, y'all'll simply have to keep at it. Most anecdotes plant online of Vine members being invited are somewhat dated at this point.

Ane Reddit user who is too a Vine member claims that Amazon does not add together new members unless existing members leave the program.

Tips from Vine Members

Vine Member Laura Knights offers some details on what she did prior to being invited in 2009:

  • She aimed to write one review per week. (Some of the top Vine reviewers wrote as much equally ane review a day, and sometimes more.)
  • She reviewed products mainly from one category: kitchen items.
  • She did this for a period of one year.
  • She speculates that existence a longtime, active Amazon member may besides accept something to do with information technology.

MakeUseOf's Bakari Chavanu, a Vine Member since 2010, offers this advice:

  • You need to accept been an Amazon member for longer than 6 months.
  • Write thoughtful and genuine reviews.
  • Prioritize reviews of products you actually bought on Amazon. (These volition be labeled as aVerified Purchase on the site.)
  • Play the long game by updating your reviews after you've used the production for a while.
  • Consider doing short video reviews as well.
  • Focus on a product category associated with your profession every bit this can lend to your credibility and increase the likelihood of helpful votes.

Tips for Writing Reviews

The last thing to consider if you're trying to go an invite to the Amazon Vine club is to pay attention to Amazon'due south ain review guidelines. This is what Amazon suggests when you're virtually to write a review:

  • Do explicate why y'all liked or disliked it.
  • Practise compare to like products or services and share how long you've used this product.
  • Do identify specific attributes (e.grand. comfort & fit of a shirt or the bombardment life of a photographic camera) and whether they met your expectations.
  • Don't draw your seller or aircraft experience (you can exercise that at amazon.com/feedback).
  • Don't include promotional content of whatever kind or reviews written in substitution for compensation.

You lot're In. Now What?

One time you're accepted as a Vine reviewer you will want to make sure y'all follow the guidelines of the program. Yous are limited to two products at a time and you lot must write and mail service your reviews of received products before you can asking additional items. Be sure to leave a review inside thirty days of delivery.

Only cull products y'all're really interested in, and don't feel compelled to select something just for the sake of a review. If you don't really want or need the particular, y'all can just skip a month or two.

Yous'd exist surprised but every bit with most things online, being a acme Amazon reviewer doesn't come without risks. Ane Amazon reviewer reportedly gets regular hate mail service, amidst them death threats. Other Vine reviewers say their reviews get negative feedback but because of their Vine bluecoat. And while Amazon vowed last year to cleft down on 'incentivized' reviews, considering of a deluge of false reviews, the Vine program has continued to operate.

A 2016 study by ReviewMeta found that, while they may not be perfect, Vine reviews are oft better than incentivized reviews.

For all of the criticism that it's received, there are some really defended reviewers among their ranks, including the current pinnacle-ranked Amazon reviewer, who has written iii,451 reviews and received over 84,000 votes from other Amazon users for the helpfulness of her reviews. And, you tin can't disagree the value of a skillful review when you become shopping on Amazon.

Do you regularly write reviews on Amazon? Are yous a Vine fellow member? Tin can you share any tips or tricks on how to go invited into the program? What has Amazon sent you lot to review? Let us know in the comments.

Prototype Credit: zagandesign/Depositphotos

Originally written by Bakari Chavanu on Aug four, 2010

15 Subconscious WhatsApp Tricks Y'all Need to Try Right Now

Read Adjacent

About The Author

Nancy Messieh (867 Articles Published)

Nancy is a author and editor living in Washington DC. She was previously the Eye East editor at The Next Spider web and currently works at a DC-based think tank on communications and social media outreach.

More From Nancy Messieh