This is a guest post by Ryan Biddulph. He shares smart blogging tips at Blogging From Paradise.
The old me absolutely believed I needed positive reviews to become a successful blogger.
Think for one moment the dangerous precedent I set for myself. I believed I could only succeed if people posted positive, public reviews after reading my eBooks, listening to my audio books and receiving my coaching services. What happens if you deeply believe you cannot succeed on your own blogging steam? You do not succeed on your own blogging steam. Even worse; you base your blogging confidence, clarity and ability to sell on the opinions of other human beings.
Yet a high percentage of bloggers still teach that you need to get positive reviews, glowing endorsements or dazzling testimonials from either influencers or happy customers in order to build a thriving business. Why? Parrot-speak. One top blogger explains how you need positive reviews to succeed online. Followers profess how you need positive reviews to prosper. The cycle continues until a blogger like me tells you how obsessing over scoring positive reviews damages your blogging campaign.
Some people only buy stuff or hire people based on positive reviews. Many people buy stuff or hire people based on needing the product or service. If I see something I need I simply buy it without scanning reviews because I could care less about people’s opinions; I have clarity enough to purchase what I need. Knowing this, many humans buy what they need based on their need and not based on feedback from other human beings.
Customers and clients often grow to trust you through your valuable, free content.
Do any of my long time readers need to see a positive eBook review to buy one of my eBooks? No. Why? My long time readers know my:
- style
- delivery
- presentation
- worth
and simply buy what I offer because my loyal readers trust me and trust my content. People buy from trusted people. People hire trusted people. My blog, guest posts, videos and podcasts earn me credibility in the eyes of loyal readers who purchase my stuff without giving thought to positive reviews.
I covered a few reasons why people buy your stuff or hire you without scanning reviews. Humans do not need to be convinced or swayed to purchase something needed because people already bought in the moment they needed that thing.
But on a deeper level, the most damaging aspect of obsessing over gaining positive reviews is the belief that you are only:
- worthy
- skilled
- good at what you do
- credible
based on someone’s positive opinion of your work posted in a public setting.
How far will you go as a blogger if you believe you need positive praise in order to sell something? Not too far. What happens when you receive no positive reviews for a valued eBook or service? You automatically de-value something valuable, helpful, beneficial and inspiring. A high percentage of bloggers quit promoting genuinely helpful products and services because they believe the lack of positive reviews suggests a low quality offering which leads to scant sales. If the blogger simply got clear on selling the offering more people would buy it without the product receiving a single positive review.
Positive reviewers are simply big fans eager enough to speak up in a public setting.
For every positive reviewer fan, 10 to 20 or more lurkers buy your stuff, boost your profits and grow your bottom line without you ever knowing who they are or what they think about your work.
Every highly successful, confident, pro blogger believes deeply in themselves over the opinions of other people. Why would you need vetting if you believe in yourself? Why would anyone believe in you unless you believed in yourself? Basing your worth and the worth of your products and services on the opinion of an influencer or a lower profile reader is foolish because their opinion is none of your business. Making matters worse, believing that you need positive reviews to sell something adds layers of work, limiting beliefs and energetic anchors to your blogging campaign.
My name and skills speak for themselves.
Why would I need someone else to publicly review my blog, eBooks or services favorably before I could possibly generate a sale? Who needs positive reviews to buy something? Skeptics. I sell to people already onboard, not skeptics, because I do not convince, manipulate or influence through public opinion. Here is my content, eBooks and courses. Take ’em or leave ’em.
I deeply appreciate my loving readers and their positive reviews but never base my confidence, clarity and ability to sell anything on another human being’s opinion. Negative reviews trigger deep doubts in people pleasers. Negative reviews lower sales in the minds of bloggers who fear negative reviews lower sales. As you believe, it is so.
Negative and positive reviews do not stir clear, confident, skilled bloggers because clarity, confidence, posture and skills drive sales, not another human being publicly saying you are clear, confident, skilled and posturing.
You never need positive reviews to sell anything if you are clear, confident, skilled and armed with a loyal tribe because their endorsement comes in the form of purchases and/or hires.
Build your tribe to generate a built-in source of return customers and clients who pay little if any attention to positive reviews. Trusting members of your blogging community do not need to be told what they already know; you are credible, trustworthy and skilled.
