It doesn’t matter if you’re searching for a new place to eat at, a hotel room to book, or a new product to buy, there is often one thing that can dramatically influence a purchasing decisions: reviews.

In fact, studies have found that 86% of consumers read local reviews when searching for products/services in their area, and reviews can be almost as powerful as personal recommendations.

After all, 5 star reviews and positive feedback can lead to favorable rankings on search engines or shop feeds, while low star reviews or negative feedback can literally wipe out businesses.

So, when researching ideas for my recent post on weird money makers people use, I obviously had to mention the fact that there are plenty of people out there who write reviews for money.

Ethics aside (I don’t write reviews for money/unless I have personally used a product, but hey, some people need to eat and I get that), it is actually incredibly easy to get paid to write reviews and I’m going to break down some of the best options to get started in the world of reviewing.

Writing Reviews For Money – Reviewing Amazon Products

Amazon is the king of Ecommerce, and while there is an ever-present effort to reduce the impact of fake/purchased reviews on the Amazon marketplace, they are simply part of the ecosystem.

If you are looking to make extra money by writing Amazon reviews, these are some of the most popular platforms to get started.

Now here’s the funny thing about Fiverr and Amazon when it comes to writing reviews for cash: Amazon actually sued over 1,000 fake Fiverr review writers in the past for this sort of stunt.

Fiverr used to be inundated with fake review offers, and while Fiverr fully complied with Amazon and banned sellers/restricted those sorts of gigs, there are plenty of people still trying to make a quick buck:

Some of these gigs even have the word ‘Amazon’ in them, which I think is pretty damn funny considering the past lawsuit.

Anyway, Fiverr has a healthy mix of product, book, and Amazon review offerings, and while a lot of sellers are vying for free merchandise in exchange for their work, some clearly expect cash for a quick Amazon review or 5 star rating.

2. Private Facebook Groups

While Fiverr used to be the place to go if you wanted to write reviews for money, private Facebook groups are much more popular these days, especially for Amazon reviews.

A quick search of ‘Amazon Review Groups’ in my search bar brought up plenty of budding communities of reviewers, and hundreds of posts are made in these groups on a daily basis:

As you can see, reviewers either get free products, massive discounts, or monetary compensation for providing positive feedback. Some groups require their members to be Amazon Sellers, but most don’t.

This whole method definitely feels like an underground way to earn with review writing, and it honestly is, but this is the name of the game these days it would seem!

3. Local Classifieds

While this option isn’t as common, a search of ‘Amazon review’ or ‘product review’ on your local classifieds like Kijiji or Craiglist sometime turn up postings that offer free or discounted products in return for a favorable review.

Just check out the offer I found in my city on Kijiji:

I have no idea if this is a scam or not, but these sorts of listings pop up pretty regularly. They do violate the terms and service from my understanding so they get taken down just as frequently, but hey, maybe there is some cash or freebies to be found here.

4. Work For Amazon Vine

If you shop and review items on Amazon frequently, you may end up being invited to join Amazon Vine.

Amazon invites trusted reviewers to write reviews for new or pre-released items on the Amazon marketplace. The goal of Amazon Vine is to ultimately help other consumers make better purchasing decisions.

Vine members receive free products in return for their reviews. To become an Amazon Vine member, you must have a high reviewer rank and be invited. Reviewer rank reflect the quality and helpfulness of your product reviews, so keep this opportunity in mind the next time you write a product review!

Extra Reading – 18 Ways To Make Money On Amazon In 2020.

Writing Software or App Reviews for Money

Alright, if spoofing reviews on Amazon for some extra pocket change isn’t for you, perhaps you can make money by reviewing products or software you have (ideally) actually used and enjoyed.

If this sounds more appealing, here are some of the best websites to get to work!

When it comes to the world of software reviews, Capterra is one of the largest players out there. From cloud computing to accounting software, Capterra is a one-stop-shop for everything you need to know when making a purchase decision on software.

Like all review-based websites, it’s the user submitted content that actually creates value. Since Capterra is interested in compiling as many great reviews as possible from real customers to make more money (through affiliate/lead generation deals), they are wiling to pay for reviews.

Now here’s the thing: Capterra makes it very clear in their guidelines that they vet reviews and only pay for reviews that pass approval.

When reviewing on Capterra, you verify your identity through LinkedIn, and as this Reddit thread describes, you might have to send screenshots of the software you are using/further proof you have real experience.

Regardless, if you frequently use software for work/school or are decent with language and can paraphrase other reviews, writing reviews on Capterra for money seems like an easy flow of $10 gift cards.

Gartner is another popular software/technology review website, and like Capterra, the only way Gartner can provide value is through continuing to grow their list of user reviews and resources.

Like Capterra, Gartner is also willing to pay users to review software, and offer a rate of $25 per verified review and a total of 10 reviews per year.

So, if you actually use a lot of software, this could be a decent way to make an additional $250 a year without much problem. Similarly, if you are looking for a new side hustle idea and don’t have any ethical qualms about paraphrasing, you could probably make a quick buck anyway.

This Reddit thread breaks down some payment proof and tips for writing reviews on Gartner, and you should not that you need a business email address to work for this program…No Gmail or Outlook.

G2 Crowd is yet another crowd sourced review website that focuses on covering business software and service solutions.

With 700,000+ verified reviews G2 Crowd is definitely a major player in the space, but they have the same never-ending need to keep the positive (and paid for) reviews coming in.

If you want to get paid to write reviews, I figure the combination of G2 Crowd, Gartner, and Capterra can net almost $500/year if you actually use software or are a very talented writer and researcher, so this is actually turning into a pretty decent hustle!

G2 Crowd pays $5-$15 per verified review, and you have to verify your identity through LinkedIn as with Capterra. New LinkedIn accounts will also not work, so you need to have a real account or aged fake account that looks convincing.

Note, you are also capped at 7 reviews per person with G2 Crowd!

I’m using Apperwall for an example of how you can make money by reviewing apps or games but this website is really one amidst a sea of other sketchy platforms that sort of work.

The premise behind Apperwall is simple: create and verify your account/phone, and then earn money for downloading and reviewing specific apps.

Apperwall and similar websites generally pay out between $0.25-$1.50 for accepted reviews, but the main issue with these platforms is that they tend to come and go. Writing fake reviews is against the Google PlayStore or App Store terms of service, so these companies rarely have a smooth ride.

However, if you do a bit of research or even try out Apperwall for yourself, you might be able to make some decent side income in your spare time.

I’ve actually written a post that covers ways to make money by testing websites and games, and I would argue that user testing work is higher paying and more reliable than app review writing, so this is another option to consider as well!

Get Paid To Write Book Reviews

If you liked writing book reports back in high school, boy are you in for a treat with this section!

Writing book reviews, while competitive, is a viable way to earn extra money provided you are a talented writer with some analytical capabilities. While these jobs aren’t always easy to secure, these websites still provide bookworms with ample opportunity to make some dough.

Extra Reading – 11 Ways To Get Paid To Read Books.

Kirkus was actually founded in 1933, and the Kirkus Reviews magazine is a successful magazine that brings the latest and greatest book reviews to readers around the world.

Kirkus is also currently looking for experienced book reviewers of English or Spanish works, and you can apply for the job on their website. Just note, reviews are generally around 350 words and are expected to be completed 2 weeks following a book assignment, so slow readers should shy away from this one!

Online Book Club is exactly what it sounds like…An online book club.

On OBC, the process is simple. Each day a free or heavily discounted e-book will be announced, and users have the opportunity to read and review (if they wish) the book.

While most readers will probably not make money for their reviews, the most popular reviews can earn up to $50, and at the very worst this is just a straightforward way to get a bunch of free e-books every year.

If you are a serious fan of reading and like to voice your opinion for a chance to make money I’d recommend checking out Online Book Club!

11-15. Other Book Reviewing Websites

If you want to get paid to write book reviews, there are plenty of other options publications or websites out there currently hiring reviewers, including:

BookBrowse.com

TheUsReview.com

NewPages.com

AnySubject.com

PublishersWeekly.com

Just keep in mind, a lot of these publications are very competitive, so don’t expect easy money from the world of online book reviews!

16. Start A Review-Based Blog

I want to include blogging as a way to earn money writing reviews because, in my opinion, this is the most sustainable method out of everything I have listed.

Staring your own blog and growing an audience, while difficult and time consuming, can present a lot of money making opportunities. It didn’t take me too long to create a $100/month blog, but there have been plenty of other lucrative opportunities that have come up that I have passed on.

The second you have a following of any kind, you can generate income.

If you enjoy writing content in a niche that is popular for influencer marketing, you can definitely start making money with product or service reviews.

It might take many months or years to grow a sufficient following, but this is a route you can embark on. Besides, affiliate sales + advertisement revenue are also factors to consider.

17. Start A YouTube Channel

Alright, I know this isn’t exactly a way to write reviews for cash, but the premise is the exact same.

If you’re an expert on something, you might be able to share you opinion for it on the internet and to grow a following. If you’ve ever searched for a product/service review on YouTube, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

Hell, you don’t even have to be an expert. After all, channels like Ryan ToyReview grossed more than 20 million in revenue in 2018, and the channel is run by a kid.

Granted, you probably won’t become the next Ryan, but if you have a passion for a niche you can probably take a crack at YouTube or blogging just to see how things turn out. You might be surprised at the results after a few months of hard work!

A Note On Writing Fake Reviews

I want to point out one important thing about this sketchy side hustle before concluding the post.

You cannot always write reviews for money overnight.

Search engines and marketplaces like Amazon are getting better at detecting fraud, and they are also making an effort to remove and ban fake reviewers from their platforms because it detracts from their reliability.

If you are actually serious about making money through review writing, you will probably have to spend many hours of unpaid work building up history on your Amazon, Google, Yelp, or whatever other account you will be using.

I suggest remaining honest and only writing reviews for products or services you use, but hey, do whatever you have to do.

Additionally, you might want to have backup accounts at the ready in case you get banned or your reviews just automatically get flagged as spam.

In my opinion, the best way to gain from writing reviews is to ask for free products in exchange for reviews, or to create your own blog that is in a very narrow niche and to pitch sponsored posts to companies.

At the end of the day, I think fraudulent reviews are never going to disappear , and you can definitely use review writing to make extra money on the side, but I wouldn’t bank on this one for a long term, life-sustaining hustle.

Extra Reading: