Amazon Early Reviewer Program: Is it Effective for Sellers?

Disclaimer: Although the Amazon Early Reviewer Program has been discontinued, understanding its operation and impact can still offer valuable insights for navigating Amazon’s current review systems and alternatives. In this guide, we will explore the detailed workings of the Amazon Early Reviewer Program, its impact on sellers, the reasons behind its discontinuation, and strategies for navigating Amazon’s review ecosystem today.

The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is an initiative designed by Amazon to assist new and smaller sellers in gathering authentic reviews for their products. These reviews play a critical role in boosting a product's visibility, credibility, and ultimately, sales on the platform. Though discontinued, understanding its mechanics and impact offers valuable lessons for today's Amazon sellers, a thorough understanding of its mechanics, advantages, and the reasons for its discontinuation can still provide valuable insights for current and future sellers on Amazon. This guide dives into every aspect of the Amazon Early Reviewer Program, offering a detailed analysis of how it works, why it was created, and what alternatives are now available.

What Is the Amazon Early Reviewer Program?

The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is a service aimed at helping sellers obtain the first few crucial reviews on their products, particularly new listings. The program is open to sellers with products that have fewer than five reviews, making it an ideal option for new products trying to establish a foothold in the marketplace. As part of Amazon’s broader review program strategy, this initiative was designed to empower sellers by enhancing their product credibility through early customer feedback.

Why Are Reviews Important on Amazon?

Reviews play a critical role on Amazon, influencing product rankings and customer purchase decisions, making initial reviews particularly crucial for new sellers. Reviews significantly impact a product’s ranking on Amazon’s search results and influence the purchasing decisions of potential customers. Products with numerous positive reviews are more likely to be considered trustworthy, which can lead to increased sales. For new sellers or products, getting those first few reviews can be particularly challenging, making programs like the Amazon Early Review Program invaluable in building initial customer trust and driving sales.

How Does the Amazon Early Reviewer Program Work?

The mechanics of the Amazon Early Reviewer Program are straightforward but highly effective. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how this review program operates:

1. Enrollment Process: Sellers enroll their products in the Amazon Early Reviewer Program through Amazon Seller Central. The cost of enrollment is typically around $60 per SKU, and this fee covers the generation of up to five reviews. The program is designed to be affordable, making it accessible to a wide range of sellers, from individual sellers to larger brands.

2. Product Eligibility: Not all products are eligible for the Amazon Review Program. The primary criterion is that the product should have fewer than five reviews at the time of enrollment. This limitation ensures that the program is focused on helping products that are just starting to build their review base.

3. Selection of Reviewers: Once a product is enrolled in the Amazon Early Reviewer Program, Amazon begins identifying customers who have recently purchased the product. The selection process is random, ensuring that the reviews are not influenced by the seller. Amazon then reaches out to these customers via email, inviting them to participate in the program by leaving a review.

4. Review Incentives: To encourage participation in the Amazon Review Program, Amazon offers a small incentive to reviewers. Typically, this is in the form of a gift card. Importantly, this incentive is awarded regardless of whether the review is positive or negative, ensuring that the reviews remain honest and unbiased. The aim is to encourage authentic feedback from actual buyers without exerting any influence on the content of the review.

5. Review Badge: Reviews generated through the Early Reviewer Program are marked with a special “Early Reviewer Rewards” badge. This badge is visible to other customers and indicates that the review is part of the program. The transparency provided by this badge is critical in maintaining the trustworthiness of the reviews, as customers can see that the review is incentivized but still genuine.

How Do I Join Amazon Early Reviewer Program?

Only SKUs sold on the US and UK marketplaces (Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk respectively) can enter. To participate, submit your product via ‘Seller Central > Advertising > Early Reviewer Program‘.

You can also follow these steps in the Early Reviewer Program Overview:

1. Find eligible SKUs: Each offer price must be greater than $9 – SKUs must have fewer than 5 reviews on the website at the time of enrollment – SKUs submitted must be parent level or stand-alone (Child SKUs are automatically enrolled with the parent)

2. Submit SKUs: You can submit single SKUs directly via the Amazon Early Reviewer Program dashboard. Use the bulk upload via CSV-template to enroll a larger number of SKUs. Review the submission to check for errors.

3. Monitor Reviews & Enrollment Status: The dashboard gives you all the information you need, including links to customer reviews and the status of your enrollment (it ends after 1 year or 5 reviews via the program, whichever comes first).

Why Did Amazon Start the Early Reviewer Program?

The Amazon Early Reviewer Program emerges as a strategic response to significant shifts in Amazon’s review policies and the challenges sellers face in launching new products:

1. The Ban on Incentivized Reviews: Prior to October 2016, incentivized reviews were a common practice among Amazon sellers. Sellers would offer free or heavily discounted products in exchange for a review, which often led to an influx of positive feedback. While this practice was initially within Amazon’s Terms of Service, it eventually raised concerns about the authenticity of reviews, as many appeared biased due to the incentive. To preserve the integrity of its review system and protect consumer trust, Amazon banned incentivized reviews. This left sellers, particularly those launching new products, with few viable options to generate the crucial initial reviews needed to gain traction. The Amazon Early Reviewer Program was created as a solution within the review program structure, offering a compliant and effective way to gather early reviews.

2. The Challenge of Obtaining Initial Reviews: Reviews are a cornerstone of success on Amazon. They not only influence purchasing decisions but also affect a product’s ranking in search results. For new products, the lack of reviews creates a significant barrier to entry, making it difficult to compete with established listings. The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is designed to address this challenge by providing a legitimate and transparent way for sellers to gather early reviews without resorting to questionable tactics, such as soliciting reviews from friends and family, which violate Amazon’s policies.

3. Maintaining Credibility in the Review System: As complaints about manipulated reviews grew, Amazon recognized the need to offer an alternative that could support sellers while maintaining the credibility of its review system. The Amazon Early Reviewer Program serves this purpose by ensuring that reviews are unbiased and authentic. The program incentivizes honest feedback with a small reward, such as a gift card, regardless of whether the review is positive or negative. This structure helps preserve the trustworthiness of reviews, which is crucial for both sellers and consumers.

4. A Balanced Solution for All Parties: The Amazon Early Reviewer Program benefits all stakeholders—sellers, buyers, and Amazon itself. Sellers gain valuable early reviews that help boost their product’s visibility and credibility. Buyers are rewarded for their honest opinions, which contributes to a more authentic shopping experience. Meanwhile, Amazon enhances the overall quality and reliability of its review ecosystem, ensuring that customers can make informed purchasing decisions based on trustworthy reviews.

5. Adaptation to Evolving Market Dynamics: With the removal of incentivized reviews, sellers needed a new strategy to build their review base and compete in a crowded marketplace. The Amazon Early Reviewer Program provides a controlled environment where sellers can generate the initial reviews necessary to launch their products successfully.

A Win-Win Situation for Sellers and Shoppers

The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is designed as a win-win situation for both sellers and shoppers:

• Shoppers earn a small cash reward for leaving reviews.

• Sellers gain exposure, credibility, and ranking through early reviews.

• Amazon benefits from increased product diversity and higher sales, which in turn, boosts its revenue from seller fees and FBA fees.

Moreover, Amazon adds a big orange badge to reviews for participating products, further increasing trust in the product and brand.

Key Differences Between the Amazon Early Reviewer Program and Previous Incentivized Review Practices

Before the launch of the Amazon Early Reviewer Program, many sellers rely on incentivized reviews to build up their product ratings. Incentivized reviews typically involve providing customers with free or discounted products in exchange for a review. However, this practice leads to widespread abuse, with many reviews being overly positive and biased due to the incentive.

In 2016, Amazon banned incentivized reviews as they compromise the integrity of the platform’s review system. The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is introduced as a controlled alternative, ensuring that reviews are unbiased and genuine. The key differences include:

1. Small, Non-Product Related Incentives: Instead of offering free or discounted products, the Amazon Early Reviewer Program provides a modest gift card as an incentive, unrelated to the product itself. This approach helps maintain the impartiality of the reviews.

2. Post-Purchase Incentive Notification: Customers are only informed about the potential reward after they have made their purchase. This ensures that the incentive does not influence their buying decision, thereby maintaining the integrity of the purchase process.

3. Randomized Selection of Reviewers: Reviewers are randomly selected by Amazon, ensuring that the process remains unbiased and free from seller influence. This randomness helps in gathering a diverse set of genuine reviews.

4. Transparency: Reviews generated through the Amazon Early Reviewer Program are clearly marked with a special “Early Reviewer Rewards” badge. This transparency assures other customers that the review was part of a controlled and trustworthy process managed by Amazon.

Evaluating the Amazon Early Reviewer Program: Pros and Cons

The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is designed to help new and small-scale sellers obtain initial reviews, which are crucial for building credibility and boosting sales on Amazon. However, like any service, it has its advantages and drawbacks. Below is a balanced evaluation of the program’s pros and cons to help you decide if it aligns with your business goals.

Pros:

1. Kickstart for Reviews

   • The program provides an effective way to obtain the first few critical reviews, which are often the hardest to secure. These initial reviews can significantly enhance a product’s visibility and credibility on Amazon.

2. Enhanced Product Credibility

   • Reviews marked with the "Early Reviewer Rewards" badge add a layer of trustworthiness, signaling to customers that the feedback is part of an authentic Amazon initiative.

3. Cost-Effective

   • At approximately $60 per SKU for up to five reviews, the program is a relatively affordable way to generate crucial reviews, especially for small to medium-sized sellers.

4. Unbiased and Honest Reviews

   • The structure ensures that reviews are genuine, as incentives are small and unrelated to the product, maintaining the integrity of the review process.

5. Set It and Forget It

   • Once products are enrolled, Amazon handles the entire process, allowing sellers to focus on other aspects of their business.

Cons:

1. Limited to Five Reviews

   • The program covers up to five reviews per SKU, which might not be sufficient in highly competitive categories requiring more reviews to stand out.

2. Potential Delays in Receiving Reviews

   • Reviews can take several months to come in, which may not align with the timelines for some sellers’ product launches or promotional campaigns.

3. Risk of Negative Reviews

   • As the program collects honest feedback, there is a chance of receiving negative reviews, which can affect a product’s overall rating.

4. Inability to Select Reviewers

   • Amazon randomly selects reviewers, meaning sellers have no control over who reviews their product, which could lead to feedback from customers outside the target demographic.

How Amazon Selects and Rewards Reviewers in the Early Reviewer Program

The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is designed to ensure that reviews are both fair and authentic, guiding customers through a process that starts with selection and culminates in rewarding their participation.

• Internal and Randomized Selection: Amazon randomly selects reviewers from a pool of customers who have recently purchased the enrolled product. This randomized process ensures that every customer has an equal opportunity to be invited, thereby preventing any influence from sellers over who is chosen to leave a review.

• Eligibility Criteria: To maintain authenticity, only verified purchasers are eligible to be selected. This means that customers must have made their purchase through Amazon, ensuring that all reviews are based on genuine buying experiences.

• Voluntary Participation: Once selected, customers receive an email invitation from Amazon, encouraging them to leave a review. Participation in the program is entirely voluntary, allowing customers to decide whether they wish to share their feedback. The incentive, usually a small gift card, is provided only after the review is published, ensuring that the review remains honest and unbiased.

• Review Process and Incentives: Upon accepting the invitation, the customer submits their review on the product’s Amazon page. After the review is published, they receive a small incentive, typically a $1-$3 gift card, as a token of appreciation for their participation.

• Review Badge: To maintain transparency, all reviews generated through the Early Reviewer Program are marked with a “Early Reviewer Rewards” badge. This badge signals to other customers that the review is part of the program, reinforcing the trustworthiness of the feedback.

Why Amazon Ended the Early Reviewer Program

The Amazon Early Reviewer Program was a popular tool for sellers, but on March 10, 2021, Amazon stopped accepting new enrollments, with the program completely shutting down by April 25, 2021. The decision to end this program was influenced by several key factors:

1. Regulatory Pressures: The program faced scrutiny from regulatory bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which raised concerns about the potential for biased reviews. While Amazon made adjustments to address these concerns, the pressure likely contributed to the program’s closure.

2. Evolving Review Strategies: Amazon continuously refines its review policies to ensure authenticity. Newer initiatives, such as One Tap Reviews and Global Review Sharing, proved more effective in generating genuine feedback, reducing the need for the Early Reviewer Program.

3. Introduction of Alternatives: Programs like Amazon Vine, which invites top reviewers to provide detailed feedback, became more prominent. These alternatives offer a more structured and potentially more impactful way to gather reviews, aligning better with Amazon’s long-term goals.

4. Program Saturation: As more sellers used the Early Reviewer Program, its effectiveness diminished. With saturation, the unique advantage of the program in helping new products stand out lessened, prompting Amazon to focus on other review tools.

In their official statement, Amazon noted, “Over the past several years, we have made numerous improvements to encourage purchasers to review products on Amazon. These initiatives have proven more effective in generating reviews than the Early Reviewer Program.”

The discontinuation means that sellers now need to explore other methods to gather crucial early reviews, such as Amazon Vine, post-purchase email campaigns, or third-party tools.

Comparing the Amazon Early Reviewer Program and Amazon Vine

When deciding between the Amazon Early Reviewer Program and Amazon Vine, it’s essential to understand their distinct features and how they serve different seller needs.

Key Differences

• Eligibility: The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is accessible to most sellers, especially those with new or low-review products. In contrast, Amazon Vine is an exclusive, invitation-only program for top reviewers, known as Vine Voices.

• Review Process: In the Amazon Early Reviewer Program, Amazon randomly selects customers who have purchased the product to leave a review, incentivized by a small gift card. Amazon Vine reviewers receive free products and are chosen for their reputation as detailed and credible reviewers.

• Cost: The Amazon Early Reviewer Program involves a nominal fee (around $60) per SKU, making it affordable for small sellers. Amazon Vine is more costly, as it requires providing free products and paying an enrollment fee, suitable for higher-budget operations.

• Review Quality: Reviews from the Amazon Early Reviewer Program are generally straightforward and reflect the average customer experience. Amazon Vine reviews are more detailed, coming from experienced reviewers, which can add significant credibility to the product.

Effective Strategies for Generating Amazon Reviews After the Amazon Early Reviewer Program

With the discontinuation of the Amazon Early Reviewer Program, sellers need to explore a variety of alternative methods to gather reviews for their products. Whether you're looking to replace the Early Reviewer Program or just seeking more ways to build up your review base, here are some effective strategies:

1. Amazon Vine: For eligible sellers, Amazon Vine is a powerful tool for obtaining high-quality, detailed reviews. Though it requires a significant investment, including providing free products to Vine Voices, the reviews can greatly enhance your product’s credibility.

2. Post-Purchase Email Campaigns: Sending follow-up emails after a purchase is a proven strategy. By politely asking customers to leave a review and providing direct links, you can make the process straightforward and increase the chances of receiving feedback.

3. Requesting Reviews via Amazon Seller Central: Amazon provides a feature within Seller Central that allows sellers to request reviews directly. This automated tool can help you reach out to customers who have recently purchased your products.

4. Social Media and Influencer Marketing: Engaging with your audience on social media and collaborating with influencers can lead to organic reviews. Influencers can share their experiences with your products, encouraging their followers to leave reviews.

5. Quality Customer Service: Excellent customer service often translates into positive reviews. Ensuring that customers are satisfied and addressing any issues promptly can turn a potential negative experience into a positive review.

6. In-Product Inserts: Adding a note within your product packaging that encourages customers to leave a review is another effective strategy. Make sure the message is polite and complies with Amazon’s policies to avoid any issues.

7. Product Sampling: Offering samples of your product to a targeted group of customers can lead to organic reviews, as long as you do not require a review in return. This method can help build initial feedback, especially for new products.

8. Product Testing Groups: Engaging with product testing communities can help you gather reviews from customers who receive products for free or at a discount. Be sure that any reviews generated this way comply with Amazon’s guidelines.

9. Community Engagement: Building a loyal customer base through newsletters, social media, or forums can increase the likelihood of customers leaving reviews. Engaged customers are often more willing to share their opinions.

10. Promotions and Discounts: Running promotions or offering discounts can boost sales, which may, in turn, lead to more reviews. However, ensure that any discounts are not contingent upon leaving a review to comply with Amazon’s policies.

Conclusion

The Amazon Early Reviewer Program is an innovative solution for sellers looking to overcome the challenge of gathering initial reviews. While it is no longer available, understanding its structure, benefits, and limitations can provide valuable lessons for any seller looking to build credibility and visibility on Amazon. By leveraging alternative strategies and focusing on customer satisfaction, sellers can continue to generate authentic reviews that boost their product’s performance and standing on the platform.

In an ever-evolving marketplace like Amazon, staying informed about past programs and current best practices is essential for maintaining a competitive edge. Whether through Amazon Vine, post-purchase email campaigns, or social media engagement, there are still many ways to build a strong base of reviews that can drive success on Amazon.