After banning incentivized reviews in October 2016, Amazon assured third-party sellers that a program similar to the Amazon Vine program (which was then only available to vendors) would be developed.
The Amazon Early Reviewer Program was quietly rolled out soon after the change to Amazon's review policy. Like Vine, it was housed under “Advertising” in Seller Central.
In March 2021, Amazon stopped accepting enrollments for this program. In this article, we’ll take a look at how the program worked and alternatives for getting reviews on Amazon.
Launching a new product in a competitive marketplace can be tough. Amazon offers several paid advertising options, but costs can climb quickly for products in some categories. The Early Reviewer Program provided an alternative way to generate buzz with a fixed price.
The program encouraged Amazon customers who had already purchased an enrolled product to share their experience, with the goal of helping brand owners get reviews soon after launching a product. These reviews were presented with a small orange “Early Reviewer Rewards” badge to show that they were generated as part of the program.
Here is an example of a review from an Early Reviewer:
Amazon charged $60 (as well as any applicable taxes) to enroll each SKU. Sellers were not charged until after the first Early Reviewer Program product review was received for each enrolled SKU. Amazon would continue to solicit reviews on behalf of the enrolled SKU for up to one year from the time it was enrolled or until five reviews were received via the program, whichever happened first.
Buyers were not aware that an item was enrolled in the program until after making the purchase. If a buyer left a review, they would receive a small Amazon credit, such as a $3.00 digital gift card. Reviewers were randomly selected by Amazon from a list of customers who purchased participating SKUs.
In March 2021, sellers with enrolled ASINs were informed that the Early Reviewer Program was no longer accepting new enrollments. The service will end for currently enrolled items on April 25, 2021.
Why is Amazon closing the program? Well, a lot of things have changed in the review space since this program was launched. On the FAQ page for the Early Reviewer Program, Amazon said, “Over the past several years, we have made numerous improvements to encourage purchasers to review products on Amazon. These initiatives, such as One Tap Reviews and Global Review Sharing have proven more effective in generating reviews than the Early Reviewer Program.”
It may be easier than ever for buyers to leave ratings for their Amazon purchases, but it’s still a challenge for sellers to get reviews. Only a small percentage of buyers will leave a review, but if you’re not proactively asking them to do so, you’re missing out on increased search visibility and sales momentum. That’s why we recommend continuously requesting reviews with software such as our own FeedbackFive.
When it comes to generating reviews for recently launched products, there’s no time to waste. But it’s important to understand and adhere to Amazon’s guidelines. There are plenty of social media groups and websites that will employ black hat tactics to get reviews for your new product, but it’s simply not worth the risk of getting your listing or account suspended.
Your best bet for operating within Amazon’s policies is to use Amazon messaging (or create your own message that aligns with all product review policies) and enroll your SKU in Amazon Vine.
Editor's Note: While Vine enrollment was temporarily free for a few years, as of October 12, 2021, Amazon will now charge a $200 fee per parent ASIN.
Make sure that you’ve done everything you can to set your listing up for success. Are you using the correct keywords in the right positions? Do you have quality images? Does your listing description accurately describe your product? If you need help, call in an expert. Your Amazon listing is not a place to wing it and see what happens.
As mentioned above, using a tool to request reviews throughout the lifecycle of your product is a smart move. Amazon’s algorithm values review frequency and relevancy, so continuing to get reviews is an important piece of your strategy. FeedbackFive makes it easy to automate review requests, whether you prefer to use the Amazon Request a Review feature or send branded messages through Buyer-Seller Messaging. You can also see detailed analytics, get alerts for reviews received, monitor reviews, and more.
Ready for more ways to get Amazon reviews? Check out our free review strategy guide.
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