I find this topic very interesting, but unsure if some random thoughts on the subject might be of value.
I should also mention I've never done a review of a product before. Just some comments from someone that constantly reads/watches reviews of products, hardware, software, etc.
Also a very high tolerance for boring reviews. I'll watch an hour and a half of a review and even when it becomes boring or repetitive, I will normally still finish watching it.
but if I ever find a new review from the same person, I'll remember the horrible and boring experience I had and will instantly close it.
what I don't like to see in reviews in general(youtube):
- super long intro of poor quality with horrible music blasting thru my headset
- generally boring or repetitive tone: if it's not important, why bring it up?
- lies or disinformation - pretty obvious one, but we have all seen it before, reviewer turns greedy, lies in a review, viewer doesn't do proper research and end up wasting money.
- repetition for no good reason AT ALL (completely out of ideas so repeating the list of features! can't have videos too short!) or long pauses for no good reason (running after the cat for the 3rd time during the unboxing segment) aren't that great. being laid back or chilled is one thing, wasting viewers time is another. if it can be said in 30 seconds? why not?
- "not sure if you guys can see it!" - is it a deal breaker? if so please find a way to show it. closeup segment that gets edited in later, good quality pictures, sketches, whatever you prefer really. only use that sentence if showing me something that really shouldn't matter. if it's just some small curiosity, sure why not..
what I do like to see in reviews, or things that will make me come back to watch their next reviews:
- personality: I enjoy reviews from people that stick to their personality, or to what they are good at, without trying to pretend to be techy if they aren't, or to be funny if they aren't. etc.
in my view, this is where the fanbase starts and why most loyal visitors will return. whatever it is that you like or how you act, go with it.
I have a list that comes to mind with names of good reviewers from different subjects, their personality is so very different, but they are all very consistent in their tone/style. that sometimes can be more desirable than what is being said about the product/item.
Just watching someone that loves the subject, talk about it, with their accent, tastes, opinions and quirks plays a large part in all of it.
or in short, stick to what you really like.
- intro animations: better to have none than to have a bad one. really long, or poorly made ones should be avoided. if it's a bad intro, I say don't have one at all. as subjective as it gets but a subject that disturbs me due to professional reasons.
it's sort of following basic rules of a good animation show reel. waste no time, make sure it looks good with or without audio if you can, people will be seeing a zillion reels while judging yours, make a big impact and waste no time.
even when extremely well made, if it doesn't match the mood of the reviewers tone (cute, funny, tech, serious, chilled) I won't see a point and would rather not see it.
- limitations: very bad mic? camera that is horrible at closeups? noisy computer sitting next to the webcam's mic? doesn't have to be a problem, as long as you are aware of the issues and find workarounds.
a good picture can sometimes be much better than a poor webcam closeup. asking yourself, what is prefered, more enjoyable to me? photography, sketches, horrible closeups, whatever works to give the idea.
if it's some kind of a deal breaker, find the best way to show it. know your equipment, your lights, camera, focus range, editing software, etc as much as possible. use their limitations to your advantage.
- Youtube vs website - to me it really depends on what information I am after. sometimes a quick read is all the help I need, other times I need to SEE the item. when it comes to vaping reviews I prefer videos. I like to see people's reaction, or to watch how they vape, the size of mods, etc.
if I had to decide where to start as a reviewer, I think a website would probably be a lot easier, a great video review is harder to achieve than a decent website IMO. having both is probably ideal, but I would just try whatever you like best first, and add the other as time goes by.
as you mentioned juice reviews, I personally like to see reactions people get on the first vapes. showing it as 'real' as possible, I like to see errors, I like to see if they mess up or if the item malfunctions during the review, show me. so my vote goes for video reviews
sorry for the subjective ramblings and lack of more practical advice, I'll go back to lurking now
whatever path you decide to take, enjoy it sincerely and all should be well. best of luck.
