Want to write faster?
Or maybe someone assigned you to write a product review…
or a top 10 listicle…
or a comparison post…
But you don’t know what that should look like, or where to start?
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
In this post, I’ll be going over the blog post templates that I personally use for:
- Product Reviews
- Listicles
- Comparison Posts
- Information Post
Whenever a new writer joins our team, these are the same templates I send over to them as well to get them up-to-speed.
So without further adieu, let’s dive right into it!
This post is part of our free series on Affiliate Marketing! If you want to learn everything from A – Z in one place, then check out our course below!
How to Use These Templates + A Warning About Being “Unique”
Hold up!
Before we jump into the templates, just a quick word about how to use these:
You do NOT have to stick to these templates like your life depended on it.
Oh no, no.
Instead, these templates are meant to be guides.
If you can add your own flare to any one of them, then go for it!
If you find that a certain template doesn’t fit what you’re trying to do with your post, then change it up!
However, there’s one important thing to keep in mind:
There’s a very good reason why almost all the top blog posts follow the templates we’re showing you below!
And that’s because Google understands and rewards these.
If you create something so different, so unique, there’s a chance you won’t rank for anything.
It’s all SEO theory really, but just keep that in mind.
Okay… so…
To the templates!
- The words in parenthesis are your main headings. Change them to match the topic of your review.
- The italicized words are guidelines on what to write in each section. Delete these and fill the space in with your own words.
- Be inspired, and enjoy!
Product Review Template for Affiliate Marketing
The staple of affiliate marketing!
Get this type of post wrong, and you miiiight never make any affiliate sales.
Get it right though, and you’ll be flying high!
(H1: Mouthwatering Headline)
Your headline is your first interaction with your readers, so you’ll want to think of it as your primary spokesperson. (Imagine that nerdy salesperson who grabs your hand at the mall, minus the sleaze.)
To make your headlines jump out at your readers, try these tactics:
- Add a surprising parenthesis
- Build curiosity with an unexpected subtitle
- Give your audience a sneak peek into your (exciting) review
(Introduction)
Remember, a catchy headline is nothing but clickbait if you can’t deliver on what it promises inside your blog.
If readers click your headline, read your introduction, and say “meh,” you can be 100% sure you’ll never see them again.
That’s why your hook and introduction should jolt readers awake.
Readers who love your introduction will continue reading your blog, even when they’re late for work or their house catches fire. (Just kidding, but you get the idea.)
Here are three tips for writing an irresistible introduction:
- Describe a promise or claim your product makes (e.g. your sleep apnea will vanish in 7 days)
- Provide a sneak peek into your opinion of the product (e.g. …but for me, all of that hype is overrated)
- Highlight what your review will cover, but in a catchy, unique way (I’ll show you a behind-the-scenes video of the course)
Remember, be creative! Grab your audience’s attention with your personality, opinion, and uniqueness.
(H2: Sneak Peek of the Product You’re Reviewing)
In this section, you’ll dedicate all your space to the product you’re reviewing.
Talk about it.
Tell your audience what it is, what it does, who created it, and interesting tidbits not everyone knows about it.
Got special intel on the product?
Great! This is the part where you spill the beans and pique your audience’s interest about what you’re about to review.
Remember, however, that this isn’t an encyclopedia. #1 rule: don’t be boring.
(H2: TL;DR)
Here, you give a brief summary of your review.
This section is for people who are already 90-99% sure they love the product, but still need that extra push from you (a person they love and trust, because your blog is awesome).
One rule to remember: keep it short! 100-200 words is enough. Don’t go too deep into detail. Simply express your opinions with a little proof to back it up. For example: KWFinder is a great tool for beginners because (reason). However, it’s not that great for advanced webmasters looking for an all-in-one SEO marketing tool because (reason).
Add a CTA at the end of this section to make the purchase super easy for readers.
(H2: The Pros and Cons of {Product})
This section will be the longest, and in it, you’ll dive into the details of why you loved and didn’t love the product you’re reviewing.
To make it easier for readers, divide it into two main sections, one for your pros and one for your cons.
(H3: The Pros of {Product})
You can use H4s to categorize all the pros of the product. Go into detail, share screenshots, and be awesome.
(H3: The Cons of {Product})
Tread carefully in this section.
Walk the line between dishonesty and negativity.
For instance, if you thought your product lacked a certain feature, make up for it by reminding your audience that this product is the most affordable in the market.
Or you can tell your audience that although your product lacks this feature, it’s not a feature they absolutely need.
Example: KWFinder has a cap on how many keywords you can look up, but if you’re only researching keywords for one or two sites, you probably won’t need thousands of keywords per day.
Use H4s in this section as well.
(H2: Conclusion)
In this section, you’ll wrap up the key points you made in your review.
No, you don’t need to dive into each individual point.
A quick summary of your main takeaways is enough.
To spice things up, you can even add a table with the main pros and cons of the product at the very end.
Add a CTA.
Top XX Listicle Template for Affiliate Marketing
Top 10, top 7, top 5, or top 3.
However many items you have to list, this is the template for you!
(H1: Clear, Compelling Headline)
In a few catchy words, describe what your listicle covers.
A listicle headline must walk the fine line between clarity and compellingness.
You don’t want to be too vague and fail to tell readers what they’ll get when they read your listicle…but you don’t want to be too boring and diminish your chances of getting clicks.
Here are two bad and one great listicle headline for your reference:
- Bad (too boring): Top 10 Foods to Eat to Improve Health
- Bad (too cryptic): The Top 5 Indicators of Clarity in Business
- Good (interesting and clear): Writer’s Block: 27 Ways to Crush it Forever
(H2: Subhead Introducing Your Listicle)
Write a short introduction to your listicle, then go ahead into the main meat of your blog with a separate H3 for each item on your list.
(H3: Item #1)
(H3: Item #2)
(H3: Item #3)
Repeat.
(H2: Conclusion)
Wrap up your listicle with 100-150 words.
End by showing your audience the way forward.
For instance, if you introduced affiliate marketing tools they should try, encourage them to give each one a test drive.
Comparison Post Template for Affiliate Marketing
For this one, I’m giving you TWO templates instead of one!
This is because there are two good ways that you can compare product A vs product B.
You either talk about everything there is to know about Product A first – then proceed to talk about the goods, the bads, and the uglies of Product B.
OR, you can pit both products head-to-head for each of the important features.
Here’s what I mean:
Comparison Post Template #1 – Product A First
(H1: Clear, Compelling Headline)
Your headline should contain your primary keyword as close to the beginning as possible.
For instance, if you’re comparing two brands, your headline can be: “Mac vs. PC.”
Of course, you’ll want to spice things up and pique your readers’ curiosity. To do this, you can add interesting phrases after your keyword.
Like this:
Mac vs. PC: Experts Give Their Take on Today’s Two Top Computer Brands
(H2: Pit Your Brands Against Each Other)
This section will serve as a short introduction in which you’ll describe your two brands and explain that you’re going to compare them.
If you like, this can be a summary section where you give readers a “sneak peek” at the winner of your showdown.
(H2: Dive Into Product #1)
In this section, you’ll fully describe product #1, including all the pros and cons of using this product.
(H3: Product #1 Feature)
(H3: Product #1 Feature)
(H3: Product #1 Feature)
(H2: Dive Into Product #2)
In this section, it’s product #2’s time to shine. Do the same as you did for product #1.
(H3: Product #1 Feature)
(H3: Product #1 Feature)
(H3: Product #1 Feature)
(H2: Conclusion)
If there’s a clear winner in your “product showdown” this is the perfect place to tell your audience about it.
Remember, however, that there won’t always be a crystal clear winner.
At times, one product will be better for one type of person…and the other one better for the person next to him.
Make sure your conclusion explains that, and leaves the reader with a firm decision on which product is right for him.
Comparison Post Template #2 – Head-to-head on Features
(H1: Clear, Compelling Headline)
Your headline should contain your primary keyword as close to the beginning as possible.
For instance, if you’re comparing two brands, your headline can be: “Mac vs. PC.”
Of course, you’ll want to spice things up and pique your readers’ curiosity. To do this, you can add interesting phrases after your keyword.
Like this:
Mac vs. PC: Experts Give Their Take on Today’s Two Top Computer Brands
(H2: Pit Your Brands Against Each Other)
This section will serve as a short introduction in which you’ll describe your two brands and explain that you’re going to compare them.
If you like, this can be a summary section where you give readers a “sneak peek” at the winner of your showdown.
(H2: Pit Products Against Each Other Side by Side)
In this section, you’ll describe the biggest features of each product, and compare how well each brand does with each.
For instance, if you’re writing about dog food brands, one section can be called “Ingredients,” and in it, you’ll compare both brands’ ingredients against each other.
You can add as many sections as needed.
(H3: Feature #1; Example: Ingredients)
(H3: Feature #2; Example: Recipe Variations)
(H3: Feature #3; Example: Popular Flavors)
(H2: Conclusion)
Describe to readers the main takeaways of your blog, and tell them that products aren’t always one-size-fits all.
If you can, help them decide which product is best for them.
For instance, if you’re talking about keyword research tools, tell them that if they’re beginners, KWFinder is the perfect choice. However, if they’re in the more advanced level, they might want to give Ahrefs a try.
Information Post Template for Affiliate Marketing
If all you do is sell, sell, sell on your affiliate site, you won’t build any authority.
That’s why sprinkling in information posts and guides is essential for affiliate marketing.
Unlike the other types of posts, info posts can look vastly different from one another.
I recommend taking this template a bit lightly compared to the others! Remember, it’s just meant to guide you and get you started!
(H1: Promising Headline)
In your headline, begin with grabbing your reader’s attention. Shout out at them with large, colorful language and tell them, “YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE! This article is about you, for you.”
First, step into their shoes and tell them you understand them. For instance, if they’re confused about how to stop their dog from barking all night, tell them you get this and you’re here to help.
Then, give them a mouthwatering promise. Tell them that by the end of the article, they’ll know exactly what to do to solve their problem. Now, don’t be vague! In bullet points, tease them with some of the “secrets” you’ll reveal to them in your content.
(H2: List the Steps that Help Your Reader Accomplish a Goal)
An info or “how to” article is created to help people get from Point A (having no idea how to accomplish a goal) to Point B (being clear on how to accomplish that goal).
For example:
- Point A: Not knowing how to make a pizza.
- Point B: Eating a freshly-made oven-cooked pizza.
To do this, you’ll need to list a number of steps to get to that goal.
(H3: Step #1)
Elaborate on how to accomplish this step.
(H3: Step #2)
Elaborate on how to accomplish this step.
(H3: Step #3)
Elaborate on how to accomplish this step.
(And so on, as many steps as you need.)
(H2: End with Encouragement)
Your conclusion is one of the most important parts of your article.
After reading it, your audience will decide whether to follow you, or to leave you alone forever.
So, go all out here!
Start with once again telling your audience that you understand them.
Tell them that all they need to do is follow the steps you listed out in the article, and they can accomplish what they started out to do.
End with a big encouragement: YOU CAN DO IT! Make them hope for great results.
Conclusion
And there you have it!
4 blog post templates that you’ll surely use in your affiliate marketing journey!
I plan to add a few more templates in there in the future. But for now, I hope you found this helpful!
Still want more help?
Check out the FREE affiliate marketing course I put together below!
This post is part of our free series on Affiliate Marketing! If you want to learn everything from A – Z in one place, then check out our course below!