How to Get Paid to Review Apps
1. Introduction
Getting paid to review apps really depends on the method of app reviewing. As I mentioned earlier, there are many websites and companies that hire app reviewers, and there is also the option of reviewing apps on your own. Many app review jobs offer around $1-$10 per app review, depending on the length and quality of the review. Some app review jobs may also require the consumer to post the review on his social media, especially if the consumer has a large following. This is a good way to get app exposure, and because of this app developers are willing to pay more for honest and quality reviews. Whether the consumer is using a specific company for app review jobs, or reviewing apps on his own, there is always the option of contacting app developers and offering to review their app for some cash or prizes. Generally there are many app review jobs on the web, but with app reviewing on your own, you will need to find ways to get app review jobs which I will touch on later.
App reviewing is just what it sounds like, you are reviewing an app. There are many websites and companies that offer app reviewing, but there is also the option of reviewing apps on your own. There is a popular smartphone farming method called "phone farming". Phone farming is where you make money off smartphones and/or tablets automatically or passively. A popular way to make money with phone farming is to use a method/vendor called Perk TV. This is a smartphone app with many videos that constantly autoplay. All you have to do is watch videos for points which can be redeemed for prizes, or you can also earn money by getting gift cards or cash. With phone farming there is often the chance to review apps and get paid doing it. It is not hard to find apps to review, not to mention it's extra cash for doing something very minimal. This should not be a primary way to make money, but can be similar to a "side job".
What if I tell you that you can get paid for playing and reviewing apps? Would you believe it? Believe it or not, many people are making a living doing just that. With the increasing demand and use of mobile apps, there are tons of more apps that need to be reviewed, and many app developers are willing to pay you to review their app. So how do you do this? How much can you make doing it? And why would app developers pay you? These are the questions that we will be answering in this essay.
1.1. Overview of app reviewing
App reviewing is a part of app marketing. It helps apps get visibility. The logic is simple - the more the number of positive reviews an app will have, the more it will attract its potential users. It is human psychology to take an interest in a product which has been tried and tested by a good number of people. But the biggest challenge app developers face is getting their apps reviewed by genuine users. Because there is no use if the reviews are not genuine. We will discuss about this later in the article. Now, let's see the various scenarios where an app review is required. This will help you understand the importance of app reviews and what users can learn from them.
An app review is a feedback given by an app user on its various features. An app review can be formal or informal. It can be a sentence or two about the app or it can be in the form of a star rating. The feedback is given on various app features like its usability, number of useful features, overall user experience, design or it can also be on any bugs the user found. A user may give a positive or a negative review on an app, depending on his experience. Nowadays, Macintosh software is also part of app industry and is rapidly growing. There are also Mac app review sites which provide genuine feedback on various software.
1.2. Benefits of getting paid to review apps
When you are working towards ensuring a continual income and a daily work schedule filled with tasks that you love to do, it is wise to take a held of a position that compensates for your time and effort. App reviewing is a performing significant tasks to help determine if a specific application is worth getting or purchasing. There are many benefits to getting paid to review apps as apposed to merely reviewing them voluntarily. Volunteer reviewers are often sought after and given free applications to write about in hopes that they will write a good review or vice versa. Paid reviewers are given a task and a set pay rate to review specific apps whether the review be good or bad. A volunteer often has no obligation and may write a review with lack of interest, or not do it at all.
Paid reviewers are obliged to do the review and will often take the time to thoroughly examine an application and perform a detailed report, while using the app. This means that the review will also be more accurate. Due to the fact that most volunteer reviewers write reviews because they like the app or want a free app of the same nature, the review will often be biased and with less thought. This often does not help the developer. Paid reviewers taking the time to do thorough reviews produce extremely useful feedback which may also help the developer in future app creations. Often app reviewing jobs can consist of more than just a review to be posted in a public place, sometimes the review is reports gathered by a tester. This sort of app reviewing job is more abundant with pay and can provide a lot of work for the right person.
2. Getting Started
Despite where you choose to do your app reviews, it is important that you keep a professional image, as it will greatly affect the amount of work that will come your way. This leads us to the next step, creating a professional app review profile.
Others feel that it is best to just dive right in and start reviewing mobile apps on platforms where services can be sold immediately. Beta testing any apps you find that are still in development is one great way to get a jump start on app reviewing. Visit forums that are promoting the apps you will be testing to find any possible beta testing opportunities that are available.
An important part of getting started with app reviews is deciding what platform to use to provide your review services. Many feel that it is best to start by creating a blog; although the chances of making a substantial income right away is slim, it is a great place to write detailed reviews on all the apps you test out, and can serve as a sort of online resume when applying to do reviews elsewhere. Sites like WordPress and Blogger offer free blog hosting and are incredibly easy to use.
2.1 Researching app reviewing platforms
Despite proving to be a rewarding career choice, getting paid to review apps is not just an instant process. In fact, there are some crucial steps that must be taken first to create a solid foundation and get noticed in the app reviewing world.
2.1. Researching app reviewing platforms
In a world where freelance work can be fierce and finding a platform to advertise your skills is tough, consider creating a profile on app reviewing platforms. This is easier than it seems and is quite rewarding! A simple Google search for "app review" or "paid app review" should bring up a plethora of sites to choose from. Some may pay in cash, while others will pay in products. If your reviews are good, you'll be offered cash jobs in no time. For those who pay in products, this is a good chance to obtain free stuff and still make a bit of side money by selling the items received at no cost. When selling yourself on these platforms, be sure to let them know that you are passionate about mobile technology and you are striving to bring insightful opinions to the readers and developers. More often than not, laying down the charm will land you a job. High success rates of fixing yourself up with an app review job on a platform should make this a primary destination for seeking out employment.
2.2. Creating a professional app reviewing profile
Making a professional profile for reviewing apps is an excellent way to gain employment reviewing apps. A professional profile will highlight your skills, experience, and expertise in app reviewing. It will include your resume, availability, and the types of apps you are interested in reviewing. This attracts employers looking for app reviewers as they can quickly scan your skills, experience, and interest in app reviewing. For example, an employer will be more inclined to hire a person with 5 years of experience in reviewing educational apps for children if that is the person they are looking for. A professional profile makes it easier for you to be found and contacted by developers looking for app reviews.
A good place to start is by contacting developers who have created apps for which you are interested in reviewing. These may be developers of popular apps, which receive a lot of downloads and reviews. Contacting the developer can be as simple as finding the app's website and sending them an email regarding your interest in reviewing their app. This method is effective as not only can you receive free promo codes for the app (developers often like to hear a review of their app and can be willing to give out a free app in return for a publicized review), you are also being proactive and contacting developers directly. Being a direct contact with a developer can lead to more app review opportunities and higher pay as the developers can invite you to review their app, and the more direct contact can lead to a more personal and higher-paid app review job.
2.3. Building a portfolio of app reviews
Building a portfolio through a blog is also a great way to get started into app reviewing. With blogs, you are able to get a lot more personal with your opinions and thoughts on apps, why you chose to review them, or why you have decided not to review them. It also provides a lot more exposure for both the developer and the app reviewer. An example of this would be a social platform sharing system. Apps such as Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn are a great way to get your blog noticed and increase viewers. Some app reviewing sites will also allow you to post or link your review onto your own social platform. This not only provides exposure for you but also a service for the developer. This can result in you offering to review apps for developers who responded poorly to your initial free offer.
To create a portfolio of app reviews, treat it like a real job. Create a document that consists of the names of the apps that you have reviewed, why you reviewed them, what the review said and how much you were paid. Depending on how you are getting paid, you may want to include the tracking ID from your payment, the usual amount of payment in your currency, and how long the payment took. By doing this, it shows that you have previous experience of app reviewing and that you are serious about making a steady income from it.
3. Reviewing Process
Selecting apps to review
Often, any apps will be available to review. In this case, Quinn is able to pick and choose which apps he reviews, so that he can review apps of a particular genre. Some of the guild are sent pre-release versions of an app to review so that they may have the review prepared and available on the public release of the app. Some review sites have forums where app developers post seeking a review of their app. This is a simple way to find apps to review and allows the developer to easily provide feedback once the review is written.
Apps are reviewed based on a number of different criteria. These can include the quality of the app's landing page, its audio/visual display, its functionality (particularly whether it is stable and any loading times are acceptable), and whether it has any replay value. Comprehensive and unbiased reviews are essential to the credibility of a review site. It wastes a developer's time for them to get a poor review that does not reflect the true nature of their app, and giving a high score to a poor quality app just to please the developer will anger consumers.
3.1. Selecting apps to review
After setting up your blog/website and being approved by the app store to begin reviewing apps, the first thing you need to do is start selecting the apps that you would like to review. Obviously, you should Begin earning passive income by reviewing apps - click here now! by downloading the app and trying it out for yourself. Generally, the app will give you an idea of their target audience. If you are not part of the target audience, this isn't an app that you should review. If it is a paid app, before purchasing it, you need to check to see if the developer is offering any promotion codes. Some developers might contact you and offer a promo code for their app because they know that it will result in a review, but you should never request a promo code as it's considered greedy. Also, some developers will do a special promotion or mark down the price of their app for a limited time, and it's always smart to take advantage of that because then you can write your review and suggest that others purchase the app since it's available at a cheaper price. After trying the app for a little while, you should have an idea of what type of review you are going to write on it.
Once you have tried out the app, you need to see if the app is worth doing a review on. It could be an app that is so simple and basic that there really isn't much to write about it. It could be an app with similar functions to another app, making it not worth writing a review on if it's just going to be compared to another app. It could also be a terrible app, and the only way it would be worth doing a review on is if you are getting paid an amount that is worth wasting your time on a terrible app. You can do a "pre-review" draft of the article, and if you only come up with a couple of paragraphs, then chances are it's not worth writing. An app is worth doing a review on if it is something that stands out and provides extensive details and feedback from experience.
3.2. Evaluating app features and functionality
Once the above information has been understood, the next step would be to try and break the application. This doesn't mean doing anything excessive, but rather attempting to perform the tasks the application should be able to do in different ways, some more unconventional than others. The purpose of this is to uncover any anomalies. For example, in a mobile game, it is common to see user complaints about a certain level being unbeatable due to a glitch. This is the kind of crucial bug that makes it unlikely for the user to play the game again. Always document any irregular behavior, as this information will greatly help developers. A common issue is graphical anomalies in lower-end devices, so it would be wise to try running the application in a phone emulator to simulate use on other devices.
Broken and malfunctioning features in an application are easier to spot, but the severity of the malfunction may vary. Compare the functionality to what the app should be doing. For example, if it is a game, the functionalities would include how the user controls the game elements to achieve the objective. If the application is a productivity application, the functionalities may involve saving or exporting data in different formats, so it is important to test all variables. If the application is intended for use by international users, it is important to ensure that the application is capable of performing as claimed by the developer across all languages.
When evaluating an application's features and functionality, it is vital to understand the application's purpose so that you can compare what it should do with what it actually does. A good way to evaluate the application is to clearly define the target audience and its intended use. If this information is not readily available from the developer, it may be prudent to simply email and ask them.
3.3. Writing comprehensive and unbiased reviews
This is the essential part of the process when getting paid to review an app. It is important to have a clear structure and include an introduction with the app's name, stating its category and the developer's name. The body should consist of a synopsis and a critical evaluation. Only minimal retelling of the story, description or features should be included. This is to provide the reader with a brief idea of what the app is about and not to prolong the reading for those who are reading the review just to find out if the app is recommended to play. During the synopsis, the reviewer should make clear their opinion. The synopsis and opinion should take at most two to three paragraphs. The next two sections should consist of the positive and negative aspects of the app found during evaluation (this is explained in section 3.2 above) in point form. In this section, a recommendation on the app's improvement should also be included. The review should finish off with a conclusion based on the opinion concocted earlier. This may be a final recommendation on the app or a nudge on whether the developer should take the app back to the drawing board. Writing multiple reviews in one word document is also recommended. This is because some clients/marketplaces pay per word or require the reviewer to reach a certain number of words for a review. This also makes it easier for the writer to start on the next review.
3.4. Providing constructive feedback to developers
An important point when critiquing what did not go well with the app is counterbalancing it with what functioned properly. Developing apps can be a complex and trying process, and there is much to be learned from failures. If a developer believes that everything about his app was a failure, he may become discouraged and is more liable to give up on the project. By pointing out positive points in what was done incorrectly, a reviewer can help the developer maintain some confidence and motivation.
One thing to avoid would be suggesting that the app change into something completely different. If the developer was aiming for a ringtone app and it was utterly unsuccessful, deciding to overhaul the app into a game is a completely different project. It would be better to suggest specific ways to improve on the original idea or to disable certain functions in order to lower resource needs until it can be revisited.
When suggesting improvements, it is important to consider what functionality the developer intended to have in the app. If it appears that the app did not accomplish what it was supposed to, it is better to point this out and see if the developer had already noted it himself. If it is true and the function is missing, the developer can then assess why that part of the app was overlooked and what he can do to improve in the future. If the developer intended to have the function but it was not properly executed, it would be best to provide specifics on what went wrong and how it might be fixed.
Constructive feedback is given to developers to help them see the aspects of their app that could be improved, and also what they did well. This can be beneficial for the developer to gain a perspective from someone other than themselves. Typically, they are very close to their app and their vision of what it should be doing might cloud their judgment. Reviewers can help them pull back and see how the app is really functioning.
4. Maximizing Earnings
Building a strong online presence can be a long-winded process, but is quite rewarding when it comes to increasing the amount of visitors reading and reviewing app content. It is not uncommon for the majority of new blog owners to ask how they can increase their site visitors. In an age filled with social networking and media, a strong and active presence via sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can easily triple or quadruple the number of blog visitors in less than a year. Creating and connecting with similar content creators can also help to increase the visibility of app reviews. Reach out to other bloggers or webmasters reviewing similar content to share links. This can lead to cross-promotion and a sharing of each other's content, bringing traffic from viewers who may be interested in app reviews, but found current content through a different source.
Exploring additional monetization opportunities can significantly increase app review earnings. One possibility is to include affiliate links to the apps being reviewed, which can result in a payment when a viewer downloads the app. Google's Play Store and Amazon both offer affiliate programs for linking to apps and downloading them, however this is only a viable option if you have a very large reader base. Another viable option is to freelance with writing app reviews for an app development website. There are often opportunities to work with established freelance websites for app review related jobs, or by scouring the Internet or app development forums for webmasters looking to hire reviewers. Just be sure to verify that the job is legitimate and the employer is reputable. While freelance jobs may not pay per hour they can help establish a consistent flow of income.
4.1. Exploring additional monetization opportunities
Initially thought of as one of the most basic ways to monetize from app reviews, after a few success stories from some lower end YouTubers, drawing from income from streaming websites such as Twitch and YouTube has been a highly sought-after method for reviewers. There are many ways to approach this, with some reviewers opting to have this as their sole income for the freedom it provides and others treating this as a supplemental form of income. Creating a channel and providing entertaining reviews with insightful commentary can draw in a consistent viewer base and with enough legwork into self-promotion, it is possible to amass a very large following. Hitpoint and other streaming for monetary services will provide further payment for advertisements but a large viewer base is required to make sufficient income from such services. This method is best for those who are charismatic and energetic entertainers as it heavily focuses on personality and providing enjoyable content.
Another common method for those who are regularly providing reviews is by doing freelance writing work for sites such as Fiverr and Upwork or more specific work through private contracts with app developers. This can require a great deal of commitment and reviews would often be of similar nature to sponsored reviews, but any work with isolated companies can be more flexible in content and criticisms given. Writing work can also provide a more stable form of income compared to some other methods, and if enough connections are made, it is possible for this to become a reviewer's full-time occupation.
4.2. Building a strong online presence for increased visibility
A strong online presence will help you attract more viewers, which will increase your potential earnings from app reviews. There are several ways to increase your visibility, and all involve creating a stronger connection with your audience and your fellow reviewers. Blogging can significantly increase your audience, particularly if you are a regular contributor. By increasing your traffic, other reviewers and app developers are likely to flock to your site - other reviewers to assess your opinions, and developers to check if you will review their app. Making friends with other app reviewers can increase your visibility if they are willing to give you a small slot on their channel/site. Offering something unique can also increase your visibility. An app, web tool or service that is not currently being offered by other app reviewers can make you stand out. Conversely, if there are already services providing the same thing you intend to provide, it may actually be better not to go through with your original idea. If there is too much competition, you will find it difficult to attract attention, so consider doing something which no one else has done before.
4.3. Networking with app developers and industry professionals
To build a career as an app reviewer, freelance or otherwise, establishing positive relationships with developers is crucial to long-term success. Networking can result in the inside scoop on up-and-coming apps, better communication to fix issues with reviews on your app, and opportunities by checking apps or working with the developer. As with previous sections, networking can be started regardless of whether you have an app-reviewed blog or have written any reviews at all. Easiest of all, give your opinions on apps you enjoy or despise. Most developers provide a way to contact them for support on their app, as this is an opportunity to get information right from the source. Taking it a step further to open a dialogue with them, asking them about the app can result in possible review opportunities. Be sure to be polite to developers. They are providing a service to you for free, and your opinion is not necessarily desired on something they have put hard work into. So, cultivating a large number of reviews can be a slow process.