The short answer
- Reviews tell you why people really buy, and that's often different from what you think you're selling.
- Look for patterns, not one-off compliments. A reason that keeps coming back is an angle. A statement that surprises you might be a new one.
- Use your customer's words. Hooks in customer language feel familiar, because they sound like your audience thinks.
- Stay honest. No invented or edited reviews, and no selection that gives a distorted picture.
Why reviews are a goldmine
As a brand you think from your product: the features, the material, what you consider important. Your customer thinks from their life: the problem that went away, the feeling it gave them, the doubt they had beforehand. That gap is exactly why so many ads don't land. Reviews show how your customer talks about your product when you're not in the room.
That fits how Meta's systems work today: your creative largely decides who sees your ad. The better an angle matches what really drives a group of people, the easier it is for the system to find them. Read more in our article on Meta Andromeda.
What to look for
- The moment before the purchase. "I'd tried everything" or "I hesitated for a long time" tells you what situation your buyer was in. That's your problem angle.
- The difference afterwards. "Finally I can…" or "I didn't expect…" shows which result really matters. That's your desire angle.
- The doubt that disappeared. "I thought it was too expensive, but…" points to an objection you can remove in your ad.
- Surprising use. Customers using your product in a way you hadn't thought of sometimes point to a whole new audience.
- Comparisons. "Better than [other product]" or "finally an alternative to…" shows what you compete with in your customer's mind.
- Emotional words. Words like "relief", "proud" or "finally" say more about the real value than a star rating.
Where to look
- Your own reviews on your site, Google and review platforms.
- Customer questions by email, chat or support: that's where the doubts your ad needs to remove live.
- Comments under your ads and posts: both enthusiasm and criticism.
- Competitors' reviews: what customers miss or complain about there is an opportunity for your positioning.
- Conversations with customers: a few short conversations often give you more than hundreds of stars.
From review to ad
A strong review isn't an ad, but it's where one starts. The reason inside it becomes your angle. The way you show it (a customer story, a demonstration, a comparison) becomes your concept. And the customer's words often literally give you your hook. More on those three layers in Angle vs concept vs hook.
A typical example (for illustration)
A composite example, not a specific client case.
A sleep mask brand advertises "soft material and perfect fit". In the reviews something else stands out: customers keep writing about a partner who reads late at night, or about night shifts and sleeping during the day. Two new angles, for two very different groups of people. The customers had already written them down; the brand just hadn't read them yet.
Use reviews honestly
Reviews work because people trust them. Don't betray that trust. In the EU, since 28 May 2022 it's prohibited to post or commission fake reviews, or to misrepresent reviews, for example by showing only positive ones as if that's the whole picture (Directive (EU) 2019/2161). If you use a review word for word, with a name, in an ad, ask the customer for permission. And use reviews mainly as a source of insight: the reason behind the review is worth more than the review itself.
Why this takes more than reading
Anyone can read reviews. The difference is in seeing which statement is a pattern, which is an opportunity, and which angle brings in the most buyers for which audience. That's exactly the work we start every campaign with at SASDAMX. Read more about how we develop angles and hooks.