Whether you are booking a hotel room, choosing a restaurant, deciding on what movie to see, or buying any number of things, it is likely you have read online reviews before making your decision.

What makes a consumer review persuasive, though? No matter how short, it tells a story in much the same way as a novel does. Yet, like a journalism report, it starts with its takeaway rather than saving that to the end.

These are among the key findings of research my colleagues and I have done into what gives consumer reviews their power to influence consumer choices.

In view of the influence reviews have, there is considerable interest among marketers, social media influencers, and software developers in knowing the qualities that make them compelling and persuasive.

In a recent article in the Journal of Consumer Research, my colleagues Jennifer Escalas, Stephan Ludwig, Ellis van den Hende, and I argue that persuasiveness lies in the experience of “transportation.” The level of this transportation depends on the degree and power of narrative offered.

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