2 builders who never spoke to each other
Concede where the rival is stronger
A comparison table where you score top marks on every row tells the reader the page is marketing and nothing more. Naming the places the competitor genuinely wins, and speaking about them respectfully, reads as confidence and makes the rest credible. Sourcing any comparative number to an unaffiliated measurement finishes the job, because it stops being your word against theirs.
The method
- 01
Say where your competition is stronger as part of your positioning, rather than publishing a comparison table where you score top marks on every row.
- 02
Cite an independent third-party measurement when you make a comparative claim, so the number is not just your word against theirs.
- 03
Speak respectfully about competitors in your copy, because it reads as confidence.
What it returned
WP Engine sourced both its uptime and speed comparisons to Pingdom, naming it as unaffiliated.
Sources
- When being “first” is not a competitive advantageJason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · When being “first” is not a competitive advantage · 2011-12-19
- What makes a strategy greatJason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · Decisive · 2023-08-13
- My guide to conversational copywritingHarry Dry · Marketing Examples · 11/ Respect the competition · undated
the second source
Three plays a week, for the phase you are in
No roundup of links, no news. Three tactics more than one builder arrived at separately, with the numbers each one returned and the disagreements left in.
More in copy
- Keep the personality that drives some people off7 unconnected
- Interview buyers and write the page in their sentences6 unconnected
- Re-aim one durable claim at today's worry5 unconnected
- Answer the predictable objection with a specific4 unconnected
- Say the thing only you could have said4 unconnected
- Tighten the headline until only your segment fits4 unconnected