Does Their Blog Import Its Orange Joice?

Nowadays, apparently, it's OK (or at least legal) to knock a competitor by name.  "Tropicana imports some of its orange juice," the Florida's Natural announcer hastens to inform TV audiences in no uncertain terms.  Leaving nothing to implication, he follows up with a question, "So why would you ever choose anything but Florida's Natural?"

Blogs for business bear little resemblance to TV commercials, being closer to advertorials than straight-up ads, but there's a lesson to be learned here.  Although one possible approach in a business blog is to compare your products and services to others', demonstrating how your company is different in a positive way, as a professional ghost blogger and blog content development trainer, I recommend steering clear of Florida Natural's Tropicana-knocking tactic.

On its website, Florida Natural takes a better approach, using the provocatively simple question "Where does your juice come from?" to lead into a discussion of buying USA-grown fruit products. 

Your company blog posts can get the job done with similar subtlety, using the "Power of We".  Try sentences beginning with "At _____(your company name), WE offer…………….  WE believe that……..    WE value.  Rather than starting with a negative in mind, devaluing other companies' products and services, stress the positives about you and yours.

Do THEY do a poor job at cosmetic dentistry? Use dangerous chemicals in their cleansers? Understaff customer service lines? Import ingredients? Maybe.  But leave all that to implication, why don't you?

Online searchers found YOU!  Reassure them they've come to a place where "nice guys and gals" live, people who play nice with competitors and customers alike.