What is a comparison post?
Category comparison articles are the same as the professional and con articles, but rather than discussing the advantages and downsides of two products or services, you’re comparing similarities and differences by category.
For example, rather than listing out the pros and cons of buying a glass and wood greenhouse versus metal and plastic, you’d compare each feature head-to-head and discuss the similarities and differences.
Why is a comparison post important?
During the review phase, customers focus on research. They are ultimately looking for possible ways to identify their problems and challenges and solve them.
This is the time of your brilliance. However, it is difficult to promote a product or service in a way that is not recognized as a promotion. How can you move your customers in the right direction without scaring them?
The answer is giving fair advice. Instead of scaling to your advantage, you can actually let your customers choose a brand by using content that is intended to be useful. By providing a fair summary of the fundamental differences between you and your competitors, you can earn their trust.
Comparative posts are not intended to position the product as “better”. Comparative posts need to show the difference so that the reader can determine which one suits their needs. And in some cases, it will be your competitor. And that’s ok! The truth is that no brand is perfect for all potential customers.
For example, if you sell fiberglass pools, your competitors may be selling cement pools. The truth is that some people want/need a cement pool. Selling fiberglass pools to them is a disadvantage to them. A good comparison post will help the reader understand when both pools will be important
1. Be clear about what you want to compare
Choosing what to compare is the first step in creating a comparison post.
Here are some examples:
- HubSpot and MailChimp
- Uber vs Lyft
- Rent vs. purchasing
- Inbound marketing and outbound marketing etc.
You can also use SEO tools to find opportunities for comparative posts. You can use tools such as SemRush to find common searches in the industry. You can also see the general search suggested by Google by visiting Google and starting to type the phrase.
Try searching for keywords such as:
[Brand name] vs. [Brand name] orWhich company offers the best [service] and so on
The comparisons that customers may make when considering a solution are worth writing. Also, keep in mind that comparison posts may refer to competing services or products offered.
Again, using the pool example when installing both underground and ground pools , allows comparison posts to address the strengths and weaknesses of each of these options. If you want to add value to your customers by doing so, you need to compare your own product or service options.
2. Avoid any and all notes of bias
Showing the benefits of your offer is important, but showing clear prejudice destroys credibility. And when it comes to online content, trust is a valuable resource. Their guards must be dropped before the reader believes in the positive things you have to say.
Its called disarmament, and sometimes it’s as easy as adding a sentence.
For example, when we talk about marketing agencies, we usually add statements like “We are not suitable for everyone” to every comparison. When making a statement like this, it shows that we are honest with you-when you are not good at our match, we talk to you, and we do not apologize.
“We are not the largest or fastest agency,”. This means that there are other agencies that are better, faster, and bigger. It keeps us big, fast, or away from some people who want the absolute best.
If you need the largest, you need to address the shortcomings of a large corporate structure.
If you want the fastest, you probably have to deal with lower quality than we can offer.
All of this is polarized, but some are looking for “fast”. We are not very suitable for working with these people. So, if we are honest, this not only creates trust but also qualifies our customers at the decision-making stage. The right person for us sees it clearly and the sale is a mutual benefit between them and us.
3. Give enough context
Most companies avoid writing comparative posts on topics or products that they consider to be apple-orange comparisons. For example, inbound marketing and demand generation are not accurate comparisons because technically inbound is part of demand generation.
Still, Google has a lot of “inbound marketing and demand generation” searches every month. why? Because some people, like us, don’t understand both terms. Therefore, they try to access Google for explanation and understanding.
And if you can get someone’s attention and trust early on, you’ll be off to a great start in winning their business. This goes back to writing for customers. Customers often do not have the experience of asking the right questions. They need additional context to understand their misunderstandings and education in order to learn what questions they ask and why.
Comparison posts help explain why these two aren’t direct comparisons, and you can find better comparisons to consider. Instead of avoiding the topic altogether, use posts to talk about why you can’t compare the two. It provides a background and context for each topic, and then describes the relationship between the two. This gives the reader a clearer understanding of what each term means, why it cannot be compared directly, and what the correct answer should be.
Another example is a customer who wants to build a house. You can search for “How much does it cost to build a house?” Instead of rejecting this content because “there is no way to answer this question”, you need to create the content and answer the question.
You may not be the only one offering a particular product or service. When creating a comparison post, be sure to point out what’s special and unique about the version of the offer. Get inspiration from your own unique value proposition. At the end of the comparison post, you need to clarify to potential customers if you match us exactly and if they don’t.
For example, HubSpot’s all-in-one integrated platform is one of its most compelling features. HubSpot leverages this differentiator to show unique value to all competing content. You could say “HubSpot is the best” when the brand comes out, but instead, it shows the brand with all the added features and benefits.
4. Creating a template for comparison posts
Like every type of article, it is recommended that the writers are given a template to write a comparison post as well. However, unlike other templates, this one would be a tad bit different and unconventional, owing to the writing skill. Refer to the following list to understand the main components in a comparison article.
- Title with the products
It is imperative that the title of the article has the names of the products that will be compared in the later part of the piece.
- Introduce the products
Posting a product comparison should start with a brief introduction. When writing this part, it is important to keep the reader’s level of knowledge in mind. Keep the referrals short and simple, emphasizing the products to compare and how.
- Format for comparison
At this point in the process, you need to decide how to configure the product comparison. Some bloggers prefer to compare articles side by side. This means comparing multiple products at the same time, based on one characteristic at a time. A more practical option is to compare the items individually.
Regardless of the number of products you review, give each product its own section and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses individually.
- List out the basic features
When evaluating each product for comparison, start by introducing its basic features. There should be no opinion on this part. They simply indicate what the product must offer.
Let’s continue with the previous example of a special coffee machine. Suppose you are comparing coffee machines that use coffee pods. First, introduce the basic functions of each machine, the Size of the water tank, presence/absence of timer/clock function.
Remember, at this point, we’re not saying whether the feature is good or bad. Simply lay them out so that the reader can see what each product offers.
- List out the pros
Once you’ve listed the basic features of your product, you can start sharing your views. First of all, what do you like about the products you are comparing? This is the part that shares the benefits or “benefits” of the product.
- List out the cons
Product comparisons must be honest and fair. For this reason, you should also include a section about what you didn’t like about each product you’re comparing. In other words, consider the shortcomings you may discover along the way.
- Give a conclusive ending
After highlighting each product, its features, and its strengths and weaknesses, it’s time to make the final recommendations.
- Include a CTA
You got the reader’s attention, then laid out the options and showed which products were better than the others. Now it’s time to turn them into buyers. A simple and direct call for action is to click on the affiliate link to instruct them to make a purchase.
Refer here to find a template for a comparison article
