12 Ways to Differentiate Your Dietary Supplements from Competing Products in the Same Category

1--Have a greater number and variety of ingredients.

This enables you to create a 3-column table. The first column is all the ingredients you and your competitor use. The middle column is your product with all or most of the ingredients checked off. The third column is your competitor. It shows very few ingredients checked off. The prospect sees this table and concludes your product is more comprehensive.

2--Greater dosages of a few top ingredients.

The drawback of having a larger number of ingredients is that for the capsule to contain them all, the amount of each must be smaller. Result: the dosages are typically less than what was used in the clinical studies. Solution: You select only one, two, or three key ingredients. You claim that these are the most important, and then note your pill delivers a much bigger daily dosage of these ingredients. That's because containing only a few ingredients means you can fit more of each in the capsule or tablet.

3--A compelling story.

Add to the formula an ingredient about which you can spin an intriguing story. This can often work as the hook in the headline and lead. One supplement maker talks about how their CBD is superior because it grows in an area with optimal sunlight, rainfall, and soil. A cream's claim of giving you younger-looking skin is an extract from jellyfish, said to be immortal. And the formulator of an anti-anxiety spray tells how his personal quest to calm his autistic child led him to the healing power of lavender.

4--Bashing your competitor's ingredients.

An example is a promotion for a vision supplement with the headline, "Why Bilberry and Lutein Don't Work," backed up the claim with citations to clinical studies with poor results. This took a shot at competing eye supplements, featuring bilberry and lutein.  

5--Greater bioavailability.

An effective differentiator is that your supplement is absorbed more rapidly than competitive brands and has greater bioavailability. The promotion should include a bar chart showing the faster absorption speed of your product in comparison to others. You should also provide a simple explanation of how better and faster absorption is achieved.

6--Molecular advantage.

Reducing molecule size (e.g., breaking down collagen into peptides) enables the smaller molecules to pass through barriers the larger form can't. Sometimes bioactive compounds (e.g., beta glucans) come in multiple molecular configurations, with one (which is the molecule in your formula) having superior efficacy over the other forms used in competitive products.

 7--Delivery system.

CBD, as an example, there are multiple delivery systems including oils, tinctures, vaping, capsules, gummies, foods, and topical creams. The advantages of your chosen delivery system vs. the others can be exploited to differentiate your product.

8--Speed and duration of health effects.

For instance, a cardiovascular supplement has one fast-acting ingredient that kicks in within minutes, blended with a longer-lasting agreement that lasts the whole day.

9--Self-proof of supplements for symptomatic conditions.

A tabloids selling a vision supplement included a full-size chart of eye test letters along with instructions on how to self-test. To demonstrate product efficacy, the copy told the customer to test once before starting the supplement and then again after 60 days of taking the pill daily -- to demonstrate tangible vision improvement.

10--Superior research and citations.

You can demonstrate this by presenting capsule summaries of clinical trials and their favorable results proving ingredient efficacy. You can also make this point by citing the total number of published clinical studies for a nutrient used in your formula as well as listing the names of peer-reviewed journals where the studies appeared.

11--Social proof.

A large number of favorable product reviews, customer testimonials, years the product has been on the market, reputation of manufacturer, number of units sold, favorable reviews of the product or its ingredients in both the medical and scientific literature as well as major media. Use research or articles from the top hospitals and medical schools such as Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic (get permission first).

12--Quality.

Describe your superior ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, quality control procedures, and     quality inspection. For instance, your competitor tests one bottle from every batch; you test every bottle in every batch. The results of these procedures can also yield advantages; e.g. lower levels of solvents and toxins vs. the competition.  

About the author:

Robert W. Bly is a freelance copywriter with 4 decades of experience. His clients include N3 Oceanic, NuLogic Nutritionals, EBI Medical Systems, Becton Dickinson, Adapt Pharma, Medix Select, Medical Economics, and Lane Laboratories. His website is www.bly.com or email rwbly@bly.com.