Calling Out Your Competition

I'm interested to get peoples thoughts on this.

If you have a product that truly is 100% correct, and you see someone else trying to sell people something that quite frankly sucks or just doesn't work, would you/can you publicly call them out to

1. Stop innocent/naive people from wasting their money on a bogus product
2. Get people to your product that legitimately works

Example: Someone puts up a video on youtube on setting up a ppc campaign on Google. They give bad information which will lead people who watch it and follow that method to lose money. You decide to make a video to explain why their video is incorrect and what the correct way to do it is. Would you/can you?

There are many products/sites/services which are 100% wrong and designed only to fool people. And if you think you have the correct information regarding that product, you can definitely make video/blog etc to make people aware. Its not something new, many people do this. Even people who got scammed, post their negative reviews about that product.

I wouldn't directly call someone out. I find it poor business practice.

.. However, in your example above, it wouldn't stop me from making the video indirectly explaining the pitfalls and myths others preach (and then promoting to your competitors audience).

At the end of the day everything thinks they are correct. They wouldn't do it otherwise unless they are a scammer. So I feel a little respect is in order, even if they are stupid...IMO.

There are many quality products as there are so many crappy products

This unfortunately exits already on the internet as in the real world (in stores brick and mortar)

and this is also the problem of honest marketer trying to sell products but serious people do not have confidence and thinks it's the same old scam

do then?

behaved as if I had a physical store.
if you want to buy something at the local stores ...
see the object showcase, you decide to learn more and enter the store

actually see the product and decide to buy it

in the internet world you can not give up a physical product only to view it,
but you can still send them a demonstration of your product with a preview or demo version (if the product is digital obviously as in magggior cases)

in summary
sell shoddy products is never a good deal
because you will have a high rate of refund requests,
a bad reputation
and closing of the payment gateway
I do not know what should sell crap

If you have a better product or service, a more professional approach would be to make, publish, and promote a comparison chart. Bad-mouthing another company will make you look petty, and it could turn off the very people that you're trying to attract.

Doesn't really make sense, but I've seen it happen.

I have to agree there. Where seo is good for a site or company, what you do online is just as important. You are your company, and if you're going to run around badmouthing, and defaming other people's products, its going to harm your Web rep and that of your company or website. Most marketers try be professional, but you get some that would sell their grandmother for a grape (imho seriously, im not pointing fingers). I can see where some would think it could work like that. I mean they can create a site, put products on it, raise all hell with their competition and then vanish. Only to start again with a new persona. Im rambling, I know.. But what I'm trying to say is this. Make, or resell a product you would be willing to put your actual name and persona behind. Work at it and build Web rep and authority, and stay professional.. Always.. Clients look for that first and foremost. If they can identify with you, and you give them something that would help them, you would make money by the boatloads. Dont harm that by throwing tantrums online.

You cannot base the advertisement for your business on trashing someone else's business. You are always welcome to educate the public, but actually mentioning and trashing another company won't do you any good. Along with the mentioned company, your business may fail too.