How are you different?
How is your website any different from the million others on the same topic?
I hate to break it to you, but if you haven’t asked yourself that question, then you’ve already failed. But you can do something about it.
Today is all about finding and defining your Unique Selling Proposition (or unique selling point). I’m going to help you find what makes your website/blog different from all the rest. These 6 ways can work for you site or any product or service you offer.
In the end, you should have a pretty good idea of how your blog or offer is unique, and why people should listen and follow you, as oppose to your competitors.
Let’s get started.
What is a Unique Selling Proposition?
Here’s how the Encyclopedia at Entrepreneur.com defines a U.S.P:
The factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and better than that of the competition.
Essentially, the job of your unique selling proposition is to position you, your product, your website and your business as the best choice… the ONLY choice that makes sense.
But how do you do that when there are hundreds of thousands other sites competing for the same audience’s attention and business?
3 Ways To Define Your Unique Selling Point
1. Be Unique
If you’re trying to sell a product, you can make one of three things unique.
You can create a unique product that no one else on the market has thought of creating. This can give you massive leverage when marketing and selling your product since there is virtually no competition.
Your product or service is the only logical choice – until, of course, competitors start creating similar products. What do you do then?
You can put together a unique offer. You can add features, complimentary products and services, or one on one support to make it easier for the customer to choose you over your competitors.
You can also offer a unique guarantee. Domino’s pizza did this with their unique selling proposition and the result has been millions and millions of dollars. Their guarantee was, “Pizza Delivered in 30 minutes, or it’s free” – and it worked.
2. Fix Problems. Provide Solutions.
As a blogger, website owners or marketer, you need to be able to understand and define your customers problems, fears and frustrations clearly. This is very helpful when creating a unique selling point.
NyQuil (you’ve heard of them, right?) – well, they have one of the most clear unique selling propositions that speaks directly to their customers pain and frustration:
“The Nightime, Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Stuffyhead, Fever, So-You-Can-Rest Medicine”
They understand that their customers are sick, tired and can’t sleep because of the coughing and aching. So their u.s.p defines the problem and provides a solution.
3. Share Your Biggest Benefits. What’s The Big Promise?
There’s a big difference between what your product does, and what your product does for your customer.
Our job is to clearly define how our websites, products and services Benefit the people who consume it. Our job is to turn our product’s boring features, into exciting benefits that customers can appreciate.
The more specific we can get with how our product can benefit them, the more effective it is as a unique selling point.
For example, instead of saying: “We sell your house at market value, guaranteed” – you can say: “Our 20 Step Marketing System Will Sell Your House In Less Than 45 Days At Full Market Value.”
3 Ways To Differentiate Yourself
1. Being the First To Combine 2 Ideas
As I mentioned before, being the first to market with a unique business idea or product can be enough to differentiate yourself from the rest. But there are other ways to become numero uno.
You can combine two already existing ideas into one, and carve yourself a brand new niche. This is what the author of Nerd Fitness did. He didn’t target the fitness guys, he targeted a market that was just like him.
He wasn’t a fitness guru, or a bodybuilder. He’s just an average Joe like me and you. He writes for nerds, desk jockeys and entrepreneurs and he helps them get fit. Pretty cool, right?
2. Market Specialty
Another easy way to differentiate yourself and create a killer unique selling proposition is to only offer ONE product or ONE specific service.
Many businesses try to be everything to everyone, while the smart ones focus on offering one exceptional product service.
Specializing is just one sector of your industry can make it easier to define what you do, and easier to position yourself as the go-to-expert in your niche.
3. Being the Latest in Your Industry
People love new and shiny stuff; this is why being the latest in your industry can help you stand out from the crowd. If you’re in the tech industry, then offering the latest software or product can give you extreme leverage over the competition.
People will always gravitate to you, since you have exactly what they want. Samsung knows this, so their unique selling point right now for the Galaxy S3 is, “the next big thing is already here”.
Now it’s your turn. Use this advice and condense your findings into one complete sentence or phrase.
Hope it helps..
by hector cuevas