If you’re looking for an extra edge over your competition, you can’t go wrong with a strong USP, Unique Selling Proposition. Many people stumble over this concept and we’re here to clear it up. Let’s take a look at five tips to be unique and memorable. 

#1 What do you do differently than your competition?  

For example, Zappos.com provides free shipping both ways. That’s their USP and it works quite well. Buying shoes online is a risky business because you can’t try them on but if you know you get free shipping both ways, it eliminates 99% of the risk. Answering the question, “What do I do differently from my competition?” can help you find your perfect USP. 

#2 What makes you different? If you don’t DO anything differently than your competition then you may be different from your competition in other ways. For example, your website personality may be very strong and that’s your USP. You may have an extremely funny or controversial approach to your topic. 

For example, a copy writer may position themselves as a ‘story teller’ rather than a copy writer. This sets them apart from the thousands of other copywriters out there even though they perform the same service. 

#3 Who are your customers? Your customers can quite easily help you define your USP. Maybe you find that you’re really only selling to one small demographic, instead of trying to broaden your demographic reach, you can use that as your USP and really attract that specific audience. 

For example, Giada De Laurentiis has a cooking show that’s targeted toward people who wanted to make tasty, but simple, dishes at home. However, Giada has a huge following with the college aged male crowd. Go figure! It might make sense for her to market specifically to this crowd -Giada’s Tailgate Recipes perhaps?

#4 What do you offer? Often your product or services alone can be your USP. Using the writer example again, a writer might market their content services as “overnight content” or “24 hour content.” People know that when they do business with that service provider, they’re going to get their content quickly. That’s the USP. 

#5 Merging USPs. Finally, another option is to combine a few unique differences into one main USP. For example, clicker based dog training for children. This combines what makes you different, clicker based dog training, and your customers, children, into one merged USP. 

Finding your USP may take a little time and thought. Ask yourself the questions above. Find the strongest answer, the one that resonates with you the most and build from there. If you’re still uncertain, ask your friends and family for suggestions or advice. Sometimes it’s easier to see the benefits or personality of a website from the outside looking in.

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Last 5 posts by Alice Seba

• Writing from the Heart – How to Really Connect With Your Audience - September 2nd, 2010
• Different Types of Content You Can Add To Your Website - September 2nd, 2010
• Repurposing Your Content – Easy Tips and Ideas - September 2nd, 2010
• Why Content Is King to the Search Engines (And Your Visitors) - September 2nd, 2010
• Adding Interactivity Your Website – Why It’s Essential - August 6th, 2010

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