What is a Unique Selling Proposition?

It’s what makes YOU different from everyone else online!

It’s the unique value that your visitors receive when they come to your website or blog. It’s the reason why people want to buy from YOU instead of the thousands of other internet marketers out there.

For example, when people come to my website, they know that I’m teaching entrepreneurs how to discover, build and monetize their brand online.  Many visitors know (or quickly learn) that in addition to being an internet marketing consultant and coach, that I am also a practicing attorney. They also know that the reason I became passionate about this topic is due to an experience that caused me to leave the industry for over a year, and my desire to help people avoid the mistakes that I made.   Many visitors quickly become a fan of my writing style and the fact that I provide easy to digest training materials.

The combination of all of these things are what make me unique.

What makes you unique?

Making this determination is super important if you want to create a sustainable and sizeable income online.  If you’re a “me-too” marketer, you aren’t going to be making a lot of money.

Why?

Well, if persons A, B, C, and D are selling Product X, for the same price, same quality, etc. You have a 25% chance of making a sale.

Now let’s say that person A decides to up the ante and create a USP.  Person A says that they have studied X for 5 years.  They got Y results with it. They are focused on helping people succeed with Product X.  Additionally, if you purchase from Person A, he will offer 30-minutes of coaching to ensure that you understand exactly how Product X works.

Who are people buying from?  Probably Person A by leaps and bounds.

Why?

Because they have distinguished themselves from the rest of the pack.

Now, having a USP is important not only for purposes of making sales, it is also critical if you are planning to use Pay-Per-Click advertising platforms like Google, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

Gone are the days of advertising replicated affiliate pages!

If you want to advertise on these platforms, you must have your own unique page, offering your own unique product/service/free report.

Putting your own video on a replicated page may work temporarily on some PPC platforms, but personally, I wouldn’t risk it.  It’s just not worth it because you could end up being banished to the Internet Advertiser’s Graveyard!

So how do you go about designing your USP?

Well, your USP is the sum of several different things:

1.  You:  Your story, your personality, what motivates you.  For your USP, you want to ensure that your readers/prospects can relate to you.  They’ve been where you’ve been, they want the results that you’ve achieved, or they have the same or a similar vision that you do.

Your personality is important because transparency is crucial online. You want to ensure that your personality shines through on all levels of your marketing efforts. People buy stuff from people that they know, like and trust.

For example, my readers know that I’m brutally honest, very detail oriented, and also love to have fun!  If you look at my videos, articles or my social media pages, you’ll always see these personality traits coming through.

Note: My personality is not a “fit” with everyone, that’s ok. Remember from Commandment #1, you don’t have to connect with everyone.  Casting a wide net is NOT better when it comes to beginning your marketing efforts online.

2. Your Knowledge/Skill-Set:

Skill-Set:  Ask yourself these questions:

–       What skill-sets did you have BEFORE coming online?  (Teaching/ Good at technical stuff/Attorney/Sales Person/Mom/Writer/Good         People Skills )

–       What skill-sets have you acquired since coming online? (Blogging, Video Marketing, Copywriting/ Email Marketing/ Social Media Marketing, etc.)

–       What do people say that you’re “good at?”  What are your “strengths”?

Knowledge: Ask yourself :

–       What stuff have you learned BEFORE coming online?

–       What stuff have you learned SINCE coming online?

–       What stuff are you committed to learning online?  If you’re determined to become an expert at one particular topic, then the fact that you are dedicated solely to X topic is also a USP.

3.     Your Likes/Dislikes:  I think it probably goes without saying that you should LIKE your USP. If you hate blogging, then being a “blogger” doesn’t need to be your USP.  If you are a junk-food addict, then being the “health-food expert” shouldn’t be your USP.

Think about what you enjoy doing in your business. Is it relationship-building? Is it writing content?  Is it speaking at events?  These “likes” should be incorporated into your USP.  Things you dislike, should not!

For example, when we got started marketing online, my husband and business partner, Rich, immediately gravitated to Pay-Per-Click Advertising.  He says this is likely due to his 14 year career as an advertising agency executive. I, on the other hand, am a writer.  Always have been- always will be!  So, obviously, I gravitated toward blogging when I came online.

4.     Your Goals:  People buy things because they want something: some result, some outcome, to avoid some pain, etc.  When your goals align with others, this adds the crucial element of relate-ability.   When your prospect/visitor can relate to you, this is one step closer to them being able to “trust” you. Remember, people buy from those whom they know, like and trust.

Combine all of these elements, and you’re on your way to defining your Unique Selling Proposition!

There’s one more thing, though…

Align your U.S.P. with your Target Market. 

This is where you need to dive into your Avatar’s problems, weaknesses, fears, desires, goals, etc.

You want to ensure that your USP meets the needs of your target market/avatar. So here’s how it all fits together:

Your Story: Helps your Avatar relate to you, like you, begin to see your expertise).  Builds Trust.

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Your Goals: Helps your Avatar relate to you and trust you.  Builds Trust.

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Your Skill-Set/Knowledge: This is the VALUE that you bring to your Avatar.  It’s the Solution you provide

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Your Likes: This is also the VALUE that you can bring to your Avatar.  Maybe your “likes” are a weakness of theirs, so they want to come to YOU for your expertise.

EQUALS 

Your Unique Selling Proposition

Stay Tuned for Commandment #3:  Thou shalt establish and promote thy brand.

Like this training?  Have more to add?  Share your thoughts by commenting below!

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