There is no shortage of gurus and Internet experts. Take a look at any industry represented online and you will find numerous websites and blogs that claim they are your number one source for information on the subject at hand. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, if you want to increase blog traffic and develop trustworthy readers, you need to position yourself as an expert in your field.
However, the number one question to ask yourself before spending time and energy building your website is why should people listen to you?
What is your value?
I’ve talked before about the value of knowing who your target market is and making sure you’re giving them what they want. However, this goes a bit beyond that. Let’s face it, you could probably hit a cat and hit at least ten other experts offering the same information that you are providing to consumers in your market. What makes your advice better than the competition? What is your advantage?
What is your unique selling point?
A unique selling point is something that makes you stand out from the crowd. It’s something people can’t get from anyone else and the main reason your customers want to do business with you. This is why certain bloggers can capture thousands of blog readers, while others who offer the exact same information can only capture a few dozen. If you want to increase blog traffic, you need to find out what your unique selling point is and market it as a benefit to your readers.
For example, have two different types of soda: Pepsi and generic. Despite the fact that generic sodas are cheaper (sometimes as much as 50% less than brand name sodas), people still buy Pepsi on a case-by-case basis. Why? For the taste.
Pepsi’s unique selling point is its taste. That is something that cannot be replicated in generic brand sodas, no matter what they may say on their packaging. When people buy a Pepsi, they trust that they will get the flavor they want. That trust drops significantly when they consider the generic brand. Even if the two brands are together with an obvious price difference in favor of generic soda, people will pay more for Pepsi.
Similarly, people will pay more attention to you if you have a unique selling point that they like and can’t get anywhere else.
Tips to discover your unique selling point
Discovering your unique selling point requires a bit of research and thinking carefully about what you are really offering to your customers.
* Look at your main competition. How are they different from you? How are they alike? Read their blog posts. Which posts get the most comments and why? Read their testimonials. What do customers say they like best about doing business with them? If customers can be reached, you can even go incognito and ask for a recommendation and see what they say.
* Assess your target market. What things are most important to them? What problems are you trying to solve with the products, services or information available in your industry? Are there any needs that are not being met?
* Determine what is unique about your company. What are your values? What problems do you solve for your clients? How are your products better than those of your customers? If you are offering the exact same thing, how can you increase the value of them?
Finding your unique selling point may involve executing on an idea and then adjusting it over time. However, it is worth the effort if you want to increase traffic to your website and develop a group of customers who love you and your business to the exclusion of everyone else.