competition

“Be yourself; everyone else is taken.” Thank you, Oscar Wilde, for the inspiration. But this doesn’t just apply to individuals. It applies to businesses and brands, too. As the creator of Express Writers, I have learned that we are successful because we have embraced our individuality and refuse to focus on what our competitors are doing. Along with dancing to the beat of our own drum, from the beginning, we focus on building the best services for our clients and original thoughts that build elite and unique levels of service. From my own life experience, I know how hard it is to find out what makes you different in an industry everyone seems to be in. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and building a content marketing and writing agency was a natural next step for me. But it hasn’t come easy. Through the ups and downs, I discovered my greatest successes on the heels of failures. (It’s a longer story than this, and you can read it all here.) In short, my failures helped me ask a ton of questions and ultimately embrace my flaws and stand out from the rest of the content-marketing industry. So,  how do you find out what makes you different from your industry? Here is a number of questions to help you and your business know just how well you’re standing out — and making a real difference online. [bctt tweet=”Answer these 5 questions to know if you’re standing out and making a real difference online, vs. adding to the noise. @JuliaEMcCoy #ContentDifferentiationFactor” username=”ExpWriters”] How to Stand Out Online: 5 Questions to Ask to Know What Makes You Different from the Rest of the Pack Let’s dive into the five questions every entrepreneur and business owner should be asking. 1. What is Your Content Differentiation Factor in Your Industry? I teach this concept in my Content Strategy & Marketing course and have written extensively on it in my book. To summarize, your content differentiation factor (CDF) is what separates you from the billions of other content on the web. Ask this question: “Does my business communicate topics with people that the rest of the web doesn’t?” Maybe it’s exclusive content you provide that no one else does, a positive digital experience clients can’t get anywhere else, etc. Your CDF is how you present your brand/business, and how you communicate industry topics to your audience. So, understand what separates you from the rest of your industry and go from there. 2. What Makes Your Selling Technique Different from Everyone Else? Everyone in your industry is selling something similar, right? For example, if you’re in the marketing industry, you’re probably doing some content marketing. Why? Because content marketing provides one of the highest ROIs. From our last post, 6 Major Content Marketing Trends from CMI’s 2019 B2C Content Marketing Research Report If you understand that, a number of other people in your industry know that too — so, how do your content marketing services stand out from everyone else? Or any of your other services for that matter? Remember, your unique selling proposition (USP) is different than your CDF. Your USP is the factor that makes your services and products different than competitors. (Different in terms of by choosing your services and products, they are receiving a higher value.) Your CDF is how your business/brand is presented. (When you acknowledge industry topics you don’t just give a generic response. You provide an individual and valuable experience that will educate and benefit your customers.) Make sure you’re asking this strategic question: “How do I present my services/products differently?” Remember though, don’t focus only on your competitors. By focusing on what your competitors are doing, you’re losing focus on your own ideas. Understand what your competitors are doing and how you’re different from them, but don’t focus too much on them. Look inside you, your team, and your own environment for your best ideas. Make sure you have a valid reason to give when your customers ask why they should invest in you and your services/products. 3. What Does Your Business Do for Your Customers? This is part of your USP: understanding what your business/brand provides your customers. If you’re having a hard time pinpointing what your USP is — don’t worry. You can start narrowing it down by asking yourself what your business does for your customers. For example, Charles Revson, the founder of Revlon, said that he sold hope, not makeup. Revson’s promise to his customer was that he was going to provide a product that gave women hope to receive the look they wanted. So, when you’re thinking about what your businesses do for your customers, don’t just think about the products/services you sell. Think of the feelings and solutions it provides. 4. Are You Comparing Yourself to Your Competitors Too Much? I mentioned earlier when I talked about asking yourself what your USP is how you should understand what your competitors are doing. But, don’t focus on them too much. Once you start focusing on your competitors more than you start focusing on your own ideas, you lose your own sense of creativity. Trust me. I used to use templates for my emails, and veered too close to copying and pasting while going off “best practices.” Then, one day, I sat down without distractions, only armed with inner inspiration. I had the idea for a great email around my Content Strategy & Marketing Course, and wrote it out. It turned into one of my most high-converting emails to date: If you think you’re losing the original “you”, simply ask yourself, “Do I compare myself to my competitors too much?” If the answer is yes, then I have a few tips to get you to stop analyzing your competitors and start going more internal for bigger and better results: 1. Unglue Yourself from Social Media 2. Get Some Fresh Air and Exercise 3. Indulge Your Creativity Read more here: Why Focusing On Your Competitor Could Be Killing … Read more