Posts Tagged ‘business strategy’

How to Increase Sales with Your Unique Selling Point

Monday, March 15th, 2010

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When was the last time you took a good look at the actual number of search results returned by a search engine? Unless you’re searching for an exact, obscure phrase, the results easily number in the multi millions. Your first question should be why should potential customers buy from me instead of the million others?

Any business looking to increase sales in a saturated marketplace needs to distinguish themselves from all the other businesses. Article marketing provides an efficient platform for developing your Unique Selling Point (USP) and developing that lucrative distinction.

You must develop your USP now, so that you can start to create a niche for your business. A business without a well-developed Unique Selling Point loses a great deal of potency in its marketing. Without making clear what sets you apart, you run the risk of continuously losing business over the simple matter of price. And even if you offer competitive pricing, you forfeit a solid client base for one that constantly kicks tires and checks for better prices. As the old sales maxim goes: “If you get them on price, you’ll lose them on price”. Establishing a solid USP not only helps you get more clients, it also improves your client retention.

Why would anyone buy from you?

One of the best ways to develop your USP is to adopt your prospect’s perspective. What problems, challenges or needs are your prospects trying to address with your product or service? Be careful! It’s easy to let your own desires slip into this mental exercise, so be sure to keep in mind what prospects want, not what you want.

It will also help for you to establish pairings within your business. Do you combine specific elements to provide greater value to your customers? For example, perhaps you’re a small-business coach. Excellent! Small businesses need all the help they can get. However, business coaches and firms are steadily on the rise, so you’ll need to distinguish yourself here, too. What is unique about your coaching? Do you pair mental exercises and training with your business coaching? Bingo—we’ve got a USP!

Or perhaps you just can’t think of a unique factor regarding a relatively simple product—is there anything special about your production methods? Going green still attracts a great deal of attention—many businesses have paired a quality product with green production, packing, and shipping methods to develop their USP.

Make sure your prospects know what sets you apart.

Once you’ve established a solid USP for your business, you must make a continuous effort to tell prospects all about it. Regular automated article marketing lets the masses know why your business is the obvious choice.
Developing your USP will also help you rank higher in search engine results for your niche. Keyword-rich content submitted frequently throughout the Web automatically improves your chances of coming up in search engine results. This is because it’s more specific than a non-USP-based business message.

Potential buyers appreciate succinct information, and search engine algorithms, Web scrubbers and spiders also search for the most precise kernels possible. It’s important to note that search engines don’t just search, they qualify as well. You have to remember that search engines are in competition with each other and the better the results they return to you, the more likely you are to continue using their particular engine. Develop a clear-cut niche or USP and search engines will have an easier time of scraping your material and helping others find you. By targeting a few exact specialties and niches that your product or service can deliver, you will effectively slice through a huge chunk of your usual competition online.

A strong USP not only gets prospects in your door and helps convert them to buying customers, it also breeds loyalty. Your USP is a blockade to competitors trying to steal your business because it is what makes you special. Frequent article submissions aimed at your existing client base remind them how you provide a superior product or service, preventing other businesses from wedging in between you and your clients.

To your success,

Andrew Rossillo

Andrew Rossillo is Content Crooner’s Marketing Blogger and Staff Writer. He’s ready to put his years of copywriting and online marketing experience to work for your business—he’ll help you get noticed!

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Add Value to Your Business Message with Article Marketing

Monday, March 15th, 2010
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Creative Commons License photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

Other than saying yes to a cherub-faced Girl Scout selling tasty cookies, when was the last time you immediately agreed to a purchase? Heck, you probably still needed to look the list up and down a few times before you chose which cookies you bought. Now, imagine what your prospects experience when they go online to find a particular product or service…absolute mayhem! They are instantly bombarded with virtually countless choices. This mayhem requires you to spread the word throughout the Web as to why prospects should choose your product or service over all the others—why are you an orange among apples? Article marketing allows you to lead the way by providing useful information. Well-written information that subtly relates to the benefits of your product or service adds value to your offer, creating a wedge between you and your competitors.

Let everyone know how you stand out from the competition

Unless your product or service is offered at over a 90% discount compared to your competitors (and probably even then), you will need to make sure your audience understands the extra value you bring to the table. Regular article submissions enable you to publish information relevant to your industry, creating an interconnected system of value points. Once you get these main points in place you’ve essentially painted a perfect picture of value—pointillism of the marketing world. When prospects look at your business offer from far away it may appear to be similar to countless others. Specific value points established through article marketing allows the prospect to step closer and see all the individual dots that illustrate how your business is different and better than those similar choices.

And, since today’s online audience is savvier, they now require more information before they feel comfortable buying from you—you can never just ask for their business. Although it may be obvious to you that your business is different, don’t assume your prospects feel the same. Current trends show that savvy Internet users now require lots more information and coaxing before they move forward with a purchase.

That is why content is king! Steady trends prove that more and more people are using the Internet as a research tool. Even if you are a local brick-and-mortar business that people can physically visit, there’s a significant chance that your prospects are checking your business out online first before they even set foot in your door. Whether people are dealing with a downturn market, bootstrapped budgets, or simply want to perform a credibility check, the more content you have online the more new clients you’ll win over.

Befriend the tire kickers and get more business!

Another element to consider is that a good number of people surfing the Web are going online strictly for research with no intent to buy. Even if someone sticks to their non-buying guns, they still may know of a friend or associate that could benefit from your product or service. The fact that you provided them with useful information and helped answer their questions makes them much likelier to pass on your article. Congratulations—you’re getting word-of-mouth marketing, which is very highly trusted indeed.

Here’s where we can see a prime example of what Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Internet users will recognize that you made an extra effort to provide useful information and the good deed is sure to come back around through direct and indirect channels. Make it easy for people to find the information they need and they’ll either buy from you directly or be much more inclined to refer your business.

It’s also helpful to think of your prospects as having research radars. Every time another article about your business is submitted to the Web you create an additional point that shows up on their radars, helping you show up in more search results than ever before.

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How To Have the Business You’ve Always Wanted By Managing Your Dependencies

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

What are you dependent on? We all have needs: financial, social, even your business has needs. How can you take your business and your life to new heights without letting your dependencies control you?

Having dependencies isn’t a bad thing. It’s inevitable. So we are going to classify your needs between positive and negative. Let’s consider my life. I work on the Internet, an opportunity I have taken advantage of by starting up my own Internet marketing company with the help of a mentor. And being able to work in coffee shops has become a dependency as I have a hard time focusing on work when at home.

Did you notice my dependencies? Just as everyone, I am dependent on my job. Also, I am nothing without my mentor as I wouldn’t know how to continue with my company. And I am dependent on getting out of the house in order to boost productivity.

Financial dependency on your job isn’t a negative. This is something that everyone deals with, as it is a necessity. It does become a negative, though, if you live outside of your means and then have to increase your workload to pay for your lifestyle.

The dependency on a mentor is positive. This can also be classified as requiring education. Even if you have a large, already established Internet business, education is an ever-present dependency.

What’s different about this dependency is that it benefits you as opposed to leeching off of you. Living outside one’s means is a leech of your finances, but staying up-to-date with your industry adds to your expertise. The purpose of a mentor is to train one to no longer need such direction.

My reliance on leaving the house to be more productive is a negative dependency. Everything I need to be good at my job is already in me, just as everyone has the power to change their lives with no external support. This is a self-doubting limitation that is commonplace in each of us. By removing such negative dependencies, you can be more focused, confident, and free to take your business where only your dreams have seen it.

What are your dependencies? What is your business dependent on? And do these needs detract from or build up you and your business?

One common negative dependency is pride. It can manifest itself in your personality, your online brand, and your company’s message. Most of us would like to be known as an expert or guru in our respective fields. But it doesn’t become true because we brandish the title. It becomes true when we focus on giving good products and informative content.

If you want to be a guru, stop wanting it. This want is external. It has no bearing on you or your company if you already offer what a guru offers. Anyone wanting to be an expert needs to take steps to do what experts do. If you feel your company will be benefited by this title, something in your company is lacking. Being known as a guru would be good, but being a guru is better.

Take a look at your life and your company. What do you need from external sources, and what do you already possess which you aren’t utilizing? Needing something external isn’t necessarily bad if it helps you grow out of needing what is external. This is how you can determine whether a dependency is positive or negative.

Does it help you grow? Or, without it, do you feel lost? If you feel a little withdrawal, it may need to be something to think about. The words “habit” and “addiction” aren’t too far off from each other.

In an attempt to become more productive at home, I mimic the coffeehouse environment. What I like about getting out of the house is feeling the energy of other people around me. It does quite a bit in lifting my spirits.

While that is harder to mimic in your home, another part of the coffeehouse experience is the atmosphere. If you’re at home, why not brew a little coffee or tea to get the aroma in the house? You can also put on some light music to set the mood. The point is to wean myself off of needing to leave the house to get into the work mentality. Being a telecommuter, it’s important I can tap into that mindset wherever I am.

Like everyone, you have more in you than you realize. You also have dependencies which you’ll see you don’t need. Focus on removing this negativity from you and your business and you’ll find new heights are not as far off as you thought.

Peace, love, and traffic,

Taylor Vogt

Taylor Vogt is the Review Team Manager at Content Crooner, a quality content distribution service. He is also working on his upcoming Internet Marketing website Empowerous.com.

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Abundance and Scarcity – How to Use Each One Effectively for Your Internet Marketing Needs

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Scarcity is a limited supply. It may be time, or a limited number of a specific product. One can even use scarcity to make an old product seem more appealing or to clear the shelves. It’s a useful tool especially for any Internet marketer. Yet, what message are you sending when you overuse it?

Too much of a good thing is not always a great thing. Being pushy about time limits or simply not being honest obviously drives clients away. Another aspect of scarcity is that it is, by nature, finite. Do you use scarcity to the point that it changes your view of life or your business?

All businesses contend with competition. But to see clients and success as finite, or in dwindling supply, is a dangerous outlook. This is where abundance comes in. Scarcity is a marketing tool, not a life philosophy. Of course, it’s easy for us to fear running out of things. At times, we can even be insatiable. But, as far as it depends on us, we should focus on a life-view of abundance. There is plenty to spread around, whether it be time, clients, or whatever.

For example, consider the teachings of some well-known spiritual leaders. Jesus Christ taught that there is more happiness in giving than receiving. Mahatma Ghandi believed that Truth is God. Also, the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most important Hindu Scriptures, teaches that the root of all suffering is selfish desires. The main point that can be learned from these teachings is that a lifestyle based on scarcity is not something desirable. But, living by abundance and truth is the way to success and happiness and is universally accepted as such by all sorts of teachings.

How can one run their business by abundance? One way is making the most out of each customer you get. The most honest way of getting customers is by offering meaningful products. A returning customer is doing so because they value what you have to offer more than they value the cost of said product. Another way of maximizing a customer’s potential is by cross-selling and up-selling. It’s like going to buy a printer for your computer only to also be offered paper, ink cartridges, and an extended warranty, all things you may eventually need.

Offer your clients everything they need. If your products or services remain valuable and you remain positive and abundant, there is no reason to fear scarcity. It can be kept in it’s place as a simple marketing tool and any destructive potential can be stopped before it occurs.

In summary, we can sabotage ourselves by living a life of scarcity. It is based on selfishness, a trait that is counter-productive in the business world. To be successful in your niche, you have to WANT to help prospective clients. When you want to be helpful, it is obvious. This sort of integrity will draw clients to you as will offering meaningful, valuable products.

Focus on attracting what you want out of life. Seeing everything as finite will leave you a finite life. Don’t limit yourself and your business because of selfishness. Scarcity can be used honestly when it is kept in it’s place.

Peace, love, and traffic,

Taylor Vogt

Taylor Vogt is the Review Team Manager at Content Crooner, a quality content distribution service. He is also working on his upcoming Internet Marketing website Empowerous.com.

“Crooner Rocks”

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Does Your Home Business Gimmick Attract or Repel?

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

Speaking from experience, gimmicks are just plain fun to create. Perhaps it’s a theme for your business or some sort of appeal as a marketing ploy. However, at what point does it crowd out your real message? Is it possible for a gimmick to take over your voice in the marketplace and cloud the intent of your company?

First off, the word “gimmick” may be understood in a couple ways. On one end, it can be seen as a way to attract attention or increase appeal. That’s just fine, and in fact, may be useful. But, there is a negative side as well. It may also be equated with someone with underhanded intentions. Don’t let your gimmick hide the truth.

It’s easy to let it get to that point. You’re having such a good time creating new, fun ideas for a company theme or a marketing venture that you don’t realize there is so much glitter on it’s blinding. This, of course, can be damaging.

Would you rather be a customer of a clear, honest company, or a customer for a company that has so much fanfare you just want them to clearly state what features they have? Now, with that question in mind, how would you rate your company/marketing gimmick?

Remember that customers don’t care about you. They’re looking for a company to handle a problem that they have. Be the one that gives them a clear, effective solution to their problem. This isn’t to say that a theme for your company is a bad idea. But don’t let your theme overshadow the fact that your purpose is to help customers solve their problems. The best gimmick is clarity and honesty.

You may have a small idea which will give your company a unique face in the marketplace. This is done quite often and is proven to work. At times, the marketplace may begin to feel crowded. The good news is, there are enough clients for everyone. The only thing you have to do is have the right voice. Let’s consider an example of a gimmick that is just right.

Twitter came along and created a whole new lexicon which is used every day. If someone were to say they are “tweeting”, we all know what it means. And yet, Twitter didn’t overdo it. It’s a fun idea that doesn’t come across as overdone. While their theme is light and playful, no one questions whether or not they mean business; it’s obvious.

Now, let’s talk about how much is too much. We all know the stereotypical shifty used car salesman. Or what about the cheesy “overstocked sell-out” commercials that have become iconic in pop culture for their over-the-top energy? We think about these gimmicks and immediately chuckle to ourselves.

At the same time, do you trust these advertisements? What about the people behind them? These advertisements automatically make us defensive and unwilling to buy. Think about your gimmick and make sure you don’t push customers away just as these ineffective gimmicks often do.

Instead, use a light gimmick, like Twitter, and be clear and honest about what you offer. Customers want answers to their problems; be the person to readily give them one. Don’t make them wade through excessive glitz and glamor.

Peace, love, and traffic,

Taylor Vogt

Taylor Vogt is the Review Team Manager at Content Crooner; a quality content distribution service. He is also working on his upcoming Internet Marketing website Empowerous.com.

“Crooner Rocks”

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