WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE FLAVOUR?

Guest Blog Post By Sharni-Marie Barney

Your business is as unique as you are.

You created it. You transformed it. It evolved out of your own ideas, and the energy of the team of people who work for you. Your customer service has its own unique personality. Your product range is a reflection of your own perspectives and tastes.

The creation of your new application has developed from a seed concept that was birthed from your own life journey, your frustration, your conversations and the extent of your knowledge of the world around you.

No one else has walked in your shoes. What you bring to the table, only you can. It doesn’t matter if there are 300 other companies who claim to offer what you do – they won’t be doing it the way you do.

Feeling good? You should be. But here’s the kicker: No body cares about YOUR business

While you are wrapped up in the world of your own creation, the rest of society is buzzing around you in their own little worlds and they haven’t noticed you at all. To them, you are just another business. Another shop front. Another web application.

And therein lies the great divide. The big disconnect.

The only time they will come mildly close to caring about your business is when they want something from you.

Human Nature & The Buying Process

There are two aspects of human nature that you should be very aware of at this point.

(1) Humans are inherently lazy.

Our first response to a need or want is to pretty much to always take the easy road as the first option. Give us the fastest possible outcome to appease the need and we are content.

Generally speaking, this usually means only sticking to what we absolutely need to know.

(2) We like to feel important and a part of something.

The more connected we feel to a concept, another person, or in this instance – your business – the more loyal we are.

So, with that in mind, you can see the incredible power that lies in integrating a content marketing strategy into your overall business plan. It opens up the opportunity to be communicating with your customers or potential customers consistently so that when they go looking to satisfy their need they have already stumbled upon you, often unknowingly or subconsciously.

Some people like to refer to this as “telling your story”. To me, that label seems to water down the power of this massive marketing machine. And please don’t just stick to blowing your own trumpet. Once I’ve heard your story, I don’t want to hear it again and again.

And content marketing is not about throwing a heap of irrelevant information out there in dot points and flow charts with a ton of biased statistics, only to be swallowed up by the world wide vortex (the Internet). Content marketing offers you the opportunity to create multiple ‘touch points’ – connected and relatable moments – with your customers and prospects.

Make Your Business Memorable

Personalisation is the buzz word of the day it seems, but the essence of personalisation is this. The more personal you can be through all of your marketing communication and customer experience ‘touch points’, the more memorable your business will be to me. And when I am reaching for something in my lazy human state, your brand will be the first one that comes to mind.

What is it that you offer your clients that no one else does – not just the object that you offer – what is the essence of what you offer?

What Is Your Unique Flavour?

When you developed your business strategy you probably formulated your unique selling proposition (USP) – that is what does your business do that is slightly different to others in your industry. But have you considered your ‘unique selling flavour’? That is - how are you going to communicate and engage with your customers about your USP in a way that is different?

The world is bored with the same old stuff. They want different. They love unique. They love obscure. So, don’t just try to replicate what everyone else in your industry is doing. Write, create and present in a way that is a direct reflection of you.

The days of a cold and sterile business environment that distances itself from the client and utilises awe-tactics of great intelligence or performance in an attempt to baffle and thus charge higher fees and pressure clients into loyalty are fast becoming ineffective.

Get off your high horse, step out of your own little world and communicate with your customers in a way that is personal, transparent and unique. Get your unique selling ‘flavour’ past the doors of your office to the world beyond.

Communicate who you are in as many ways as you can.

Meet Sharni-Marie Barney

Sharni-marie is the director of Forj Marketing – a company dedicated to helping startups and small businesses forge their way to future success through multiple touch-point marketing strategies. She is lover of travel, writing and experiences that broadens her perspective.