What Makes You So Special?

What causes people to want to hire you for your services, use your product, visit your website, or read your blog?  Whatever industry you’re in, there’s little doubt you have some form of competition.  So why is what you offer different enough to make people choose you over someone else?  A lot of people try to compete on price, which can be effective for some, but often it’s the lazy way to get customers, and it can end up robbing from your bottom line in the long run.  When you think about it, if all you have to offer is a low price, then as soon as someone else comes along with an even lower price, you lose.  If you find other ways to set yourself apart from the competition though, your customers have reasons to be loyal to you and your brand.  There are several ways to make your business stand out from the crowd, and here are a few:

Your Offering - Whether or not it’s easy (or even possible) to differentiate through the product or service you offer has a lot to do with which industry you’re in.  If you sell a software product, for example, your program might offer features that no one else does.  This is a pretty simple way to differentiate.  On the other hand, what if your business is something that’s not as easy to rework in a way that makes it truly unique?  This might take some out-of-the-box thinking, but it’s usually still possible.  A great example of this is Egg-Land’s Best eggs.  When most of us go to the grocery store to buy eggs, we just grab a dozen and go, right?  For the most part, who can even name a ‘brand’ of eggs?  Egg-Land’s Best had the idea they could change that, so they changed the feed they used to feed their hens, and now they market their eggs throughout the country as a better alternative to “generic” eggs.  This differentiation allows them to charge a premium on a product which most people thought of as “un-differentiate-able.”  With some creativity and a little fine-tuning, their differentiation has paid off in big ways.

Your Service - One of the best ways a company can set itself apart from the competition is through offering a unique customer service experience.  There are situations where your product is what it is (if you own a franchise, for instance), and you aren’t able to change your location, your marketing methods, or your company name.  But everyone has the ability to offer a special customer experience.  And study after study proves that people are willing to pay a little more for great service, so differentiating through service not only brings in more customers, but you can charge more to those you do attract.  MasterLube, a quick oil change company in Billings, Montana, is a perfect example of what can be accomplished through outstanding customer service.  It’s difficult to offer a “different” oil change than the two Wal-Marts, K-Mart, and various other oil change providers in Billings.  And dropping the price below those stores’ prices would result in a short-lived business model.  So MasterLube offers the kind of customer service you won’t find anywhere else.  From the person who greets you in the office, to the technician who services your vehicle, it’s obvious to every customer that all their employees truly care about their customers.  More than anything, they go out of their way to build relationships.  How does it pay off?  They charge more than just about anyone else in town, and they have waiting lines almost every day of the week.  What entrepreneur wouldn’t want those results for their business?

Your Culture or Atmosphere - This often goes hand-in-hand with service, but it’s an all-around feeling that your company communicates to your customers.  If you’ve ever eaten at a Johnny Rockets burger place, you have some idea of what this can look like.  From the 50’s décor, complete with nickel jukeboxes at every table, to the staff that spontaneously breaks out in song and dance when certain songs are played, this place is clearly not a typical burger joint.  So what are their results?  As just one example, Johnny Rockets serves over eight million fairly average milkshakes a year, at $4-$6 each.  So if you can provide a fun, outrageous, or moving experience for you customers, do it.  You’ll find this form of differentiation is the kind that gets buzz going about your business, which we all know is invaluable!

In this world of stiff competition coming from everywhere, you can’t afford not to differentiate.  And as soon as you get too comfortable with where you are, you’re bound to be overtaken by someone with a better product, better customer service, or a cooler new concept.  So ask yourself what sets you apart from the crowd - and then keep asking it.

Philips Livable Cities - Latest to Reward Great Ideas

If you think of corporate America as cold, hard, and uncaring, you’re not alone. But several big companies have stepped up recently to prove they too have heart and want to help make our world a better place to live in.

The latest company with such a goal is Philips. Known for their electronics manufacturing of everything from MRI machines to big screen TVs, Philips has recently announced The Philips Livable Cities Award. This global initiative is designed to encourage and promote practical, achievable ideas for furthering the health and well-being of those living in cities throughout the world. As urbanization continues to spread throughout the world, and cities become more populated, common problems arise. Social, economic, and environmental challenges are growing rapidly and will continue to plague urban centers as populations become denser.

Philips recognizes that these issues require innovative solutions that will more than likely be presented by people within the entrepreneurial community. That’s why they’ve launched the Livable Cities initiative and are seeking input from those within that community.

So what do you get for solving the world’s problems? When you enter the Philips initiative in one of three categories (Healthy Lifestyle at Work & Home, Independent Living, or Well-being Outdoors), you have a chance to be awarded one of three grants, totaling $125,000, to help translate your idea into reality. Entries will be accepted through October of this year, reviewed by an international panel of experts, and awards will be announced in April of 2011.

So, do you have a simple idea that could improve the health and well-being of people living in cities? What are you waiting for? Watch the video to learn more, and then click this link to get started: www.because.philips.com

30 Days to Pumped Up Blog Traffic

It’s pretty much universally accepted these days that having a blog is a smart move for any business.  And because just about everyone understands that, just about everyone (and their uncle) has a blog.  What that means is that the competition for traffic to your blog is strong and growing on a daily basis.  After all, people can only read so much every day, so they’ll naturally gravitate to the blog content that is most relevant and meaningful to them.  But even the best-written, most content-packed blogs are useless if no one sees them in the first place.  So building traffic flow to your blog is at least as important as making it stick (getting people to follow you).

Especially if you’re just getting started with blogging, building traffic can be a bewildering, and often frustrating proposition.  With all the advice out there on what to do and how to do it, how can you know what works best for you?  The truth is, you can’t know.  Mostly, you have to research and see what makes the most sense to you, then try it and adjust as you go.  And once you have the formula down… well, actually, there is no formula.  If you think you’ve found the perfect formula, don’t get too comfortable.  It will change soon enough.  All that said, below are just four simple steps you can take immediately that will begin to increase your blog traffic.  It will take time to see significant results, and you’ll have to pick and choose where to spend most of your time, but these methods (as of today) will put you on the path to more traffic within 30 days.

1. Participate in forums. Forums, like the one at YoungEntrepreneur.com, are a great way to connect with fellow business people in your field as well as blog readers.  If you target your efforts at forums within your target audience, you’ll often find hundreds or even thousands of people interested in exactly what you’re talking about in your blog.  Get involved in the forums, offer real, useful advice, and when appropriate (and not too obviously), direct people to relevant blog articles on your site.  Also include your blog URL in your signature when allowed.

2. Use social media. We’ve written extensively on this site about the benefits of using social media sites like Twitter & Facebook and others.  So without going into great detail, let’s just say once more that social media is like no other medium in its ability to reach a targeted audience in a meaningful way, at little or no expense.  If you’re not using these tools, you’re missing out on traffic that you could be gaining right now.

3. Comment on other blogs. You probably read other blogs right?  So make it a point, whenever you’re on another person’s blog page, to comment on their posts.  This will often help to build a relationship with the blog writer, which can be beneficial in many ways, and it will allow you to post a link back to your blog.  As these are pretty much always no-follow links, you won’t benefit in that way, but you will benefit from the traffic generated by people clicking on your name.  Of course that won’t happen if your comments aren’t thoughtful or interesting, so, “Nice post” won’t help much.  For more on the topic of comment marketing, read this.

4. Make sharing easy. It’s amazing how many smaller blogs don’t offer an easy way for readers to share posts with others.  Even if you don’t like Twitter, for example, or if you don’t think having a Twitter account will help your business, you have to recognize that millions of people, including most of your readers, do use Twitter.  So at the very least, install TweetMeme or Topsy buttons on your posts.  If you want to really optimize the possibilities and you’re using WordPress, SexyBookmarks is a great plugin that makes it easy for readers to share on over 80 bookmarking sites.  Whatever you use, make sure people who love your stuff can easily tell others about it.  Word of mouth is still king when it comes to getting people to look at what you have to offer.

Is there more to driving traffic to your blog? Of course there is.  We didn’t even touch on SEO, SEM, backlinks, or a thousand other tools and methods you can use.  But these four steps are some that anyone can take without having to do much research or decipher complex methodology.  And if you start using them today, you just might see pumped up traffic in 30 days or less.

Building a Brand? Join the Crowd!

Most start-ups and entrepreneurs will by now have heard of “Crowdsourcing.” It is the Web 2.0 phenomenon that sounds almost too good to be true. It’s a simple way to find hundreds, even thousands of contractors who are on hand, ready and willing to work for your company. Crowdsourcing typically involves outsourcing a range of small task to a large, undefined group of anonymous workers.

Both new and established businesses have been taking advantage of having an entire crowd of employees at their disposal, for a fraction of the cost of hiring just a few. Crowdsourcing provides a pool of workers who are willing to help companies with, for example, their marketing, social networking and branding.

Why Everyone is Crowdsourcing

Start-ups and established businesses alike are using crowdsourcing as a quick and effective way to establish their company’s brand, and companies are really starting to see the value in treating potential customers as contractors and vice-versa. Crowdsourcing allows companies to let customers design and shape the brand which the company will become. In a sort of “casting call” move, companies can open their doors and put their contracts out for anyone to claim and complete.  The advantage of this is that companies find and hook their customers right from the start, by letting them have creative input from the get go. In this regard, Crowdsourcing is a true product of Web 2.0.

Benefit from a Pool of Creativity

There’s good reason small businesses are choosing to crowdsource their projects, rather than simply outsourcing them or submitting them to a bidding site. With traditional outsourcing services, ultimately, there will only be one person doing the work. That means only one set of ideas, one mind, one source of creativity. There are numerous sites such as Amazon Mturk, Cloudcrowd, crowdSPRING and 99Designs, all of which allow companies to submit various types of projects. The companies then get to choose between a range of finished products, not simply a variety of bids.

One of the biggest advantages to using crowdsourcing is that companies benefit from the work and creativity of many for the price of one. Even if, ultimately, only one project or design is chosen.  Sites such as 99designs and crowdSPRING allow start-ups and entrepreneurs to post design projects for members to complete on.  Once the competition time is up, the buyer gets to choose the logo or design he or she likes best. This kind of competition means that there are always plenty of quality designs to choose from, so crowdsourcing is a great way for buyers to take advantage of an entire pool of creativity, inspired by competition.

Try it Before You Buy it.

Before purchasing anything of value, you always like to sample it before you turn over your hard earned cash, right? So why would something as important as your company’s brand be any different?

With crowdsourcing, you can decide on exactly what you want done, and then harness the creativity of an entire crowd to get it done right. You can name exactly what you want and how you want it done, and then sit back while a bunch of eager people get to work on it. Rather than having to choose and commit to one designer, you can cut straight to the chase and choose from the actual designs.

Most Importantly

A lot of entrepreneurs and start ups are operating on a tight budget. Crowdsourcing offers an economic solution to getting a brand out there quickly and effectively. It is a fantastic way to get a business on the map, by quickly contracting out work such as logos, banners and article writing. It is also a great way to find an entire pool of talented people willing to perform tasks for your company, and it gives designers a chance to complete in a global creative environment and to get their work recognized.

So if you’re looking for a little help with your branding, consider crowdsourcing as a resource to get it done right - for less.  Have you used crowdsourcing for branding or another part of your business? Tell us about it in the comments!

7 Tips for Kick-Butt Blog Writing

Far different from book or other formal writing, writing for a blog requires its own specific set of skills. And once you’ve got them down pat, you’ll be able to produce sparkling, original, copy that will keep your readers coming back for more. There are tons of books and sites devoted to writing great content, but unless you’re someone who really struggles with writing a complete sentence, it really boils to some basic principles.  And even if you already know all this, it’s always a good idea to get a reminder and re-evaluate your writing to make sure you’re not falling back into bad habits.

Here are the seven most essential things that every blogger needs to know:

1. Keep it short - Learn the skill of brevity. Your readers will love you for it. It can take time to develop the art of saying more in fewer words, but it’s worth it. Keep sentences short, paragraphs tight, and articles at a reasonable length. Make your point, repeat it, then leave it. Short, succinct sentences look appealing to a reader when they scan your page. This means they will keep the window open and take a look at what you have to say.

2. Bite-sized nuggets - Break your content into nice, digestible pieces. As a general rule of thumb, paragraphs written for the web shouldn’t be longer than four of five sentences. Ever heard of the popular web abbreviation “TLDR”? This stands for “too long, didn’t read.” Readers scan web pages, rather than reading them carefully, such as they would a book or newspaper. Make your content look short and readable and you will stand a better chance of keeping your reader’s attention.

3. Subheadings - Put the most important points, keyword and phrases in bold subheadings. This helps to catch the eye of readers skimming over your page. Subheadings are where people “land” on a website. Each subheading should introduce a kind of “mini article.”  Take advantage of subheadings to make readers stay on your page for longer.

4. Leave them wanting - The number one trick to making a profit from web writing is to leave readers wanting just a little bit more. Introduce the problem, offer some solutions, but don’t completely solve it. That is what your next link, next post, or targeted ads are for. Learning the skill of leaving the problem a little bit open is the best skill you can develop.

5. Offer something original - Why should readers choose your blog over someone else’s? Offer them something original, and they’ll make that choice. Figure out how you can tap into a niche and how you will be able to offer a unique angle. If you are an expert in a field, use that to your advantage. Any topic that you are passionate about is a good place to start. This way you can deliver readers heartfelt, knowledgeable advice that doesn’t just repeat what someone else is saying.

6. Watch your adverbs and adjectives - Any writing teacher will tell you that you need to eliminate your writing of adverbs and adjectives. Blog writing is no exception! There is a place for them, but most of the time they tell the reader nothing. They are empty words which don’t say anything, yet they do take up plenty of space. Consider the sentence, “This product is really rather quite good.” What does that mean? If you mean good, then that’s what you should write. Keep your writing simple, active, and powerful.

7. Use a professional yet casual tone - There is a careful balance that needs to be struck. Write informally, but don’t litter your blog posts with careless grammar mistakes, messy formatting or text speak. Not only does this look ugly, readers will wonder why they should trust you to tell them anything. Want to be an authority on a topic? Keep your readers coming back? Write in a professional tone that gives them a good impression.

Follow these tips, and you’ll take your blog to the next level.  Or at least be on your way to keeping your content clean and readable.  Do you have other tips and tricks for great writing?  Be sure to share with us in the comments!

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