Defining Your Own Unique Selling Proposition to Attract Clients
By Michele Peterson

“Being the best is great; you're the number one. Being unique is greater; you're the only one.” ~Anonymous

Being unique eliminates the competition. It sets you apart as the perfect choice. This is why defining your unique selling proposition as a web writer will attract more clients and make you more successful.

Let me give you an example outside of web writing to explain …

Imagine you’ve been shopping for shoes. There are so many options available that choosing the right pair can be a daunting task. You try one after another, yet you can’t decide … because none of them is just right.

And then you find the perfect pair. A pair that’s just the right color and style. They have the perfect arch support and they don’t pinch your toes or rub your heels wrong.

You don’t need to try on any other shoes or go to any other stores. The search is over. The price doesn’t even matter … you have to have these shoes, because they’re so perfect for you.

That’s the reaction you’re looking for from prospects for your web-writing services. That’s why your unique selling proposition is so important. It shows your prospect you’re the right choice for them … or not. And if you’re not, then knowing that saves you both from what could end up being a challenging working relationship.

See, those shoes that are perfect for you won’t be perfect for everyone looking for shoes on any given day. That’s okay. In fact, it’s more than okay. It’s fantastic!

You don’t have to be the perfect fit for everyone. You can stop trying to be everything to everybody. That’s impossible.

The beautiful reality is that you are the unique, perfect fit for your unique, perfect prospects.

Like in our shoe example, finding the right web writer can be a daunting task for your prospects. Defining your unique selling proposition helps them find you and see that you’re their perfect fit.

So, How Are You Unique?

I suggest sitting down and writing a list of all the things that make you different from every other web copywriter out there.

Here are some questions to get you started:

• What copywriting training do you have?
• What projects do you specialize in?
• What industry (or industries) do you work with?
• What other educational background do you have?
• What other job/career experience do you have?
• Where do you live?
• What hobbies do you enjoy?
• What life challenges have you overcome?

So many things make you the complex and unique human being you are. They all contribute to the writer you are as well. They shape your perspective. They color the examples and stories you use in your writing.

So, perhaps you’re an AWAI-trained copywriter specializing in writing web copy for the travel industry AND you have a passion for traveling with your Great Dane, taking yoga classes in beautiful outdoor locations, and trying regional barbecue.

You may never write for a client who offers outdoor yoga classes and serves regional barbecue. But, you may attract a prospect who shares your passion for Great Danes and yoga … who will choose you over another web copywriter, because they feel a better connection due to your shared interests.

Your list is probably long, and you don’t need to use everything on it to define your unique selling proposition. Play around with various combinations until you find one that both feels right to you and is truly unique.

Yes, that means you’ll have to do some research on your competition. That’s okay. You have to know about your competition in order to know and communicate what sets you apart from them … that way you can avoid competing with them at all.

Using Your Unique Selling Proposition to Attract More Clients

Defining your unique selling proposition is just the first step. Once you’ve defined it, you have to put it out there, so prospects can find you. So you can attract those prospects who will become your perfect clients.

Places to highlight your unique selling proposition include:

• Your About Me page on your website
• Your social media profiles
• Your social media content
• Your bio on any organization site you belong to
• Your speaker bio that’s read to introduce you to a group
• Your web content
• Your email content
• Your email signature
• Your writing

As I mentioned earlier, the things that make you unique as a person also shape your perspective and color your writing. So, let them!

Become unapologetically YOU in your writing. If people don’t like that you use baseball examples or cooking analogies … that’s okay! They’re not your people! Those who are your people will start to find you.

And, the thing that establishes the connection between you and a client might surprise you.

For example, I’ve attracted local retail clients, because we shared interests in running and wine (different interests for different clients, not running and wine as a combination). I’ve attracted CPAs, attorneys, and medical billing clients because of a shared experience of kids who played baseball. I’ve attracted home service businesses (pool, pest control, landscaping, house painting, HVAC, plumbing, etc.) because of my work experience in the home service industry.

But, I only started attracting these clients when I started putting me in my marketing messages … when I started celebrating what makes me unique instead of trying to sound like every other freelance copywriter out there.

You don’t want to compete with the masses. You want to stand out like that perfect pair of shoes and be the only choice your prospects will consider.

I’m willing to bet, as you read this article, you imagined a different perfect pair of shoes than anyone else who was reading it … a different size, style, color, brand, etc. Just like every prospect out in the world has a different idea of their perfect copywriter.

When all is said and done, my unique selling proposition is me. Your unique selling proposition is YOU! And, to quote the timeless wisdom of Dr. Seuss … “There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”

Use that to your advantage … and to your success.