Just Shoot Me! (Or, Why Am I Blogging, Just For The Sake of Blogging?)

In today’s digital world, it’s easy to become desensitized very quickly to the massive amounts of information that’s literally at our fingertips. Not only that, virtually every answer you seek can be found online and what’s more, it’s practically all free! So what exactly is the use of all your blogging efforts if the majority of folks seem to be just ‘browsing’ and never actually intending to buy anything anyways?

As marketers, we’ve been indoctrinated pretty heavily with the ‘content is king’ adage. The more content you create the more Google has to index and the more chances you have of getting found online. Pretty simple. OK, so we start cranking out content and more content and the burden becomes so daunting that we’d rather crawl under a rock than try to come up with yet another perspective about something we just wrote about last week. Equally burdensome is the fact that we’ve all come to realize that it’s not just content that we’re supposed to be producing regularly, it’s REMARKABLE content. And what does this mean anyway?

A Simple Answer With a Complex Solution

To be remarkable means that what you have to say resonates so deeply with your audience that they not only want to come back for more, but are willing to share what you have to say with their own circles of influence. Undoubtedly, you’ve shared, bookmarked and subscribed to such content yourself.

So ask yourself, is what I write about something I’d be willing to subscribe to? Does what I write about have a consistent theme and purpose? Do I offer a solution to somebody’s problem? Do I give my readers a reason or incentive to come back for more? What sets me apart from the masses?

Your USP (Unique Selling Point) is Where it Begins

In marketing jargon, a unique selling point/proposition is ‘what a product or service possesses which states clearly that it will provide a certain specific and unique benefit to the customer.’ Given this definition, it’s important to examine whether you’ve even done this, and then, clearly articulate exactly what is your unique selling point. What is it specifically about your work (and subsequent content creation) that will turn the heads of potential clients?

Is it your superior customer services coupled with competitive prices? Is it your established expertise in your area of focus delivered in a compelling and unique way? Maybe it’s even your own unique delivery of authentic humor that resonates with your audience. Whatever it is, define what goods and/or services and voice you posess that rises above the masses–that your prospect would not consider looking for anywhere else once finding you. The way to attract attention in this way (not to mention fans, friends and people who will talk about you and promote you) is to offer a compelling style of delivery, coupled with an angle or benefit that people won’t find elsewhere. Then, it’s from this foundation that your blogging can take on a whole new level of purpose that might even convey a passion for your mission that was clearly lacking prior to this discovery.

Let The Real You Shine Through

To take this a step further, in order to be truly expressive in the content you create, you need to convey your best qualities and the way you are through your content. The one thing you’ve really got going for you here is you don’t have anyone to compare yourself to. There’s only one you.

As easy as it is to compare ourselves to others who are seemingly more successful or smarter or more articulate, if you’re willing to go (a lot) easier on yourself, you’ll find that your own unique voice can and will resonate with others when you’re willing to be yourself. It’s actually from this place that authenticity resides and is therefore, really the only place that can touch the heart of another anyway. What makes you truly unique as a person with (even and especially) an awareness of your quirks, will add depth and personality to your writing, and the way you go about doing business with people, including promoting it.

To help you identify your unique voice, ask yourself:

1. What are three things that make you memorable?

2. What do people always compliment you on?

3. What are you passionate about that you never get tired talking about?

4. What unique experiences have you had?

Once you’ve defined what makes you uniquely you, work on incorporating this style into your writing, and ultimately your brand. Then, once you have achieved a style that people can associate as yours, your promotional efforts will be much easier. It is, after all, this expression of character in all that you do that will set you apart from the rest and cement your success.