Your blog is one of millions. Why should people read your blog over another?
Your niche, your posting frequency, the length of your posts, your style or tone are the types of thing you might mention when talking about your blog.
If you’re in the blogging/marketing/social media/online niche, here are some examples of how you might currently be marketing your blog:
- Daily blogging tips.
- Useful tips to help you make money.
- No holds barred, blunt and brutal posts.
- Easy to understand, easy to implement.
- Super quick posts that won’t take up too much of your time.
- Long, comprehensive megaposts that leave no stone unturned.
- Guides and tutorials with plenty of screenshots.
- Honest videos where I talk to you every week.
- Tips and tricks you won’t have heard before.
- Watch me as I learn a topic and tell you how to learn it, too.
I don’t think any of these are all that great. They promise something that lots of other blogs are also doing. None of them are particularly original. And you won’t really know if any of the statements hold true until you go and read some of the author’s posts.
Your Unique Selling Point
The key to a unique selling point is that you don’t just say “here’s what I do”. You say “here’s what I have to offer, and here’s how it adds value for you”.
To promote your blog, you need to figure out what your unique selling point is. Think of how you would sell your blog with a very limited amount of words. What would you say to convince readers to read your blog?
How about if readers aren’t already at your blog, so you first need to convince them to go there?
My Unique Selling Point
Since publishing my “Blogging in Seasons” eBook, I’ve realised that this is the biggest selling point I have. Blogging in seasons is a bold, different approach to blogging. The eBook is a product I can promote: a single PDF that you can download to understand what blogging in seasons is all about.
Have a look at my personal site for an example of how I sell the concept of blogging in seasons to readers. I describe it as “a method for keeping your blog fresh and avoiding burnout”. This clearly outlines its purpose, and shows the value it will bring if you use it.
When I’ve written my next eBook, I can promote that too. But rather than saying I offer unique, insightful and valuable blog posts and eBooks, I’m simply going to describe what products I have to offer.
Packaging posts into an eBook gives you a product to offer. If it’s compelling enough, this product can be your unique selling point.
What’s Your Unique Selling Point?
Loved the picture, definitely catches the attention. When I was trying, still am, to find my voice another blogger suggested I speak to other older people who are trying to use the internet. I’m not sure how to reach that audience, but I do blog mostly about starting a blog and some affiliate tools that are available to help.
I do think that many reviewers are not honest. They review to sell, so finding an negative review doesn’t happen. I know people don’t like the negative, but honestly stating that you found a product of no value would be of great value.
Thanks for the tips, what to do and not to do.
Rob
Thanks Rob
Great tips Ben, my USP is different content and quality content. I get ideas from other blogs, but I always add my own twist.
If you are going to regurgitate other people’s content, you have already lost potential readers. No one want to keep reading the same thing over and over.
Recent post: AIG threatens to join lawsuit against the U.S.
Thanks Michael
But I think you need a stronger message than having “different” content and “quality” content. If that’s what you do, you could be more specific and sell yourself better 
This is a great question Ben. I have several ways to connect with my readers, and I have listed several reasons why people should visit my blog, but I have yet to come up with an USP. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
Recent post: The Power of Scarcity in Marketing
Thanks Jens
You say it was hard to come up with a USP. But did you manage to find one?
No, I didn’t. At least not yet. What I have come up with are too generic, and I haven’t been able to use just one thing.
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Hi Ben – great post and a fantastic, eye-catching picture. Thanks for reminding me that this is something I still need to give a lot more thought – I have some ideas, but I definitely haven’t defined my USP yet – I think it’s one of the most difficult challenges we face – how to stand out from such an enormous crowd.
I’m working on it!
Sue
Recent post: Is This Mistake Ruining Your Chance to Make Money Blogging?
Hi Sue – thank you
It’s definitely something to figure out, and it can take time to get there. But it’s well worth it 
Hey Ben,
You are so right, there is so much rehashed information on the web today but still there are a lot of people who need to learn those very things. To me it’s each bloggers unique voice that will make them stand out from the rest or how they’re able to catch people’s attention with their headlines.
Are there 20 million different ways to spin something? Probably not so you just need to make sure you stand out from the rest which at times can be a very difficult thing to do.
I’ll be creating my own product this year so I’ll be coming up with my own USP then but for now, I entice them in because I’ve been called the “Engagement Superstar”. It seems to work for me. Yay!!!
~Adrienne
Recent post: How Are You Spending Your Time
Hi Adrienne
You are definitely an engagement superstar! Can’t wait to see what product you come up with. Good luck with it 
I’ve thought about this one for a while Ben and I would say to teach others about using SEO, blogs and social media. I will be coming out with an eBook soon too. I will have to improve the USP as I get closer to launch. Great post Ben!
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Hi Lisa
Thanks! I’ll look forward to the eBook for sure 