Have you ever come across a resource that seems tailor-made to help you at precisely the right time? That happened to me last Friday when I received the latest edition of Copy Protégé, which is an e-newsletter for freelance copywriters. The article is titled, “How to develop a USP for the most important client you’ll ever have.” (USP stands for unique selling point, or unique sales proposition. Basically, it’s ad-speak for “What makes you so darn special?”)
Lately I have been doing some soul-searching about my business goals. Normally my inclination would be to start changing tactics…new copy on my Web site…new direct mail campaign. But I’m realizing that I can’t just jump into a new direction. After all, I wouldn’t recommend that for my clients, so why would I do that for myself? In his book, Planning your Internet Marketing Strategy, Ralph Wilson points out that successful marketers don’t start by asking “How can I make money?” Instead, they ask, “What am I good at?”
I spent about four hours reflecting and writing answers to the questions posed in the article. I’m really encouraged by the results. If you’re a copywriter or even just interested in personal branding, I highly recommend this newsletter. The article hasn’t been posted on the Web site, but I’m sure it’ll be up in the next few days. Just go to www.copyprotege.com and sign up.
