So Your Business Isn't New or Unique. Can You Still Write About Its Glory?!?

Photo by Ganapathy Kumar via Unsplash

Most business ideas aren't new or that much different from existing models. That's cool. There's no shame in that. Sometimes, we just want a slice of the market. If your business sits in this category, congratulate yourself for having the huevos. Competing with established brands, after all, isn't for the faint-hearted.

Now the question runs in your head: Can you still have the edge over your competitors when your offer isn't that much different?

Before I answer that question, I'd like to credit Eddie Shleyner for the inspiration for this article. Eddie is a copywriter like me. Only he's been in the game for much longer and has a sharper and more masculine touch to his writing style. I'm a hunna percent wild about his skills.

Then I thought, why not use this article as an example to demonstrate that although my services aren't new or unique from Eddie's, my style is, in contrast, more playful, delicious, and feminine. Red apple emoji.

But enough about me and Eddie. Let's talk about you and how your not-unusual product or service can totally shine.

1. Communicate the obvious.

It’s easy to assume that our audience know what we know because *we think* what we know is obvious.

But what’s obvious to us may be completely foreign to our audience.

Make it the job of your copy to clarify what it is exactly that you do and what it is you offer.

Pocket is an app that allows users to save websites for when they have more time to read and explore digitally. Their website copy reads:

When you find something you want to view later, put it in Pocket.

Scroll further down and their footer explains:

Put articles, videos or pretty much anything into Pocket.

Save directly from your browser or from apps like Twitter, Flipboard, Pulse and Zite.

Then, somewhere in their pages, they tell us how, in very simple terms. Any first-time Pocket user would know exactly what the app does and how to use it.

2. Think like the customer.

I read an interesting advert in National Geographic’s recent Planet or Plastic issue (June 2018). It was from a drone brand called DJI.

This is what their copy says:

The gentle sounds of the sea engulf me as I gently float in the warm, translucent waters of Bora Bora’s famous lagoon. Beneath me, a small school of sharks glide in silent circles above the ocean floor. Hovering above, my DJI Mavic Pro soundlessly captures every moment of my relaxed liquid adventure.

This copy is brilliant for two reasons.

  1. A woman holidaying with sharks. DJI knows that NatGeo readers are curious wanderlusters, scientific daredevils, and wild explorers. This bold concept tells the reader that, “Yes, you are precisely the right customer for our product”.
  2. The device soundlessly works. I mean, damn, who wants a loud whirring tech toy when you’re enjoying the tranquility of nature, right? By reinforcing the noiseless quality of their product, DJI shows their customers that they know what their customers want.

3. Highlight your promise.

If your business sits in a competitive market, your competition will most likely offer the same products and services to attract the same customers.

So what will make the audience choose you over others?

There’s no one answer for this. But offering a promise does two things:

  1. It gives potential customers peace of mind that they will be in good hands; and
  2. It keeps you, the business owner, on your toes. It’s a moral challenge.

When we were tasked with creating the web copy for Crescor Travel, a boutique agency specialising in corporate travel management, my task was to make Crescor stand out from the big boys of business travel booking. This was easy.

Corporations are often too big and too lax to care about customers. Being a niche business with few clients is already a selling point on its own.

This was the copy I wrote for Crescor:

Bon voyage. Go well. Safe trip. Smooth journey.

Our mission is to make these words more than just well wishes. We want to make them your reality and our guarantee.

I made sure to highlight that Crescor is a trustworthy service provider, without omitting the fact that they are a small company.

[…] our young company is steadily becoming a trusted brand in business travel.

So... do you think your business has what it takes to overtake your competitors when your offer isn't that much different?

Give me a shout and we can chew the fat over your copywriting dilemmas.

Megan LeungHumour is life, Megan says, and her work translates to relatable messaging that helps businesses build emotional connection with their audiences. She explores remote natural places outside work hours and is becoming better at reading maps. 🗺️Contact Author