Now, the definition of brand is a whole area we won’t go too far into, except to say that it constitutes the complete way in which you present yourself to the marketplace. Beginning with your logo, right down to the emotional and psychological relationship you have with your customers, your brand will be what inspires a customer to choose you over a competitor.

What you need to know is that as you build your brand over the life of your business, your brand name is going to become progressively more valuable. I’m here to offer some advice on a simple effort that you can make now, to prevent your competitors from benefiting from your brand value down the road. Let me explain.

THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART – A LOOK INTO THE MIND OF RUTHLESS DIRTY MARKETING TACTICS:

Let’s say you’ve built a great web site to promote your Famous Pizzeria. Your website address is yourfamouspizzeria.com. Now, imagine a smart competitor who knows your good reputation, registers yourfamouspizzeria.net and has all the traffic here (based on your good brand reputation) redirected to his pizzeria at myfamouspizzeria.com.

Maybe he is also smart or sly enough to buy some advertising on Google search so when people search for your Famous Pizzeria, his ad appears on the results page that directs people to his own web site. Frustrating thought isn’t it?

Unfortunately, it happens all the time, you just need to outsmart your competitors and make sure you secure your brand name online by purchasing yourfamouspizzeria.net and maybe even myfamouspizzeria.com, and .net, .org, .info, .biz, and .ca for good measure. You get the idea.

To secure your brand online, obtain ownership of anything a customer might search when they are looking for yourfamouspizzeria.com.

Check to see if your domains are available.

How To Craft Your Uniqueness Statement

[Thanks to SheBrand.com for this content - I felt that this article is very appropriate for our industry.  Personal Branding or what sets YOU apart from every other marketer out there is critical to online success.  If you don't differentiate yourself from the rest, then you'll be lost in the crowd and no one will pay much attention to you.]

The average person has an attention span of merely 15 seconds. You don’t have a lot of time when someone asks you the inevitable question, “What do you do?” In the personal branding process, it’s imperative to have a Uniqueness Statement that establishes rapport and sets you apart from the rest.

A Uniqueness Statement (often referred to as a Unique Selling Proposition or USP) is an opportunity to make an emotional connection with your target market by touching on the qualities and values that you stand for, and by highlighting the benefits that a potential client will receive by working with you. There’s nothing worse than being caught off guard when someone asks you about your work, or feeling unprepared or flustered, and not taking advantage of an opportunity to make a powerful connection.

A Uniqueness Statement will:

• Increase your confidence when speaking about what you do
• Help you present yourself with polish and professionalism
• Build credibility
• Differentiate you from the rest of the pack
• Help build rapport with your prospect
• Create excitement about your products and services

So how do you build a powerful Uniqueness Statement? Here are four steps to get you started:

1. Identify Your Target Market – Who are your clients? Who do you most want to be working with?
2. Communicate Your Area of Specialization – What is your “Zone of Genius?” What do you do better than anyone else?
3. Highlight the Benefits of Working With You – How have your clients benefited from working with you? What have they achieved as a result of your working together?
4. Motivate Them Into Action – After meeting you, how could they learn more about you or even work with you?

For example, you’re not just a fashion stylist. You help female executives over 40 build chic, well-curated wardrobes and present themselves with flair and confidence. Your last three clients purged half of their closets and now can’t wait to get dressed each morning. One of them received a promotion at work and another met her husband-to-be. Anyone can sign up on your website for your weekly tips on “How To Build A Wardrobe That You Love.”

Or, you’re not just an herbal acupuncturist, you help mothers between the ages of 35-55 who have struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome regain their energy and vitality through custom immune-building programs and treatments. Within six months, most of your clients have renewed energy and are sleeping better than they have in years. A recent client just climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro after battling chronic fatigue for more than 10 years. For more information and to get your article “Ten Tips For Increasing Your Energy TODAY,” potential clients can sign up at your website.

You get the idea. Anyone can be a doctor, lawyer, event planner, financial planner, personal trainer or freelance writer. But only you can be YOU – in all of your unique glory.

Much of the work in crafting your Uniqueness Statement is in practicing your message and perfecting its delivery. Remember, this is a living, breathing statement about who you are, so it’s going to be a work in progress and will evolve over time.

I know you’re wondering, so here’s mine – as of today.

I teach female entrepreneurs and small business owners how to build powerful, confident personal brands that attract more clients and position themselves as experts . Through my proprietary system I help them develop and implement an effective marketing strategy that will build their buzz online and off. Results often come quickly; recently two different clients tripled their business in less than a year by gaining clarity around their personal brand and implementing a solid marketing plan. If you are interested in learning more (as I hand them my business card which has this exact information on the back of the card), you can sign up for my free e-book “101 Ways To Build A Powerful Personal Brand” at www.shebrand.com. You will also get a subscription to my bi-weekly newsletter, “SheBuzz” that is filled with marketing and client attraction tips and ideas. Clients are waiting. Are you ready?

Liz Dennery Sanders wants you to build your buzz and be successful beyond your wildest dreams. As the CEO of Dennery Marks Inc., a brand development and celebrity outreach firm, she founded SheBrand, to help female entrepreneurs build powerful personal brands, attract more clients and position themselves as experts in their industries. You can reach her directly at info@shebrand.com or www.shebrand.com.