Asking You – How to Solve One of The Biggest Problems Online

by MarsDorian

Normally, I’d just put up a pretty edutaining cartoon and then add my marketing/biz
rants, but this time, I want to do something different…

I have recently made an interesting discovery.

Working with many clients from all over the world, you’d expect to get different questions and feedback.

Different pokes from different folks, no ?

No. Nyet.Abzolutely nottt.

Almost all of them ask the same question :

How do you stand out in an overcrowded niche/market ?

That’s a pretty goood question that a lot of people (sadly) don’t worry about.

These clueless souls think putting out value online is going to attract the masses like an Apple product launch.

Build it and they will come.

Holy moley, what kind of illegal substance are those peeps smoking ?

STOP ZE DRUG ABUSE.

Here’s the reality: Almost EVERY market is overcrowded nowadays.

Sure, there are some niches which are so fucking focused they even cause specialists to cringe.

But the majority of us aren’t interested in them.

We want to succeed where the major eyeballs are – marketing & online biz, anything dating & relationship related or the self-help niche.

In order to make it there, you have to be vastly different. You have create an online brand that’s unlike any other in your field or else you vanish right back into oblivion.

No attention. No traffic. No biz.

Whooooosh. Kiss your ass GOODBYE.

Now asking you.

What are you doing DIFFERENTLY to stand out in your field. And if you’re not doing anything different yet,
what COULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY to get the attention you need ?

I’m curious to see what you have to say. If you need any help or want give advice, drop it. We’ll help each other here.

Let’s start this shit up.

Buffer

Tagged as: different, online biz, standing out

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Filip

Shit man, what a tough question. But you’re right – it IS one of the most important
questions people should answer.

I think my biggest “differentiator” is telling it like it is, without every censoring myself.
I’m not afraid to offend people when I speak my truth, and that “audacity”
goes well with my kind of people.

But you’re right – it’s not enough. I’m also good at design (not as good as you though),
so I want to use those skills to make my site look different from all the others in my niche.

Making people feel different when they see and read my stuff – THAT’s my goal

You’re inspiring me, Mars ;)
- http://www.marsdorian.com/ Mars Dorian
  
  Heya Filip,
  
  yep – TELLING it like is, with EVER HOLDING BACK is a grreat way to go.
  Most people are scared shitless for what they stand for – they end up playing it safe. Booo.
  
  If you put that skill to the next edge, and if you bet better in designing a KICK_ass, and I mean a KICK-ass website, you will stand out
  like a signal in the sky !
  - Filip
    
    Yes, I’m working on that, Mars. Pushing myself hard and “edging” (is that even a word ?) my style up and getting out of my comfort zone.
http://www.nurturingcreativity.net/ Denise Smedley

Such a good/important question. Wish a had a good/important answer, but I’ll just take a guess…

I have a ‘creativity’ blog, so maybe what I could do to stand out a little more is share more of my own personal creative work?

Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t worry too much about standing out, because if I think about that too hard it’ll come off as fake. I don’t want to “try” to stand out or “try” to be different because then I’m not sure I’ll still be ME.

Thoughts?
- http://www.marsdorian.com/ Mars Dorian
  
  Hey Denise – I only think you’re coming across as FAKE if you try to do something that you are NOT – for example when in fact you’re shy.
  
  That’s NOT genuine, and you audience FEELS that. But “standing out” in my terms means that you’re pushing your OWN style and getting out of your comfort zone:
  
  You are NOT holding back, and you try OUT DIFFERENT ideas that other people are NOT (or not willing to do in your niche!).
  
  So, it’s all about stretching yourself and being more experimental, OPPOSED to pretending to be SOMEONE you are not.
  
  Damn, that’s a lot of CAPS ON but I wanted to make my point ;)
  
  Does this help ?
  - http://www.nurturingcreativity.net/ Denise Smedley
    
    No, that actually makes sense and brought some clarity to the subject for me! I’m going to try that out, thx :)
- Filip
  
  Hello Denise,
  
  Like Mars said – it’s about stepping up your game. Like Gary Vaynerchuk, when he started out with video blogging. His first videos were merely ok, and he didn’t get that much attention.
  
  But then he pushed his already outgoing personality (which he naturally has) and intensified it even more, resulting in way more attention.
  
  So, intensifying your ideas and styles instead of completely changing them.
Ioangzu

Quality is quality is quality. I don’t know who said that, so I will just pretend it was me.

The issue here is that a distinctive characteristic of the content can only be achieved by value, because only value makes you stand out. If you tackle a general market, your product has to be of value for everybody. Normally this is isn’t the case, unless of course you are Apple.

So you bring your specialized quality content to a brief audience, people who will surely profit from it. You focus on this base and they might get so exited about your product, they will push it on their own. And then (if the content has general appeal) you might win the general public.

But trying to win over everybody from the start, will win you noone.
- http://www.marsdorian.com/ Mars Dorian
  
  “But trying to win over everybody from the start, will win you noone.”
  I could add more. But honestly, this quote is so smashing I want to shut up.
Knighthonor

C.S. Lewis, when asked how a writer could develop his or her own style, responded, “The way to develop a style is to know exactly what you want to say and be sure you are saying exactly that.” I feel him on this. He further talks about “stumbling upon” uniqueness via truth…simply telling the truth to the best of one’s ability, as one sees it. Bam.
- http://www.marsdorian.com/ Mars Dorian
  
  mmm, interesting take on unique style. I always went down the road of : creating your unique set of words, ideas and presentation. But maybe that’s just the surface – still, it’s the current level I’m on.