How are you different? | Challenge Part 4
Master Your Message: Define & Document Your Writer's Voice
Welcome to The Content Brief 💼, a community designed to help you take control of your content with a strategy and system to make it feel simple. It’s less “how to succeed on Substack” … more *how to stay sane* as the Editor in Chief of your content.
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⏪ Last time, thinking through what you are inviting people into in your writing. Find that here.
⏩ Today, digging into why someone would choose you, specifically.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why someone would choose you, specifically? If you’re a photographer, there’s lots of photographers. If you’re a writer, there’s lots of writers. Picture this: If your niche is the bus itself, metaphorically speaking, your positioning is your seat on the bus.
And your positioning is how you define your seat.
In marketing speak, your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) sets the tone for how to talk to your audience, what you want them to feel and what you want to be uniquely known for.
So we’re digging into how you are different.
In an extremely crowded online space, having a clear and distinctive voice is what sets you apart from the crowd. What makes your writing unique? Why should readers choose your work? What can they expect to gain from engaging with you?
A strong value proposition not only attracts the right people but also helps you build trust with your community by delivering on the promises and expectations you set. It serves as the cornerstone of your brand as a writer, guiding your efforts and ultimately influencing how your work is perceived.
So let’s walk through how to carve out a distinct niche for yourself, ensuring that your voice is heard and your stories resonate with the right audience.
Grab a notebook or open a blank doc and treat the following like a workbook:
Step 1: Reflect on the following
What are the qualities you want to be known for? (Reference your why.)
List the norms you see from others in your niche by category (ie. offerings, pricing, delivery, design, etc.).
I think this simple exercise from Josh Spector is the best way to get a handle on it for our purposes:
List your five closest “competitors,” on Substack or otherwise. Include a column for your publication, too.
For each one, research and note:
How they describe their audience
The transformation they help people make
Their product types
Their price point
Analyze how you do things differently from others in your niche.
Compare your research and look for any overlap. (The more overlap there is, the weaker your positioning. The less overlap there is, the stronger your positioning.)
What are you doing that no one else is doing?
What makes people choose you?
What’s your fresh perspective?
What are you pitting yourself against?
What do you do especially well?
What positive feedback do you hear repeatedly about your offers?
Step 2: Fill in the template
Based on your reflection, complete this sentence:
[Your business name] is different from other [your niche] brands because [what differentiates you].
For example:
The Content Brief is different from other content-education Substacks because it focuses on empowering new and emerging creators with expert guidance to take control of their content with a strategy and system to make it feel simple. It’s less “how to succeed on Substack” … more *how to stay sane* as the Editor in Chief of your content.
Step 3: Share in the comments
📣 I’d love to hear from you. Head to the comments and join in!
What’s your Substack publication? Drop a link!
Share your differentiating statement.
⏩ Next up:
Grab your Writer’s Voice & Style Guide template
When you click the link, you will see a "read-only" version of the template in GoogleDocs. Click "Make a copy" to create your own copy to edit and customize. I keep this guide in my bookmarks bar for easy access and to serve as a constant reference and filter for everything I create.
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear in the comments if this resonated or if there’s something you’re going to try. Seriously, drop a comment or hit reply. I'd honestly loooove to hear from you. Typing into the void isn't nearly as fun as interacting with a real human—you! 🫶
For more:
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Thanks! I pour a lot of love into this space and I hope you can feel it. It wouldn’t be the same without YOU!