How to make a killer offer that eliminates your competition and puts your business in a category of one
Whether you like it or not, social media and the upheaval of AI have commoditized creative work. Of course, nobody can make things like you, but because the playing field of artistic merit has been leveled to what can be seen in a 4:5 rectangle. To most viewers, your work is as beautiful as the account they just swiped past or the one they’ll swipe to after yours.
Your work may catch their eye, but can you keep it? Can you hold onto them to want to see more? What are you doing to move them from your fleeting social media posts to your website to buy from you? How are you getting them to sign up for your email list? Once they're on your list, what are you doing to keep them? Most importantly, what are you doing differently than anyone else?
I’m willing to bet you cannot adequately define how to differentiate yourself from your competition outside of the creative work (It’s okay; most people can’t). That might be enough for some with a well-established audience, but for those struggling to get attention on your work, the art isn’t enough.
That statement will confound some, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
If you want to become the next creative business that grows a large audience of repeat buyers, you must differentiate yourself with an irresistible offer that your competition cannot take away from you. It’s now essential to set yourself apart by placing your business in a category of one.
What makes you undeniably unique?
Becoming a category of one means that even if others do what you do, you share aspects about yourself, your work, and how it’s all packaged so that no other business can compete.
When you establish yourself in the category, you can make an undeniable offer to your customers that they’d be crazy to refuse because nobody else is making an offer anywhere near as good. There are many ways to help differentiate yourself. These are the ones that I have seen helped me and other successful business owners.
To truly set yourself apart, it’s essential to use all of these aspects because it’s the combination that helps people decide if you are the one they want to support first over others.
Personality
Consumers buy many things without knowing the personality of the people behind the items. They make that choice often based on personal bias, and there’s nothing you can do about those decisions.
However, if you share a personality with what you do, there will be others who appreciate that personality, and they will define you by it. If you and your message resonate with them, you can make an indelible mark that lasts.
Think about Red Bull vs. Coke. You immediately know about the brand's personality by hearing the names. The same goes for Dasani vs. Liquid Death, New York Yankees vs. The Savannah Bananas, Basquiat vs. Jeff Koons, and Kendrick vs. Drake.
However, your competition is doing NOTHING to differentiate themselves in terms of personality. Jesse Cole figured out that as soon as he took ownership of Savannah, Georgia’s minor league baseball team, the Savannah Bananas. Instead of following the traditional rules of minor league teams (which start with 2nd tier players and end with being boring AF), Cole changed the game so much he’s redefining what it means to have fun at the ballpark.
The man in the yellow tuxedo knew that fans were the lifeblood of the game, and by making the experience all about them, he’s set the team apart from everyone else in the league.
Fun Fact: The Bananas started in 2016 and sold out every single home game. Now, they’re doing nationwide tours and selling out limited dates at Major League stadiums, including Yankee Stadium.
Communication
Showing your personality in what you share online is excellent, and thumb-tapping random missives out on Threads or Instagram with a bit of personal quirk is fun, but are you sharing the message in a way that encourages people to take action?
Being able to tell good stories about your work is a benefit, and to increase the benefit, it’s an elegant yet direct way to drive people from whatever online channel they follow you and over to where they can buy the work. Many artists cringe at self-promotion, but in a commoditized world, the work will not promote itself.
The other side of this conversation is that there is a strong possibility that your audience doesn’t even know you have work for sale. How could that be when you’re posting regularly on Instagram or TikTok? The sad truth is that people aren’t paying close enough attention.
This is the simplest idea I have for driving people to your site.
Write a post on your blog about your work, a big idea, a thoughtful (or spicy) opinion, or random thoughts on processes, tools, or the state of creativity.
Make sure to add a form in the post to allow people to sign up for your email list/newsletter.
Make a post on social media that summarizes or teases the content elegantly. “If you want to read more about my thoughts…”
If you’re using Instagram, incorporate the automation of apps like Manychat to drive your audience to the posts on your website.
If they join your list, stay in touch regularly with updates using a mix of stories and promotions. Three hundred words or less can keep people engaged and willing to buy in regularly.
Thoughtful authenticity
Social media often feels fake, especially when we’re told to create content that entertains and engages the audience, even if it feels unnatural.
Authenticity is a buzzword that gets tossed around and often abused or manufactured. Still, the more you present thoughtful authenticity in what you share, the more you will find individuals who resonate with your point of view. The beauty of this approach is that you don’t need thousands of new followers to make this work for you.
Even a tiny audience that adores you is powerful. The more relatable you are, the more likely they will share you with their friends who might appreciate your views. The more authentic you are in a way that makes sense to others, the better chance of creating an army of fans that become long-term repeat buyers.
One thing people have told me numerous times over the last decade is how much I am precisely like the persona I portray on YouTube and social media. It’s something they appreciate, and it has helped me find many kindred spirits over the years, some so loyal they’ve bought or bought into every creative iteration I’ve put out (Christine, David, Jo, and Lizzi, I’m looking at you—thank you).
Being genuine and open with people isn’t easy at the beginning. It takes practice and baby steps toward authentic sharing, but even the small steps can bring solidarity.
The unique offer
Aside from your creative style, what about your work that is unique enough to set you apart? If a blind person walks into a gallery looking to support emerging artists only after he has a conversation with each one, what would be the reasons that person buys your work?
I caution you to leave the romanticism behind and think about this pragmatically. What would you tell them to convince them you are the one they should support? If the answer is artistic ability, education, provenance, or price, you’ve already lost.
Every one of those features is replicable by many others (commodity). Good salespeople know that features are window dressing and the only way to convince people is to provide benefits nobody else can touch.
Where features are often tangible, benefits are experiential and are more about creating a feeling with people. A beachside resort in Maui might have beautiful views from every angle, a world-class restaurant, and a Michelin-rated chef. They’ll have a couple’s spa, a full gym, and beach yoga, which are fantastic and utterly replicable by most other establishments.
The Grand Wailea Beach Resort has all those amenities and offers a next-level luxurious arrival experience. The fresh orchid leis are more full and vibrant than any other hotel, the smiles are more abundant, and you feel like royalty when you enter the lobby.
There’s a constant waft of plumeria unless you’re by the restaurant in the morning, where they serve fresh-baked malasadas daily. The pool overlooks one of the most amazing views in Maui, and you can enjoy it peacefully because all the kids are playing in a different area.
At the end of the day, when you’re sipping on a fruity cocktail and enjoying that world-class dinner, the sun sets just as you clink your glasses together for one last toast, and you start thinking, “Maybe we could move here.”
Perhaps it’s a stretch to relate a luxury beach resort in Maui to your creative work, but the concepts of benefits over features are the same. Here are some examples of creative benefits to ponder and maybe come up with some unique solutions of your own.
Offer a service related to your work that nobody else provides
Share tips on how to use, hang, showcase, and care for the work
Give buyers special access to you for questions
Provide a guarantee on your work
Create personalization in the work that goes beyond adding someone’s name to something
Instead of discounting work like everyone else, make a significant upgrade offer so good people can’t say no
Collaborate with others and come together to create memorable customer experiences
Host live events that are only available to customers who have purchased a certain amount over time
Make your work more exclusive with periodic, limited-edition drops, ensuring previous customers get first access, followed by newsletter subscribers and then the general public.
Make variants that are only available to loyal customers
I’m generalizing here because these could apply widely to many different types of creative work. Maybe these work, or if not, brainstorm other ways to present your work to a crowd eager to be part of your community.
Diagnose the pain—become the medicine
In business, the best salespeople are the ones who know how to solve their customer’s problems. They understand the pain experienced by someone who doesn’t use their product or service, and they show the customer how they can cure that pain.
Selling art and other creative work may not seem like a way to relieve pain, and your audience may not even know they have any pain. Sometimes, they’re blinded to what’s right in front of them until you pull back the veil.
To many customers, creative work can be considered a luxury and unnecessary, especially when it costs thousands of dollars. Tiffany, Porsche, Moët, and zChocolat don’t seem to solve pains, but they create an aspirational feeling that people yearn for. It’s not always about solving an actual problem but implying how the status of buying those brands makes the customer feel.
How people feel about themselves internally or their status among family, friends, and peers can be a powerful motivator. We don’t want to exploit our customers, but there’s nothing wrong with inspiring them to view things differently.
What kinds of pain?
If you can imagine a scenario where someone might typically have an interest, imagine a way to diagnose a problem based on a shift in status.
Bare walls
Talk about how art on the walls can improve their environment, bringing in color and vibrancy that creates peaceful and inviting spaces. It can also improve social status when family and friends visit, presenting a level of sophistication and depth that is appreciated even if unspoken.
Difficult gifting
Buying gifts for people who seemingly have everything or have specific and discerning tastes can often be challenging. Buying the right gift will delight the recipient and make them feel more gratitude and appreciation toward the giver. As the biggest gift-giving season approaches, inspire your customer to be the one whose friends say, “They always give the best gifts.”
Lead the segment
Create solidarity by serving a small but ravenous group. In other words, niche down into a subcategory of people primarily ignored or unseen by most. If you serve a passionate crowd by becoming a creative voice that highlights the group in a way few others can, you can become the beacon they turn to for self-expression.
Those are just a few ideas, with numerous opportunities within them. The magic is in the nuance that only you can provide, and it will take time to hone it in the best way you can.
This isn’t a switch you flip and instantly generate influence and sales. Be patient and do your diligence in identifying who your ideal customer is first. Then, cater your message to those people in a way that rises above your competition.
If you’re a creative pro tired of running the rat race of social media but getting no customers, clients, or sales, Join the Hungry, where we discuss marketing strategy, content, and customer relationships that last.
