The Confident Copywriter

If I read one more piece of copy that claims a product or service is unique, I’ll scream.

OK, not out loud. But you get the idea.

How many times have you received this advice? “If you really want to stand out, you’ve got to be unique! Tell your audience why they should buy from you, what’s unique about you!”

Oy. That’s twice as unique.

For the rest of this post, can we please agree to forget everything we’ve ever believed about being ‘unique’?

I’d like to begin at the beginning and explain why this is a terrible suggestion, fueled by the Buzz-Phrase of the Century, the Unique Value Proposition (UVP).
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What does it mean to be unique? The dictionary definition: “Being the only one of its kind; unequaled, unparalleled or unmatched.”

That’s a tall order. I don’t have the stats to prove it, but I bet no company fits this description 100%.

Assuming this is true, it stands to reason that no one person, product, service or company is truly unique. Yes, some elements of uniqueness may exist. But that’s not the same as being unique, based on the definition.

I believe overuse of the word ‘unique’ is simply a lazy habit. To prove it, I just used the Synonym Finder in Word to uncover these 8 alternatives to ‘unique’:

• sole
• one of a kind
• single
• exclusive
• exceptional
• inimitable
• distinctive
• matchless

Surely, you can take 3 seconds to look for an alternative? Surely, you can understand how expanding your vocabulary makes your copy that much more interesting?

So here’s the thing…I vote to ban the word ‘unique’ from copywriting.

Who’s with me? Show of hands?

Naturally, each of us hopes to stand out in some way. If we’ve pledged to avoid ‘unique’, then how should we describe our services?

First, decide whether uniqueness is even important for your business. If you’re selling a rare type of caviar, or the only Edsel left on the planet, uniqueness may be a plus. If you’re a copywriter, there are many other more important qualities that convey what makes you different from your competitors.

Sometimes, sticking with the pack instead of attempting to be completely different is your best strategy. Experimenting with forging new trails can backfire. When building a website, designers understand that visitors expect certain elements of the site to be placed in certain areas. Companies who deviate from what is expected often experience sales trouble…because they tried too hard to be different! People want that logo in the top left corner and that phone number in the top right- and no ‘unique’ design is going to change what people expect.

While we’re purging unique from our vocabularies, let’s kill off other overused concepts: ‘unparalleled’ anything, ‘proven to be the best’, ‘head and shoulders above the competition’….Unless you’ve got cold hard facts and numbers to back up your claim, you’re better off not making promises you can’t keep.

Just imagine a potential customer reading your copy. The product or service is “unique, has no equal, offers the best of the best in customer service, has never been attempted before, achieves the highest standards of excellence, blah, blah blah.”

It’s all too much! Your customer has nothing to which he can compare the product or service, because…according to your copy…it’s ‘incomparable.’ So where does your customer go from there? Probably straight into your competitor’s arms.

Sometimes, fitting in with the crowd is a good thing. Creating a ‘paradigm shift’ only works on episodes of Caprica, and really has no place in good copy.

Keep it simple. Tell prospects what you do, and what you can do for them. Flex your creative muscle to highlight your skills, but don’t go nuts. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Find out what other successful individuals in your field are doing to promote themselves, and follow their lead. (I said follow, not plagiarize.) If it’s working for them, it will work for you.

Two great examples of simple, effective, people-catching copy can be found at www.petesavage.com and www.edgandia.com.

The truth is….your business is not unique. It is distinctive. There is a difference.

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