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#like the name farmer makes it not 100% directed to specific person
ryllen · 1 year
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What are the names of your farmer and Alex's kids? Just curious! 💖
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it's true how he would have a mental crisis if he doesn't have any children that share the same gridball passion as he is [x],
but that's how life tests u sometimes, so i thought what if his son likes sport, but indoor sport, what if it's ping pong
i try to watch pro ping pong match, and it is actually really cool, the moment they distance themselves, they start serving in a very quick & intense way that really requires focus
it might be easier to get fascinated by ping pong, than american football that looks like a messy game of tag on tv
(maybe, he likes wall climbing too, but refuse to do the actual thing)
his sister might like swimming at the river or lake, horse riding, jogging with her dad & lacrosse.
but the three's favorite sport show they agree love watching together: Dog Agility Championships & Puppy Bowl ( ๑>ᴗ<๑ ):・゚✧
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introvertguide · 3 years
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Easy Rider (1969); AFI# 84
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The current movie under review from the AFI top 100 is the counterculture road film, Easy Rider (1969). As a note for anybody looking for screen captures, this is also the title of a magazine with many scantily dressed women next to vehicles, so be specific with your google image search. The film combines the hippie lifestyle with the beatnik concept of being free from "the man." It spoke to a lot of Americans at the time who were fighting back against government restrictions on one hand and the freedom of Civil Rights on the other. The film ended up making almost 100x the budget and was one of the first super performing, low budget indie films. The film was written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern. It was produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It is funny to think about now, but it was basically Peter Fonda's hippie son and some of his buddies getting together and making a movie about a road trip. Well done! Before we go any further, let's get the normal warning out of the way...
SPOILER WARNING!!! I AM GOING TO SPOIL THE MOVIE THAT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A MAJOR PLOT!!! WHAT STORY THERE IS I HAVE SPOILED SO WATCH THE FILM FIRST IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO RUIN IT FOR YOU!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
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Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) are freewheeling motorcyclists. After smuggling cocaine from Mexico to Los Angeles, they sell their haul and receive a large sum of money. With the cash stuffed into a plastic tube hidden inside the Stars & Stripes-painted fuel tank of Wyatt's California-style chopper, they ride eastward aiming to reach New Orleans, Louisiana, in time for the Mardi Gras festival. This all happens either in silence, in Spanish, or beneath the in-coming planes at an airport, so there really isn't any dialogue. It truly is exposition at the most basic level. What the director is basically communicating is "two guys got some money, here's how, now don't worry about it and enjoy the travel montage."
During their trip, Wyatt and Billy stop to repair a flat tire on Wyatt's bike at a farmstead in Arizona and have a meal with the farmer and his family. It is kind of interesting because Wyatt talks later about nobody being willing to help him, yet he is invited to use the barn and tools and then invited to have dinner with the whole family. Later, Wyatt picks up a hippie hitch-hiker, and he invites them to visit his commune, where they stay for the rest of the day. The notion of "free love" appears to be practiced, with two of the women, Lisa and Sarah, seemingly sharing the affections of the hitch-hiking commune member before turning their attention to Wyatt and Billy. The people at the commune seem to like Wyatt and want him to stay, but Billy doesn't seem to fit in and he is antsy to get back on the road. As the bikers leave, the hitch-hiker gives Wyatt some LSD for him to share with "the right people".
Further down the road, the two see a parade and playfully join the back. The pair are immediately arrested for "parading without a permit" and thrown in jail. There, they befriend lawyer George Hanson (Jack Nicholson), who has spent the night in jail after overindulging in alcohol. After the mention of having done work for the ACLU along with other conversation, George helps them get out of jail and decides to travel with Wyatt and Billy to New Orleans. As they camp that night, Wyatt and Billy introduce George to marijuana. As an alcoholic and a "square", George is reluctant to try it due to his fear of becoming "hooked" and it leading to worse drugs but he quickly relents. It is funny when Wyatt calls it "grass" and George doesn't know what that means. I don't know about other areas, but any 13-year-old where I live would most likely know what Wyatt was talking about.
Stopping to eat at a small-town Louisiana diner, the trio attract the attention of the locals. There is a booth packed with young girls next to a booth packed with what I can best describe as hicks. The girls in the restaurant think the trio are exciting, but the local men and a police officer make degrading comments and taunts. Wyatt, Billy, and George decide to leave without any fuss. They make camp outside town and talk about how their freedom scares a lot of people. In the middle of the night, a group of locals attack the sleeping trio, beating them with clubs. Billy screams and brandishes a knife, and the attackers leave. Wyatt and Billy suffer minor injuries, but George has been bludgeoned to death. Wyatt and Billy wrap George's body in his sleeping bag, gather his belongings, and vow to return the items to his family. This happens really fast and I wasn't really sure what had occurred or that George was dead. First time I saw this, I was looking at something else for 30 seconds and turned back to see Wyatt and Billy going through a wallet. I rewatched and the time between George going to sleep and the duo going through his wallet after death was about 37 seconds.
Wyatt and Billy continue to New Orleans and find a brothel that George had told them about. Taking prostitutes Karen (Karen Black) and Mary (Toni Basil) with them, Wyatt and Billy wander the parade-filled streets of the Mardi Gras celebration. They end up in a French Quarter cemetery, where all four ingest the LSD the hitch-hiker had given to Wyatt and experience a bad trip. I had to double check the name, but it is the same Toni Basil of "Oh Mickey, You're so fine, You're so fine you blow my mind, Hey Mickey!" fame.
The next morning, as they are overtaken on a two-lane country road by two local men in an older pickup truck, the passenger in the truck reaches for a shotgun, saying he will scare them. As they pass Billy, the passenger fires, and Billy has a lowside crash. The truck passes Wyatt who has stopped, and Wyatt rides back to Billy, finding him lying flat on the side of the road and covered in blood. Wyatt tells Billy he's going to get help and covers Billy's wound with his own leather jacket. Wyatt then rides down the road toward the pickup as it makes a U-turn.
Passing in the opposite direction, the passenger fires the shotgun again, this time through the driver's-side window. Wyatt's riderless motorcycle flies through the air and comes apart before landing and becoming engulfed in flames. A helicopter shot shows the carnage as the truck drives away and the credits roll.
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This movie is not what I would call my personal favorite, but many critics have praised it for the dialogue, visuals, and story. I am assuming when mention is made of the dialogue, it is in reference to Jack Nicholson, because the two lead characters are that mix of uncomfortable and annoying that you get with sometimes who is inebriated in some way. They repeat themselves, say phrases that make no sense and then laugh about it, and constantly say "what?" so the line is just repeated. The actors were often high during the making of the film and that is not at all surprising.
It seems funny to me that Dennis Hopper acted, directed, and partly wrote the script for the film, yet he gave himself the part of basically the third wheel. The character of Billy seems like he wants to be rich and have nice things but has fallen into the hippie lifestyle. He seems uncomfortable with the drug deal at the beginning. He doesn't want to pick up the hitcher. He wants to leave the commune and get back on the road. He insults George and has to apologize. He is the first to talk about the girls at the diner. He wants to go get prostitutes at the place that George talked about. He is the one that flips off the guys in the truck. Billy is the driving force of everything that goes wrong.
We can't talk about this film without mentioning the soundtrack, because it is kind of what the movie is famous for. Songs on the sound track include: "The Pusher" and "Born to Be Wild" (Steppenwolf), "The Weight" (The Band), "If 6 Was 9" (Jimi Hendrix), and "It's Alright, Ma" (Bob Dylan). Try putting this soundtrack on while driving and you will realize how perfect it is for a road trip. I don't think there has been a better grouping of driving songs.
So does this movie belong on the Top 100 American movies? Well, I guess. It was a watershed independent film during a time of major change in America and the world. It caught the interest of many in a generation and that is interesting enough to experience. Now would I recommend it? Not really. The film was kind of boring and the end is not satisfying. It is fascinating on many levels and I thought that the conversations that involved the character of George were good, but all lot of the movie is kind of slog. The campfire conversation between Wyatt, Billy and the hippie is just painful. It is maybe ironic, but this is a road trip movie that doesn't really move. It is worth watching if you are interested in the time period.
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mickibloo · 5 years
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My Tips for Arguing Veganism
Let me preface this by saying that I am by no means a perfect activist. I can get emotional. I forget things. I sometimes speak without thinking. However, these tips have proven to be extremely beneficial when it comes to discussing and arguing veganism with nonvegans, and I hope they can help you out as well.
1. Try your best to remain calm and civil.
It can be so hard to remain patient when we are sitting there listening to someone talk about grass-fed beef, or cavemen, or lions, or how there’s “no ethical consumption under capitalism.” However, it is human nature to become defensive when the person you’re talking to is hostile. If you make someone feel stupid (no matter the lack of foundation upon which their arguments stand), they are not going to want to listen to you. The person might even start to think that you’re right but refuse to admit it if you’ve been condescending or angry. The fact of the matter is that if you establish yourself as someone who is there for them as opposed to against them, they will feel much more comfortable with listening to what you have to say. This also has the added benefit of increasing the likelihood that the person will return the favor.
That’s not to say that there isn’t a place for anger and passion within veganism. What is happening to the animals and our planet is horrible, we all know that. But generally speaking, I have found this to be very helpful. 
2. Ask them to explain their arguments
This is one of my favorite tips. Sometimes when someone presents an argument, they will do it in a way that is too vague, too specific, too absurd, etc. to respond to effectively. However, if you ask them to explain their argument, such as asking them why they believe that or how that point is justified, you will often find that it boils down to something you are actually quite familiar with. 
For example, if someone tells me that “animals don’t matter,” rather than try and explain why they do matter, I will ask them why they think that. The person then might respond using some argument along the lines of animals being less intelligent, less beneficial to society, etc. Those are all arguments I know I can work with. If I had merely decided to explain why animals matter then I would have completely neglected the opportunity to get to the root of the problem. 
Asking someone to explain their argument is, in my opinion, the most efficient method of exposing hypocrisy or fallacies. You will also often find that it unveils inconsistencies between different arguments that person is making.
3. Don’t let them corner you with falsehoods
Something I have seen vegans distress over is not being able to respond to arguments that nonvegans have posed when in fact those arguments are just lies. Nonvegans, and antivegans in particular, LOVE doing this as it provides them with the illusion of being factually correct. An example of this would be if someone tells you that they won’t go vegan because a plant-based diet requires more land to be cleared for crops, and you wouldn’t want them to destroy the environment, would you? Of course, this is simply not true. However, a novice vegan might get flustered over this. They might think that they are left with the choice of either conceding or arguing in favor of a more environmentally destructive lifestyle. If someone does this, you can also employ tip #2. Ask them why they think that. It’s very easy to make generalized untrue statements, but a lot harder to support them with specific facts. 
Similarly, do not let someone present you with a false dichotomy and pass it off as being valid. I recently had a farmer tell me that in this world, it’s either “be fed or be the feed.” But that’s not true at all. They’re suggesting there are only two options: either the animals eat you, or you eat the animals. They failed to recognize the third option: neither of us eating each other. 
4. If you plan on advocating veganism, absorb as much knowledge from other vegans as you can
This might seem obvious, but it is so important that I felt compelled to include it. I would be absolutely nowhere if it weren’t for what I learned through activists like acti-veg, Earthling Ed, James Aspey, etc. I would have nothing to back up my claims and no way of responding to antivegan arguments. There would be nothing for me to say. Now, you are under no obligation to defend your lifestyle to others. If you choose to say “I appreciate your interest, but I would prefer not to talk about it,” that is completely valid. It is also important to recognize when you do not know enough about something to respond. Something I used to do was try and counter an argument despite not being familiar with it and consequently make myself look silly. Understanding your limits is vital in maintaining your credibility. When you find yourself in a situation like this, perhaps try directing the person to a source that you know would have more information on the topic. 
5. Take care of yourself
The weight of the world is not on your shoulders. It is not up to you to disprove every antivegan argument you see or to put yourself in stressful situations in the name of veganism. You are an activist just by being vegan. You are making a world of difference just through the choices you make in the marketplace. We all know that nonvegans outnumber us significantly, don’t let the fact that they happen to be congregating on a Facebook or Tumblr post stress you out. If someone eats meat, they’re likely not going to become even “more” of a meat-eater (unless they’re someone like sv3rige, but he thinks the Earth is flat and drinks people’s blood, so...). I like to think of this as meaning that the only direction to move for them is forward. I mean, if there are dairy farmers and slaughterhouse owners going vegan, who’s to say that Tumblr user doctor-who-potter-universe-69 blogging about how “100 companies are emitting 71% of greenhouse gases” won’t eventually question her own cognitive dissonance too? 
Well, those are my tips! Feel free to add your own as well. I hope someone found them helpful!
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hellsparadiseessays · 4 years
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Aza Brothers Week - Day 2
To keep celebrating the existence of our beloved bandit brothers, I thought it’d be funny to check some stuff I had written about them back in April/May with the current hindsight we have! It’s an essay in three parts, initially posted on r/Jigokuraku. This essay may also be very useful to those of you who’re waiting for my Criminality essay, btw. More under the cut!
Aza bros, an analysis – Part I : an essay on the traditional family model in Japanese culture, and how society’s expectations impact the siblings
As a disclaimer, three things need to be mentioned. First, thy enter spoiler territory; flee while thy can, new reader! Second, I am not Japanese nor raised in Japan, so my take is solely based on the academic documents I read, what I know and what I understand. If there’s a mistake in my understanding, please, feel free to address it. Third, English is not my native language, so while I’m fluent in it, I don’t promise a 100% quality and may make some grammar mistakes here and there. On this note, let’s start a needlessly academic write up. I hope you’ll deem it an enjoyable or educative read.
Writers tend to find inspiration in reality, and manga authors aren’t dispensed from that. It is visible in Jigokuraku, notably with the Aza siblings, Toma and Chôbe. These two characters, through their backstory, find themselves both in and out of society, influenced by it, yet rejecting it. In this first part of the full analysis of our good brothers, we’ll study the family model that was historically prevalent during the Edo period, the roles of the elder and younger brothers in the family, and what we can infer on the siblings’ respective personality based on those informations.
1. Definition of the Ie family model
Based on the historical references given by the characters, it is possible not only to pinpoint the period during which the story takes place (Edo period), but it is also possible to estimate a general time period based on the references to 47 rônin and the Kaitai Shinshou. Based on these informations, we can roughly establish the time of the story as between late 1710 and early 1730.
This time period generally tends to provide us with prime examples of the Ie family model, which is the family model that follows the Uji model (household/clan) that developed during the Heian period. The Ie model is initially found in the samurai cast, but later spread to the lower cast of Japanese society (merchants, craftsmen and farmers) to organise it according to both a symbolic and corporate perspective through the roles of its members (“Ie and Dôzoku - Family and descent in Japan” by Shimizu Akitoshi, 1987). The Ie model is based on a patriarchal system in which the head of the family has power not only over his wife and children, but over his younger siblings as well. It means, for example, that a younger sister couldn’t marry without her older brother’s consent, and a younger brother couldn’t quit the household without his older brother’s consent either – else it’d be perceived as desertion, which isn’t the best of things in the samurai cast.
A specificity of this family model is the use of titles rather than names (with the appropriate suffix attached to it). These titles serve to put an emphasis on the role of the family member over his or her persona. In “Socialisation for Achievement: Essays on the cultural psychology of the Japanese” (pages 44-45), George A. De Vos explains that titles such as Ototo (“little brother”, how Chôbe calls Toma) are such titles and put it as follows: “there is a sense of security attached to the role in that the individual knows he can maintain himself within the protective armor of his role position”.
The Ie model is seen with the Aza siblings, described in chapter 9 as being the sons of a samurai operating as a vassal to the Lord of Akô. We’ll see how it applies to them in-story, based on what we know of their past and mostly chapter 9, as it is the chapter in which both brothers are introduced along their past.
2. Chôbe and social expectations: a bitter tale
The first thing we learn about Chôbe is how strong he is. Not just physically, but mentally as well. External points of view paints him as a dangerously capable man, able to become the head of a group of bandits despite his youth, able to send a man flying up to six meters with a kick... And his adaptability, as his little brother mentions more than once throughout the manga – because Chôbe isn’t the one doing the talking in their story. “Every single time, he instantly digested goings-on, adapted to them, and in the end came out on top, to conquer it all”, says Toma in chapter 9. And it’s true, the narration showed us how resourceful Chôbe is – borderline crazy at times, even (as per chapter 30, it’s a human arm Chôbe, please stahp).
Then we get Chôbe’s direct point of view in chapters 9 and 49, and it tells us so much more about him, in more than one way. The thing that struck me most is the way we get his own flashbacks. It’s not explained, it’s showed with a handful of panels.What can we take from that? Well, the obvious would be how action-oriented he is, a show, don’t tell type of person. The less obvious would be the lack of actual words relating to his past. Both times, the flashbacks immediately lead to an extremely negative reaction, Chôbe is furious and let us know by going on a rampage. Even worse, it’s words that trigger his fury, words such as “murder is a sin” that sound way too much like “the crimes of a lord are the crimes of his vassals, his sins their sins” (chapter 9). Even worse, as of chapter 49, we see that the simple thought of samurai is enough to have him completely lose his mind out of sheer anger (“It’s making me mad. Eyesore. In my way. Kill.”), to the point he accidentally hurt his own beloved brother. These flashbacks allow us an interesting reading of Chôbe: he is strong, but still clearly damaged by what happened to him, to the point it becomes one of his Berserk Buttons and the one on the receiving hand doesn’t get out of it unscathered. To the point he still doesn’t put many words on it. To the point he rejects society’s rules and gleefully becomes what society claimed he was during his childhood, because this very society let him and his family down, indirectly led to his parents’ death, got him and his little brother in a terrible situation despite their innocence. This failing is also the reason why he despises his father so much: dad fought for revenge, sure, but still followed the rules in place and failed to stay alive afterwards. With everything we know, of course Chôbe will see him as a fool with no ambition, as opposed to himself, his survival instinct and adaptability. Why would he even act like the proper son of a samurai, when it only leads to a lot of trouble?
Funnily enough, there’s still a bit of society’s rules left in his behaviour, and it’s visible in the way the dynamic with his brother is shown.
3. Toma: the younger brother must follow
We had quick shots of Toma early in the story, but he’s been truly introduced in chapter 9, in a truly interesting manner. The very first thing we see is his skill with the blade and the praises he receives, a prodigy who rose in the ranks of the apprentices in only a month, a feat never seen before. Yet, his first thought sounds like a philosophy of life: “The meaning of strength... Is change”. As soon as he shares this thought with the reader, we’re lead to the actual goal: getting his brother out of jail by infiltrating the Asaemon. Immediately, Toma proceeds to share more of his thought on change: “and what is ‘change’? Change is shifting one’s outward form as the situation demands”. Well, it does seem to be precisely what he did with his successful infiltration and is shown having a nice little chat with Chôbe as he keeps explaining his definition of change, because Toma is quite the chatty one. “It’s the speedy comprehension, and acceptance, of the situation at hand. Even if there may be times that are awfully difficult to understand...” At this point, we’re switching from the flashback in prison to the current situation our brothers are in, which involves a group of Soshin as the welcoming committee on the island. At this point, Toma stutters and seems at loss, while Chôbe is asking a practical question regarding the creatures they are facing, before immediately taking action. And here, Toma’s monologue suddenly focuses on Chôbe: “he always instantly takes it in, that is what makes my brother strong”. But is it really a sudden focus? Wasn’t it all about Chôbe from the start, even though it felt like Toma sharing his personal view on life rather than the way he perceives his brother? These pages, which are only the start of chapter 9, already tell us a lot about Toma: his brother comes first, and Toma himself takes a step back even when he accomplishes spectacular feats all by himself: he does it all for the sake of his brother, his own will doesn’t matter as much.
And this admiration and respect he has for his brother is further justified with yet another flashback, during which Toma keeps telling us how skilled Chôbe is at adapting and dealing with all the misfortunes they had to face since childhood. Condemned for the mistakes of their lord? Toma is shaken and seems too young to fully understand the situation, Chôbe doesn’t show any specific emotion. Their mother passes away due to illness? Toma cries, like any kid losing their mother would, but Chôbe remains fairly composed. Same story with the execution of their father, the brothers being reduced to begging on the side of the road and getting caught by a group of bandits. Again, Toma keeps expressing his admiration towards his brother and his adaptability, how it keeps helping him come out on top. And everytime, Toma puts himself as the one who follows big brother, because big brother is the best and always knows what to do. Because if he can’t follow with the change, he becomes unnecessary to his brother. After all, Chôbe himself told him so, back when they were living with the bandits: “Quit yer cryin’, Toma! If you show weakness like that, you’re only begging to die! If you don’t know what’s right or wrong, then just believe in me! I’m your big bro, and a big bro is his little brother’s guidepost, I’m always right! Always and everytime!”
Funnily enough, as soon as Toma reminisces those words, we’re back to present again with Chôbe stating his new awesome revised plan: taking the elixir of life for themselves. He grins as he utters thee words, and right at the next panel, Toma shows us the exact same grin as he agrees yet expresses his thought concerning the difficulties they may encounter as they keep going, and how it may get worse the longer they stay on the island.
4. Orderly outsiders
Based on what has already been said about the Ie family model typical of the Edo period and especially prevalent in samurai families, as well as what has been inferred about the Aza brothers based on the informations given to us by chapters 9 and 49, we can draw some conclusion about the way they perceive themselves, their past, each other, and how their rejection of the social order that abandoned them despite their innocence doesn’t stop them from following certain social codes – the very codes that make them a real family according to the rules of society.
First thing first, their self-awareness. It seems Chôbe is better at it than Toma, as he knows what he can do and what he can improve, while Toma consistently put himself in the background, even when he could legitimately pat himself on the back a bit. Second, Toma seems to be better at putting words on their past than Chôbe. Way better at it, even, since he pushes the reflection as far as justifying his brother’s strength by the way he handled everything until now. Chôbe, on the other hand, barely puts any words on the few memories we see – memories we probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend without Toma’s point of view and explanations -, and the little words he expresses about it immediately lead to rage and brutality, the physical expression of a pain that runs deep and seems to never be properly addressed. This is where things become interesting: by becoming the big brother and the unofficial head of the family through unfortunate circumstances, Chôbe clearly seems to have repressed his own feelings in order to take the lead and move forward. Toma perceives himself as the little brother who must follow, as is the role of the proper little brother in the Ie family model. This perception goes as far as Toma describing himself as merely an extension of his brother, and not his own person. And it’s sad, really sad, because we’ve seen what Toma is capable of on his own, we’ve seen how much trust Chôbe himself puts in him. Which is why I think both of them being separated as of chapter 50 can lead to a lot of good for Toma, who’ll have to rely solely on himself and so will have to change his perception of himself. Considering his abilities, I personally believe it can only lead to a positive outcome for him [ETA: bless be chapter 54 IT’S HAPPENING I’m so proud of you Toma]. As for Chôbe, the situation may be more difficult for him – and no, I’m not just talking about his encounter with Rien. Accidentally injuring his brother is the one thing that made him get a hold of himself again in chapter 49 and 50, and generally speaking, he does what he does for the sake of protecting his little brother – he even sacrificed his right eye as a kid for his sake. In my opinion, Toma acts like the hoops that keep Chôbe together. Remove the hoops, and things may go horribly wrong. However, I do trust his survival instinct to be strong enough for him to figure a way out. I just hope he won’t lose it again, because this time it may be difficult for him to get control of the situation again.
And with that, I conclude the first part, which is longer than expected! However, I wanted to explain various things that’ll be mentioned in the next part, so we’re all clear. The next part should also be shorter, since it’ll be less focused on canon information and more of an opinion-based (and less academic) piece according to what we know for now. Again, I hope you found this write up enjoyable or informative. I certainly did enjoy working on it, and it led to my newfound appreciation of Toma. Please, love this guy, he deserves it.
Sources
Ie and Dôzoku - Family and Descent in Japan
Socialization for Achievement: Essays on the Cultural Psychology of the Japanese
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fly-pow-bye · 5 years
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DuckTales 2017 - “Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!”
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Story by: Francisco Angones, Madison Bateman, Colleen Evanson, Christian Magalhaes, Bob Snow
Written by: Bob Snow & Francisco Angones
Storyboard by: Stephanie Gonzaga, Vaughn Tada, Brandon Warren
Directed by: Matthew Humphreys
Don't eat the cake.
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The episode begins with Scrooge noticing that something is terribly wrong. He checks through his manor, opening a few doors to see. Webby, Lena, and Violet are dealing with a giant beast, Mrs. Beakley and Dewey are messing with a tempest in a teapot, and, in what is specifically deemed "very wrong" by Scrooge, Della actually bonding with a child that isn't the blue one. Okay, he's actually reacting to how they're both dramatically shouting about being the Legends of LegendQuest, but that doesn't seem too out of character for Della. Maybe for Huey.
After checking the whole mansion he goes back to his room, and he notices his seat is occupied by a familiar face.
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Goldie: Morning, Scroogie.
Scrooge wonders why she would be here, and Louie shows up to tell him he invited her in. This episode continues the Louie Inc plotline that we last saw in "The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck!". That plotline left off with Louie having a choice for his company: use Scrooge's hard work, or will it be the choice that Louie would actually pick. That choice ended up being "team up with the untrustworthy frenemy of Scrooge". Louie sees himself as a professional, he can handle this!
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Not even after the opening credits roll, we see that Louie couldn't handle it, as he gets locked into a chest. Louie starts crying, saying that Louie Inc was his dream, and he thought he can be as clever as her, even calling her his hero. Goldie sees through this "crocodile waterworks" pretty much immediately, but takes kindly to Louie's training in the art of cons. That, and she needed a kid for her next con: getting into a "septleventh birth anniversary" for rich families. Who’s the birthday boy?
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It turns out to be this reboot's version of Doofus Drake's big birthday party. Oh boy. Admittedly, the annoying living fat joke being retooled into an awkward and spoiled rich kid with creepy tendencies isn't exactly a terrible punishment for our eyes. When I imagined the Louie and Goldie adventure back when that was teased, I never expected anything like this, that's for sure.
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Going away from that, anyone can guess at least one of those things Scrooge McDuck closed the door on was going to be the B plot, and it's not about that beast or the tempest in a teapot. We learn that during her adventuring days, after Donald and Scrooge would go right to sleep, Della would play a video game called Legends of LegendQuest. Huey decides to join in.
I do like the subtle joke that the "very wrong" epic speech they were doing was during the game's really long loading screen, which takes until this scene to load 100%. I would hate to say I liked it because it was the only subtle joke in this B plot, but I have to say it.
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The rest of this B plot takes place inside the game world. This isn't a case of a magical video game that sucks them in, they just happen to have avatars that look exactly like them with some subtle differences. Della is this strong warrior woman with a strong resemblance to Zero from Mega Man X, with what looks like a scouter from the early days of Dragon Ball Z. I am sure this show is beyond referencing that ancient "over 9000" meme.
Her son decided to go with the joy of being an ordinary farmer who farms under a giant force field, protecting his garden from the bugs that manage to get past it. The joke is that Huey is boring, but Della is fun! Huey kind of reminds me of that other red accessory wearing kid from the other show in this episode, and not the good version of her.
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We see Doofus's party, filled with more Beagle Boys than one might expect. Sorry to say, they do not appear that much. He has all the party quirks that would fit someone of his obscenely rich and richly obscene personality. Instead of bobbing for apples, he has bobbing for splinters. His birthday cake promises that it's not full of hair. Even Louie starts to talk to himself about the obvious joke that it will lead to, until he and Goldie get distracted by the party bags filled with gold.
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Louie tries to take one of those party bags, only for Doofus's parents, or "servants" as Doofus calls them, to slap his hand. These bags are meant for departing guests, and are filled with priceless heirlooms from his late Guhmeemama Frances.
Doofus's parents: Guhmeemama.
Oh yeah, whenever her name is said in this episode and Day of the Only Child, they have to whisper to themselves her name. It gets a good payoff here in many more ways than one.
Louie tries to run off with two of the bags again, this time pretending to leave the party, only for Goldie to stop him this time. Apparently, she does not want Louie to be a bad party guest! Oh, and she wants all the bags. She also will not tell Louie her plan to do so, because he would not learn anything. Oh, and she doesn't know what her plan is. A lot of her dialogue is like that.
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But enough about her way of talking, the "servants" announce that the "universe's perfect widdle (sic) angel" is making his grand entrance. A closed clam shows up, surrounded by angels. It's a scene very similar to a certain painting, and I really don't like where this is going.
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Thankfully, they don't go with him barely covering himself up with a long blonde wig. Somehow, him just popping up right behind Louie is the second worst thing that could have happened with that. As he speaks about how seeing all of his guests with their loving parents reminds him of the only parental figure he knows, he sniffs that some of these families are filthy liars that only went to his party to get his gift bags!
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One of those people turns out to be Percival P. Peppington, a guy that sort of looks like Willy Wonka and has at least enough money to hire Johnny, formerly of the Ottoman Empire, to pose as his kid. I looked Percival up, he's not a character from the comics, and he never appears again after this episode. Exposed, Percival ends up getting sentenced by Doofus to go into a trapdoor into his honey bin.
Percival: Don't you mean "Money Bin"?
Doofus: No. (hits button)
We never see this honey bin, but judging by the sound of bees and Randy's face when he looks down into the trapdoor, one would be wishing Doofus could just wish them into the cornfield instead. Thankfully, Doofus has mercy for the not-so-child actor, as he merely gets ejected via spring.
Seeing this, Louie whispers to Goldie that he can smell lies. He and Goldie will then talk about the plan to expose the two obvious phonies to Doofus, leaving them as the only people worthy enough to grab those money bags. They say this all out loud, because there's no way Doofus would hear them despite Louie's fear about him smelling lies!
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It may be possible that Louie is heavily overestimating Doofus's abilities to smelling crooks, considering who those two phonies are and at least one of their plans. There's Glomgold, with a son named Sharkbomb that always seems to stay on his right arm, and Mark Beaks, who now has a son named Boyd. Clearly, one is way more unbelievable than the other. I mean, Mark Beaks having a kid? Maybe I'm underestimating how many fangirls he has. As he shows off his family selfies, all of them with his kid with the same exact face, he says this:
Mark Beaks: Yeah, I love this, uh, what is this, uh, uh, son!
This line outright blurts out that this son is completely fake, but anyone should expect that. Doofus does not smell this lie, as he just mentions that looking at his family selfies reminds him of his family memories.
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This leads to Doofus sobbing and kissing his father's stomach, which happened to have a tattoo of his Guhmeemama...
Doofus's parents: Guhmeemama.
...riding on a Doofus centaur. Maybe it is best not to ask.
Glomgold also shows off his own family photos, which are surprisingly more convincing than the tech guru's, and Louie has to think fast. Thankfully, a quick trip to a nearby photo booth and Louie's not-too-convincing smiles clears that up. How it seems like Louie isn't even trying and still manages to win just seems to weaken him to me, but don't tell that to Goldie, who now wants to go on the offensive. Who is the first mark? It's not Beaks, as much as they seemed to be setting up for that joke.
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All of the guests get into the pool, not by choice, and Louie tells Glomgold he wants to talk to Sharkbomb alone. Glomgold decides to try his best at ventriloquism while he's underwater to expected effects. He tells Sharkbomb about how Goldie has the hots for his dad. It's cool to see that plot thread from "The Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains!" get referenced, and that reference also interests Glomgold, who suddenly comes out from the water to ask if it's true.
He tries to cover it up by having his puppet son say "as if", only for Glomgold to take his own puppet son's words as an insult. Considering "Duke Baloney", this whole fight may have a bit more depth than one could see here. I don’t think it is intentional, but that is something.
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Eventually, that fight ends with him beheading his own son right in front of Doofus' eyes. Needless to say, Glomgold's attempt to put Sharkbomb's head back on with his spit does not please the manchild of the day. Doofus decides to send Glomgold to the honey bin.
Glomgold: Don't let go, Sharkbomb!
Sharkbomb: Don't tell me what to dooo! (lets go)
Gotta say, Glomgold and Sharkbomb ends up being one of the highlights of the episode. Kind of wish we got to see more of them.
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Instead, we get to see Mark Beaks and Boyd, the latter of which suspiciously doesn't want to put his head below water! Also, he seems to have the strength of a million and seventy men. I guess he really shouldn't complain. But I have a feeling he can't go out for a walk without rusting in the rain. I guessed this as soon as I saw him, anyway; it would be fitting for the tech guru.
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Speaking of tech, they do cut back and forth between this party plot and the video game plot, and, unlike the last episode, it doesn't do any creative transitions between them. One minute, we're watching Louie plot his schemes. In the next minute, that plot pauses so we can see a close-up of Huey talking about how the fate of the land is in Della's hands...that land being the garden. The joke is that Huey is boring!
Unlike Huey's insistence on staying in his force field bubble and playing FarmVille, Della wants him to explore the world, go to a checkpoint, and use all of that XP he's getting from those bugs to become super-powerful. This is all a metaphor for Huey not wanting to leave his comfort zone even with his mother goading him to do so. How subtle do they make this metaphor?
Huey: Hey Mom? I think I should step out of my comfort zone.
By outright saying it. As an aside, being one of the adventurous nephews, is Huey really the person that needs this lesson?
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Back to the more exciting plot, Boyd sure plays some mean pinball, and Doofus is taking a liking to him. Louie tries to find some dirt on Boyd, looking through Mark Beaks' Waddle profile and looking at all of the pictures with his kid. Ignoring how Boyd has the same face in every picture, the biggest tell that this kid may be a fake is that there's no baby pictures!
Louie: Where are the baby pictures? Beaks would never pass up that sweet clickbait!
Goldie: Click-what, now?
Louie's not wrong, and it's good to see one scam Goldie would never take a part in. However, they need something more obvious. Eventually, Louie gets one, as he gets connected to the Beaks Optimistic Youth Droid's Wi-Fi network.
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Even though Goldie isn't tech-savvy, even she can recognize an acronym when she sees it. Not willing to outright tell Doofus about his new best friend being a robot, Louie decides to just ask the B.O.Y.D. what he did two days ago.
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To make a long story short, it doesn't work out, as the B.O.Y.D. starts shooting lasers out of his eyes. Wow, I guess I can't avoid reviewing shows with laser-eye-using children.
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Eventually, his fake eyes melt, and he ends up falling into the pool. Mark Beaks laments that he's going to need a big bag of rice right before he'll need something to wash off honey, bees, and whatever else is in the honey bin Doofus sent him to. Goldie is impressed, and sends some praise to her not-really nephew about how they should team up on a more permanent basis.
Doofus is really upset that his newest best friend had their eyes melted, apparently at least the second year in a row this has happened. Much like Calvin and Hobbes' "noodle incident" and whatever led to his father getting a tattoo of a centaur Doofus, one's imagination can fill in the blanks far better than even the mighty DuckTales writers could on how that could happen. Only a minute after that aforementioned praise...
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Goldie: Llewellyn Duck, I am so disappointed! Ruining poor Doofus' party, trying to take all the extra bags by yourself! Who raised you?
(a minute later)
Goldie: Sorry, Sharpie, I only work for myself! I want you gone, mister!
Oh, Goldie! For reasons only Doofus seems to know, he decides to arrange that last plan with the help of the BOYD. He's able to do this thanks to him grabbing the phone that just happened to slip out of Beak's hands when he sent him to the Honey Bin earlier. Doofus presses the “Kill” button on the stolen phone, and the B.O.Y.D. rises up from the pool water, mostly unharmed. So much for needing the rice.
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Doofus essentially does his “psycho rich kid” shtick again, saying that his party wouldn't be complete without him beating a pinata, and he wants to hunt the most dangerous pinata: man. As he controls the BOYD, we're left to wonder if Goldie will just take the money and run, leaving Louie to get beaten by a robotic kid.
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Oh, of course Goldie decides to save Louie in the end, putting herself between the rapidly spinning bat and the "Sharpie". Doofus ends up saying this was all a test to see if Goldie could be a loving parent or not. This doesn't completely add up to the cover story, but maybe that was what Doofus actually wanted, as we'll soon see.
Meanwhile, in the video game, Huey finally manages to get out of the "comfort zone" by stepping out of it. This turns the force field off, causing an alien to zap it and kidnap his mom. He initially thinks that he should have just stayed in his comfort zone, but he then realizes he needs to save his Mom. He runs towards the checkpoint, and his level begins to rise. Or, as Della says...
Della: That power level... (scouter explodes)
Oh, dear.
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Della: ...it's over 9000!
Well, I guess they were not above it after all! Do not get me wrong: I don't hate this, and at least the line still fits. Huey becomes a Super Saiyan God The Duke and destroys the alien monster with his raw fisticuffs. That's pretty much it for this B plot; it ends with a scene where Della has to wrestle the keyboard away from him because he was getting too "not comfortable". Eh.
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In the A plot, we get to see the aftermath of Louie and Goldie's plot: Doofus gives Louie all of the gift bags, and Goldie's good parenthood gets rewarded by becoming the new Goldiemama.
Doofus's parents: Goldiemama.
Don’t worry, that’s not the only payoff, and the other one is so satisfying, one needs to watch the episode because I will not spoil it.
It should be obvious even from this episode that being that Goldiemama is not a pleasant reward to say the least, even without the glass dome Doofus is keeping her in. Louie, knowing this, fights with himself with whether or not he should just take the money and run. Goldie did just betray him a few minutes ago. Maybe it would be a deserved punishment to let that betrayer suffer by being in the Doofus household.
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Oh, of course Louie decides against taking the money and running, and goes to the rescue of his Louie Inc partner. This was a turn of events about as expected as Goldie not willing to let Doofus break the living pinata. I mean, it's not like they're just going to shoot someone into the moon...okay, that was a bad example.
Actually, come to think of it, Louie Inc doesn't really come up in this plot. Considering a future episode, he would consider stealing a business opportunity, but he has to find some way to make it technically not stealing.
As standard for my DuckTales reviews, I am not going to entirely spoil the ending of this episode. While it shouldn't be much of a spoiler to know that Louie will not be rich at the end of this episode and Goldie will be rescued, there is a very pleasant scene to see for people who just want to see Doofus' parents get something good for a change, and to see Doofus finally get something he deserved.
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I'll also show this: this episode ends with this oddly touching shot of Goldie slipping in one of the on-the-spot pictures of Louie, right next to a picture of dear ol' Scroogie. Awww.
How does it stack up?
At first, I didn't really like this episode, but repeated viewings did lead me to see some of the good of this episode. However, I couldn't shake off that I didn't really like the B plot. It's not the worst, but it's not great, either. The best part is that it's not the mama's boy this time.
Despite the good moments with Glomgold, and I did like the ending of the A plot, this episode didn't do as much for me as most episodes of this show. I'm not going to send it to the Honey Bin, though.
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Next, a nightmare!
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kaledeedeshra · 5 years
Text
-- Prompt 01: Questionnaire
(content warning for: uh like.... existential shit? depressive thoughts? idk)
01. Tell us about your character’s name. Was it given to them or chosen? Does it hold any special meaning? If your character has aliases or nicknames, how did they get them and what do they mean?
When he was first picked up by the Mando’ade, Kal refused to give them his name so they were forced to come up with one for him. He was also a p feisty baby so it amused someone to call him Kal aka the Mando’a word for knife. The joke being like..... he wanted so desperately to be a saber or genuine threat but he was just a lil poke instead. ANYWAY, the name stuck. And of course, Deshra is his clan name. 
For a while, his family and close friends would call him Kal’edee when he was being especially feisty (or, in their terms, adorable)-- it’s a nickname that basically means knife mouth or sharp teeth. He calmed down a lot over the years, but the nickname stuck and the one sister that still talks to him still uses it.... 
also he’s too much of a dumbass to use any aliases even when he has ppl hunting him so like that’s the that on that
02. What is your character’s relationship to their homeworld? Do they hold fond memories of it, or do they hate it? Are they still here, and if not, do they miss it?
Kal barely remembers Wayland, SO i’m going to be talking about Vorpa’ya since that is also his homeworld. 
I mean, he hated it at first because it wasn’t home, but over time he came to love it SO much.... He even loved the hard work that came with farming, although he did very little of that since his specific family were more the guards than the farmers. Being an agricultural world it was Covered in good plants and beauty, though, and he misses it every day. Spaceships and city worlds have NOTHING on Vorpa’ya. Sadly, he can never go back. At least he has his dreams. 
03. Describe your character’s relationship with those who raised them. Was it positive? Negative? Neutral? What sorts of ideologies were they raised with, and do they still stand by them now?
Brief background: Kal has three Mandalorian parents and three Mandalorian siblings, was adopted after a Mando raiding crew destroyed his home and took him with them, and of all of them only his youngest sister is still on speaking terms with him. 
Anyway, it grew from contentious to adoring p damn quick, honestly... Kal's the worst at holding grudges and he was only four when they picked him up, so like. He was really close with his family-- they’re still everything to him. Even after the exile and years of no contact, if any of them called him up out of the blue Kal would drop everything for them. There are like...... Maybe two people in the galaxy he’d value more. 
As for beliefs-- they raised Kal Mandalorian, following the Resol’nare (with some minor clan-specific tweaks, as Clan Deshra was moving towards a slightly more peaceful way of life), and he fully believed. He still does, actually. He doesn’t uphold the tenets anymore, though, having very slowly let go of them after he left. What this means is he fully believes that since he no longer upholds his culture in the way he was taught, he’s dar’manda, or soulless, and when he dies he will have no place with his warrior ancestors. Instead, he will be either destroyed or forced to wander alone for eternity. Basically, he’s going to hell and he’s (kind of) accepted that. 
04. What is your character’s relationship with the Force? Is your character Force-sensitive? Whether or not they are, do they believe in it? Do they lean more towards the dark or the light or are they somewhere in between?
Kal is as force-blind as they come, to be honest. Like, there is NOTHING in there, the force isn’t even sure he exists let alone the other way round. Regardless, he’s spent enough time around Jedi and other force users to know that something is definitely up. He trusts them when they talk about the force, so he believes in it. He just doesn’t believe it has anything to do with him. (If he were force sensitive he would lean naturally towards the light, though. In some alternate universe out there i can feel him.... trying desperately to use the dark side and failing miserably.) 
05. What three word would you use to describe your character? What three words would your character use to describe themself? What three words would someone close to them use?
me: Loyal, obnoxious, clumsy
kal: charming, handsome, useless
jav’nen: dodgy, persistent, sly
06. Describe your character’s aesthetic. Do they tend towards fashion or function? Do they like to accessorize? How does this extend into their own personal spaces, such as their home or their workspace?
Oh, function 100%. Maybe even 1000%, there is no fashion anywhere in Kal’s closet. If it can’t protect him or make his job easier in some way, he’s not wasting money on it. He doesn’t even have any piercings anymore, and personalized painted armor is a thing of the past. Now, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t get starry eyed and distracted every time he walks past a storefront, but the important part is that he doesn’t actually buy the things he wants. 
He has very much the same philosophy with his living space as he does with his clothes. Everything has its function and its place, and unless he’s very distracted or having a depressive episode, everything is immaculate at all times. He’s the kind of nerd that makes his bed as soon as he gets up, and cleans his armor and weapons meticulously every night. No trinkets, no personalization outside of the few belongings that are completely necessary. Any gifts he’s received over the years are in a small safe either in his closet or under his bed depending on the room. 
07. What are your character’s vices? Guilty pleasures? Bad habits? Weak spots?
Most prevalent is probably his willingness to abdicate all thought and responsibility the second someone he trusts tells him to do something. His moral compass is a fuckin roulette wheel because it depends entirely on who’s in the room and who he’s trying to impress at any given time. 
He doesn’t really see that, though, so as far as things he would recognize and admit to: every time he takes his armor off unnecessarily or skips one night of maintenance or lets himself indulge in a good meal or a small trinket or a moment of physical contact, he swears he can feel his soul drifting further out of reach. Most of that isn’t even in direct violation of the Resol’nare, but at this point he’s buried his guilt so far for so long that it’s bled into every aspect of life. Any moment of joy or relief feels undeserved, but that’s never stopped him before honestly!! As long as he can continue the tight rope walk of stringent self discipline to keep the sense of doom at bay, and taking as much joy as he can to keep himself alive, he will!!
Also, he’ll do almost anything for some properly spicy food. 
08. Tell us about your character’s relationship with food. What are their favorites? Do they enjoy cooking? Are they adventurous? Will they eat absolutely anything or are they hard to please?
Spicy !!!! Call him stereotypical Mando’ade but he loves spicy food to death and back. Mostly because it makes him think of home, but also just cause it’s Good. His favorite meal would be his parent’s tiingilar (a spicy casserole)-- as far as he’s convinced, no one else can make it like they did. Every other tiingilar is a disappointment in comparison. He also has a secret soft spot for uj cake, but will only rarely admit to it. 
As far as cooking himself, Kal knows how to make things edible. Barely. He knows enough to survive on his own, and in the wilds he’d be an invaluable resource to anyone less familiar with that kind of cooking, but if there’s literally any alternative you should go with that. Kal’s cooking is for nourishment, not enjoyment. And he’ll eat basically anything, but usually sticks to pre-prepared field rations when left to his own devices. 
09. How does your character feel about engaging in relationships—romantic and / or sexual—with others? What is their history like? Do they fall in love easily? Are they constantly in and out of relationships?
Kal falls in love at the drop of a hat, but Rarely. Basically, love hits him with the intensity and frequency of a lightning strike. That he falls hard and fast doesn’t mean that he admits it to himself or finds it very easy to actually engage in those relationships though-- it’s probably fair to say that Kal has spent the majority of his life pining in one way or another. 
He’s been with a few people, though-- only one previous Serious Relationship, but there was a period of time right after his exile that he tried to be promiscuous and have a few flings. It didn’t end up working very well for him, but it was worth a shot at least. 
For him, sex has always been a far secondary priority to romance. He likes it (at least, when he likes the person its with), but it’s never been his primary goal in a relationship by any stretch of the imagination. He’s a full blown storybook romantic, will treasure the memory of a brief moment of hand contact and all that bullshit. Also if he’s in love with more than one person at once (as is the case right now) he would literally rather die alone than be forced to choose. Don’t get involved with him, he’s a mess. Unless you’re into that, in which case by all means let the boy pledge his life to you. 
10. What is your character’s pain tolerance like? Can they hold their own in a fight, despite injury? If someone hurts them with the aim of gaining information, how much can they take before they cave?
Pain tolerance is one of his primary skills, actually! Finally, something he’s good at !! He can take a punch with the best of them. He has different levels of tolerance for acute pain versus more extended aching, but it’s safe to say that both are higher than average. 
All of his joints are pretty fucked up and usually in one stage of ache or another, which he manages with a combination of the right exercises, a consistent regimen of painkillers/stims, and supportive alterations to his armor. On top of that, it’s a rare day when he isn’t carrying around some injury from the most recent adventure. Basically, he hasn’t really had a pain free day since he was a kid, and even then it was rare, so he’s Very used to operating and fighting through it. 
Regardless, that kind of torture wouldn’t be the way to get him to cooperate. Threaten anyone he cares about and he’ll cave in a second, but hurt or threaten him? That’s not gonna get you anywhere but frustration. Which is to say, the more you hurt him the more annoying he gets. You’d better hope you have a gag handy. 
11. What is your character’s weapon of choice? Are they more skilled as a melee fighter or do they have more skill with ranged weapons? What’s their fighting style like? What sort of training do they have behind them?
Kal has a long standing love affair with his blasters, but he loves his vibroknives even more. Maybe it’s because of his name, or because his aim isn’t the best, but the Second the enemy gets close enough for a good stabbing, the guns are away and the knives come out. 
As for fighting style, he generally relies on being quick and fighting dirty. Honor is for suckers, if you left your dick exposed it’s your fault you got kicked in it, catch him if you can motherfucker. It’s not necessarily the traditional Mandalorian training, but his parents adapted the lessons to suit him better as time went on. He never really took naturally to guns or explosives, so they focused more on grappling and melee combat. 
That said, he’s not the strongest person but he has a lot of training in how to use momentum and leverage to his advantage, so it’s far from unheard of for him to take down much larger opponents, who might have been much more skilled than him in any number of areas. Also, he hardcore prefers setting up ambushes to being taken by surprise, and puts a lot of work into maintaining that. It’s a rare fight that he didn’t see coming, so he usually has an advantage. Especially now that he’s working with a Jedi !! 
12. Does your character have any words or catchphrases that they say frequently? Tell us about how they picked them up.
He tries to minimize that kind of stuff, but Kal still can’t resist throwing up a hushed “Oya, oya!” in preparation for any battle. It’s muscle memory. 
He’s also the kind of nerd that says things like “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” whenever someone leaves his general vicinity. Even just to go to the bathroom. Remember how I said he was obnoxious earlier? He thinks he’s so fucking funny. 
13. Tell us about a negative experience your character has had with either the Jedi or the Sith, and how this has affected their standing. Whether currently aligned or unaligned with either faction, if forced to choose, how would they side?
WELL... I MEAN.... Take your pick: the Sith kind of indirectly screwed over his whole life, and have caused the death of a number of loved ones vs he was hunted by a Jedi for literal years. The second one turned out okay, though, so he’s definitely aligned with the Jedi at the moment. Besides, he loves a good hypocrisy. 
Honestly, though, if circumstances were different he would align with whichever side had more of his friends in it. His allegiances operate at a much more personal/individual level, he kind of doesn’t care what evils a general organization has committed. Things that big picture are hard for him to conceptualize. 
14. How would your character react to seeing a relative or friend on the opposing side of a battle or mission?
Chances are good the result would be immediate capitulation. Kal’s not gonna fight a friend !!! Unless someone he cares about more tells him to! It would go like this: Kal sees friend, Kal drops gun, loved one tells him to pick gun back up, Kal picks gun back up and continues shooting. OR: Kal sees friend, Kal drops gun, no one tells him to pick gun back up, Kal switches sides to hang out with friend. At his most basic instincts, Kal is at all times essentially Patrick Star. 
Friend doesn’t even have to be a good friend, honestly, Kal would fight to the death for anyone from a friendly acquaintance to a bitter rival. That’s just how he operates. 
15. Describe a memory that your character finds embarrassing.
When they started working together, Jav’nen didn’t exactly share that he knew any Mando’a. I’m sure I don’t need to fill in much more but. You can imagine Kal’s longing for death when it was revealed that Jav’nen had heard and fully understood every idiotic nickname Kal had been calling him for months. 
Thinking about it still makes him want to die, honestly.  
16. What goals does your character hold for themself and what steps have they taken towards achieving them? How far are they willing to go to reach them? What is their be-all and end-all?
Goals? Kal hasn’t heard that name in years........
No, but really he’s just waiting for death at this point. I MEAN he has like, smaller, everyday goals. He gets really into it every time he has a job to complete. But if he’s not distracted enough he starts realizing that the rest of his life is just a yawning chasm with nothing waiting at the end, so he’s very attached to those small everyday goals! 
Secret ongoing goal that he won’t admit to himself or anyone else: Jav’nen hug. 
17. What is the one thing your character would change about their life if they were given the chance? What other lives could they have lived as a result?
Not that he would ever, ever admit to it, but Kal’s life would have been very different if he hadn’t been trying so hard to impress his family at all times. Even when they weren’t around.  He has no musical skills in this one, but in some alternate universe out there Kal's a great musician and avoids fighting as much as he can. 
18. Living in such a high-conflict time, how does your character feel about doing what they must to survive? Will they hurt or kill others—either directly or indirectly—to protect themself and / or those close to them? If so, do they regret it when all is said and done?
Oh, I mean, it’s second nature at this point. Even with his clan’s moves towards a more peaceful way of life, combat is so ingrained in Mandalorian culture that it’s become ingrained in Kal too. He’ll hurt and kill people to protect himself, to protect others, to earn money, to keep busy. When all is said and done, as far as he’s concerned, this is just the way the universe works. Everyone dies eventually, in some way, it’s not his fault that he ended up being the executor of their fate. 
It only really bothers him if he doesn’t keep properly distracted. 
19. What is the biggest problem your character is currently dealing with?
How do....... Protect Jedi partner? He’ll never admit it but powerful force users scare the shit out of him more than anyone else, so jedi hunters are like..... nightmare time. With the way the political climate has shifted recently, and his current partnership, Kal’s mind is on protecting Jav’nen pretty much 24/7. Don’t tell Jav’nen, though. That would be embarrassing. 
20. Give us 3+ headcanons of any length or subject matter.
Oh boy, okay. 
1. Fucked joints: I’ve referenced this in an earlier question, but Kal has joint problems. Specifically, he has a genetic thing that means the ligaments and cartilage around his joints aren’t as strong as they’re supposed to be, so his joints bend much further than they’re supposed to and dislocate really easily. This is an advantage in some cases, cause it allows him to houdini his way out of a number of situations, but it also comes with a decent amount of pain. He has his coping methods, though. Such is life. 
2. Animals: He doesn’t often get the chance to show it off, but Kal’s surprisingly good with most animals. Part of that low key farm boy upbringing. Anyway, he’ll never willingly have a pet cause he’d be too worried about them all the time, but you can bet your ass he’s taking advantage of any opportunity to pet someone else’s!! 
3. Physical Affection: SOMEONE HUG THE MAN.......... By that I mean: Kal is at all times craving physical affection. He’s a naturally extremely physically affectionate person, but between a distrust of the general population and a deep seated desire not to inconvenience those he’s close to, he almost never initiates anything. You know when a dog really wants attention but doesn’t wanna get in trouble for barking, so they just kind of sit nearby staring at you and low key vibrating? Kal. At all times. 
bonus. Give us a list of any length telling us why our “fave is problematic.”
i mean does it really need to be any longer than “kills people for money” 
fine
the man has been putting people on pedestals for years will rise to any bait  desperate to please at all times over dramatic  did i mention over dramatic  thinks he’s way funnier than he is is fully willing to let things he’s not cool with fly if someone else says to has been involved in kidnapping and shit would rather die than communicate
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rachelsennot · 5 years
Text
build me a mountain [Trixya YouTube AU] [Teaser]
Hi hello yes! Thank you so much for 100 kudos and 2k hits on all the things she said ! I’m here to introduce my next story: build me a mountain.
build me a mountain is a spinoff prequel based on Trixie’s minor role in don’t be shy. In that story, the only time Katya is mentioned is this exchange between Trixie and Miz Brianna Cracker:
“Hey, you should review those awful jelly shoes Katya loves."
"Oh my god, I should," Brianna said automatically, idly wondering if Katya had been added to the guest list at this point, or if Trixie was just missing her best friend while she took some time off from YouTube.
Naturally, Katya’s entire personality in build me a mountain must revolve around jellies. (Just kidding.) (Sort of.)
Katya is the main character of build me a mountain (meaning it’s going to be from her perspective 90% of the time) so here is part of a chapter that hopefully makes you smile! Keep reading attss for more updates and keep an open mind about everything. Life is getting busy so I’m still not sure when this story will be ready, but it should be soon after attss is finished up and I’m so excited to share it with y’all!
Some relevant info: Katya is a trans woman, and at the time she is on HRT. Ginger is her friend from college. Everything else is for me to know and you to find out ;) Thoughts are in italics. I use Canadian/British spellings as usual.
--- build me a mountain --- chapter 2 ---
“What if I,” Katya asked Ginger as they strolled through the mall, “What if I’m going on a first date, and we both want to look polished, but secretly we’re both dirty, shit-covered farmers?”
Ginger sighed, and Katya worried she was actually getting bored of the little game she was playing, trying to get decent advice out of her friend without actually telling her what was going on. “I dunno, gingham and a bolo tie?”
It sounded cute, but Katya knew it still wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t know how to describe the look she was going for.
“Just tell me who this chick is,” Ginger asked.
So many things were swirling in Katya’s head. She didn’t know how to explain who Trixie was, what she was like, how Katya knew her, how this wasn’t a real date… “It’s complicated,” Her mouth said.
“Okay,” Ginger said, “What do you want her to think when she sees you?”
Katya gave her a confused look.
“She sees you and thinks, Katya is…”
Hm. “Good at makeup. Funny. Pretty.”
Ginger laughed, full but soft, and wrapped an arm around Katya so she could turn them around and start walking in the opposite direction.
“What?” Katya asked, “What’s going on?”
“First of all,” Ginger started as she pushed Katya along, “You like this girl, in the purest, fluffiest way possible. Second, you’re going to go home and wear your favourite shirt.”
“My favourite shirt?” Katya said, confused at the thought. Her favourite shirt, as Ginger and many people knew, was a soft and thin button down made from pieces of different tiny flower prints. It was busy and dark and Katya loved it. She’d had it for years, and had no plans of giving it up soon—no matter what the little blue and white pills she was taking each morning did to her.
“Relax. If you feel good, you look good,” Ginger promised.
She wasn’t letting up, so Katya let herself be pushed as she warmed up to the idea. The shirt was kind of cool and out there. She had no idea if Trixie would like it, but Katya could have said that about anything in her wardrobe, given there wasn’t a single pink object to her name.
Katya was mentally rifling through eyeshadows that would match her favourite shirt when her eyes landed in the window of a shoe store as they walked past it.
“Wait wait wait,” Katya said, pulling Ginger to a stop.
“No, Katya—”
“Wait,” Katya repeated, not letting Ginger drag her away again. She was frozen in place, looking at a single pair of shoes on a pedestal. They were beautiful. Her mind was instantly imagining wearing them everywhere, from the grocery store to Courtney's monthly dinner parties. Katya felt like the style she had been so carefully crafting, especially in the last few months, had a natural progression that involved these specific shoes; like they had been waiting in her path for a long time.
“Those look like bondage gear your mom accidentally buys,” Ginger spat at the display.
“They’re perfect,” Katya breathed, and slowly looked over at her friend. “I need them.”
Ginger started to speak, probably to try and talk some sort of sense: “This is the kind of…”
But Katya just walked around her and strode confidently into the store. The walls were lined with sneakers and backpacks, and the sales attendant was a woman about Katya’s age. “Hi! Can I help you?”
“Yes,” Katya said, walking right up to the counter. “What are those shiny black shoes in the display?”
“Oh, the platform jellies?”
Katya smiled. “Yeah.” Then she started, face falling serious and hands falling on the counter. “Please tell me you have a size 10?”
“Let me check,” The attendant said, turning to her computer.
Ginger had also trekked into the store, saying, “Katya, I’m sure they have plenty of shoes in your size that are actually from this century, too.”
Katya just stared at the back of the monitor and drawled, “Coming from the girl who nicknamed her pussy Full House.”
The cashier just smiled at Katya, either secretly enjoying or ignoring the comment. “Yep, we have them. Let me grab them from the back.”
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nohwa-rp · 6 years
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            ANNOUNCING NOHWA’S 56TH ANNUAL SUMMER FEST 
At the end of every June, the village of Nohwa scrapes together enough funds to throw an island-wide celebration. To give the hard working citizens a week of fun and entertainment -- out of line from every other week in the East Sea -- an equal amount of hard work is put into making this event happen: volunteers set up a few carnival rides, food stalls, a stage, and decorate the field next to the Ahn family orchard. With a mix of week-long events and day-specific entertainment, Summer Fest is the highlight of the warmer months for many. Festivals like this rarely go as planned and this year will surely be one                                                    no one will ever forget.
In-character, this event takes place between June 25, 8:00 AM KST to July 1, 11:00 PM KST; however out-of-character participation may start immediately and new threads may not be created beyond July 6, 11:59 PM KST. Please read below for ic events and participation details!
EVENTS / 
* Attending Summer Fest is technically free; however, tickets must be bought for rides and other events unless stated otherwise! The fairgrounds open up at 8:00 AM every day and close at 11:00 PM.
WEEK-LONG EVENTS —
Farmers’ & Flea Market ( 8am - 2pm ) — approximately 20 tables are set up for those who had pre-registered. any resident is able to reserve a table; they may have a table for the entire week or for specific times/days. the market is located in the middle, left-hand side of the fairgrounds. 
Animal Fair ( 10am - 6pm ) — the animal fair is a place for farmers to show off their livestock; there are prizes for the most healthy animals of all registered categories. people may also buy animals that are for sale here. the animal fair is located at the entrance of the fairgrounds and is held in a barn.
Food Stalls ( 11am - 10pm ) — approximately 10 stalls are set up for those who had pre-registered; only those with food-related businesses are able to sell. the food stalls are located in the middle, right-hand side of the fairgrounds. there are tables set up for people to eat between each stall with trash and recycling nearby.
Rides ( 2pm - 10pm ) — the rides are on a smaller-scale compared to other carnivals and primarily directed towards children. there is a fun slide, a small pendulum ride, teacups, bumper cars, and a funhouse. the rides are located at the back of the fairgrounds.
SPECIAL EVENTS /
Monday ( 6.25 ) — free rides and face painting for everyone the opening day of summer fest is essentially free for all! 23°C/19°C (74°F/65°F); cloudy
Tuesday ( 6.26 ) — talent contest the talent contest can be signed up for by anyone; any and all talents can be shown (with some restriction, of course). the individual voted as the best will perform at the concert later in the week. the contest begins at 2:00 PM and goes until 5:00 PM or until all acts have finished. ( if you’d like for your muse to partake in the contest and have a potential to win, please write a solo, at least 250 words, and send the link to the post to this blog by July 1, 11:59 KST; results will be given at the end of the event in the concluding post ) 25°C/19°C (76°F/66°F); partly sunny
Wednesday ( 6.27 ) — movie night at 6:00 PM a movie for all ages will be played where the farmers market was earlier that day, and at 8:30 PM a movie suited for older audiences will be played. people are able to drive in their vehicles or bring as many blankets, food, etc. that they wish! the giant screen is set so the sun would not bother the view. 25°C/19°C (76°F/66°F); clouds and some sun
Thursday ( 6.28 ) — animal contest pt. 1 for the first part of the animal contest, those participating in the contest show their animals; it begins at 4:00 PM inside of the barn. 25°C/20°C (77°F/68°F); afternoon showers
Friday ( 6.29 ) — animal contest pt. 2 for the second part of the animal contest, the winners will be chosen; it begins at 4:00 PM inside of the barn. there are prizes for best in show, second runner-up, third runner-up, and an honorable mention prize. the best in show receives a cash prize along with a ribbon, while all others receive ribbons.  25°C/20°C (77°F/68°F); lots of rain and a thunderstorm, very windy
Saturday ( 6.30 ) — concert a few local bands are able to perform at the concert along with the winner of the talent contest as their opening act. the concert begins at 6:00 PM and lasts until 8:00 PM; it is free. 25°C/23°C (78°F/74°F); thick clouds
Sunday ( 7.1 ) — fireworks the fireworks display can be seen from all over the island and is arguably the highlight of summer fest! nohwa goes all-out for the fireworks display, which lasts for around twenty minutes. the fireworks begin at 10:00 PM, can be seen easily from the fairgrounds, and is free. 30°C/23°C (85°F/73°F); cloudy, humid    
HOW TO PARTICIPATE / 
Participation is not mandatory, but is encouraged! In order to participate please either create threads surrounding the various events listed above or follow the instructions below.
Other than the typical events that will be seen at Summer Fest, something else will happen that will change the lives of one or more of the residents of Nohwa. In order to figure out what happened and where your muse was when it occurred, a “choose your own adventure” style game will take place. Here is how it will work:
There are up to 10 decisions your muse can make; their decisions will not only affect them, but those around them (tread carefully!)
Each choice must be solidified by a 100+ word post; this must be done on one post that is updated with every new decision. Treat this as a solo of your muse throughout this fateful night (3rd person para format, please tag these posts with  노화: sf18 7.1). After the post is written/updated, please send it to the main blog through messages
Once the choice has been submitted, new choices will open up. The new options will be send to you through messages as soon as possible
This process of writing-submitting-receiving will continue until your muse gets through the choices or until you decide to not participate
THE FIRST PROMPT: It’s the last day of Summer Fest and the majority of the citizens (if not all) will be watching the fireworks show that begins soon. Does your muse go to the fairgrounds to view the fireworks or do they go somewhere else?
MISC /
Please use the tag 노화: sf18 for starters, solos, graphics, plot calls, or any other material (besides threads) that surrounds this event. 
This event will end July 6, 11:59 PM; threads created before this time may be replied to until completion. July 6, 11:59 PM is also the deadline to continue on with the “choose your own adventure” portion, no choices will be given after this time!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
** if you are alright with a life-altering event happening to your muse, please message this account! please keep it a secret if you send in your name. 
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lakelandseo · 3 years
Text
How to Create Your Local Business USP with QUAAAC + UGC
I’m new in town and have never heard of your business before. I’m looking for an explanation that’s as quick and easy to read as a street sign.
You have just a few seconds to convey to me what your local business offers and why customers like it. Then I’ll take a few seconds to determine whether what you’ve said matches my needs.
From this moment forward, we either walk the next steps of the consumer-brand journey arm-in-arm, or I wing off in another direction looking for a better match. I could become a loyal customer for decades, or I might never think of your business again.
That’s how important and fleeting the moment of opportunity can be when a customer encounters a unique selling proposition (USP) highlighted by a local business. In Chapter 3 of The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide, we reference how a clear USP underpins SEO, and it’s a topic that deserves a deeper dive. For new neighbors, travelers, and residents in search of new goods and services, the USP is a sign you can hang in many places.
In this article, we’ll actively practice writing compelling USPs for real-world local businesses based on six simple components. Further, I’ll teach you to see a brand you’re marketing from the viewpoint of customers on the basis of user generated content (UGC).
First, what’s a USP?
A unique selling proposition in marketing is a brief statement that’s typically defined as distinguishing a brand and its offerings from its competitors. It’s not the same thing as the catchphrase found in slogans and jingles (e.g. “Reach out and touch someone” or “Just Do It”), which, while memorable, may only vaguely hint at what a business is or does. Instead, a USP should clearly define whether what a business is, does, and has matches the intent of the customer, and the art involved is in learning to convey a lot of meaning in very few words.
If you learn best from real-world examples, here’s an independent grocery store that has put its slogan and mission statement on its website homepage:
If we were tasked with creating a USP, just from this information, we would write something like this:
Shop the oldest and largest organic grocery store in Marin County to actively support our community’s health and sustainability.
If I happen to be looking for a market with a big selection of organics that’s been trusted by locals for many years and I want my dollars to work towards sustainability, my intent will have been perfectly matched by this USP.
Local businesses have an advantage over virtual competitors in that circumstances auto-generate one of the “unique” aspects of the company message: being present in a specific town or city makes your brand a unique resource for people there, as opposed to selling to the world at large. Pair locale with local rarity for a smart combination. The “selling” aspects of this type of content should inspire actionable language on your part; words like “shop”, “experience”, “visit” are mini calls-to-action embedded in the USP. Think of the “proposition” as making an offer you hope the right potential customer can’t refuse because it ideally matches their intent.
There are just 19 words in our sample USP, but it contains multiple intent signals, and now we need to learn how to break those down by type so that you can develop your own messaging for the local brands you market.
Surface QUAAAC components for your strongest USP
Image credit: Hedera Baltica
I recently learned that one of the great secrets to QVC’s multi-billion-dollar success is to get shoppers to ask the question, “Is this me?” and then answer with a, “Yes”. USPs should work just like this! You’ll have noticed that we turned the slogan and mission statement toward the customer in our example USP above, in hopes that they will see themselves in the details. In other words, we’re hoping the customer will ask, “Is this me who wants to shop for organic groceries at a time-honored store, and contribute to sustainability?” and find themselves saying, “Yes”.
Choosing the right details to highlight, when you have a limited amount of space, really matters! Let’s get our ducks in a row with a practice session of writing USPs together, breaking down our options into six basic components:
Quality
If our example grocery store decided that it was the high quality of their inventory that should star in their USP, based on what they’ve learned matters most to their customers, we could write a proposition like this:
Shop all-organic groceries, many sourced locally from our community’s best farmers, for peak quality you can taste!
In other instances, customers’ search for value underlies their quest for quality. They want to know what the highest quality is that they can afford on their budget. In that case, a USP might emphasize cheapness, deals, discounts, or specials. Brands like Imperfect Foods aim to deliver inventory that’s of good quality, if not flawless, and that’s easier on wallets, as made clear by their USP:
Get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.
The skill required here is to match the economic realities of your customer base to the best quality their money can buy. Whether the inventory is luxury goods or the most affordable deals, nearly all customers want good value.
Uniqueness
If your business model relies on providing something rare, uniqueness might deserve emphasis in your USP. For our grocery store, we might say:
Tired of reading labels? Shop trustingly at Marin County’s only 100% organic grocery store.
Perhaps my favorite example of a USP based on uniqueness comes from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, which reads:
Come and explore the powerful Klamath River on a spiritual adventure that will take you back in time, hearing only the quiet chatter of wildlife as you glide along the water’s surface.
This Indigenous-owned business is offering an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else in the world, and it’s a great illustration of building romance around rarity.
Availability
Simple availability can be an easy USP starting point for almost any business, because so many customer searches begin with the question, “I wonder if X business offers X good or service.”
I often recall seeing storefront signage for a business that had started out as “Pens Unlimited” and then presumably appended the slogan “More than just pens” to its messaging as they expanded, leaving me guessing about what the company actually offered. If your inventory is highly varied, it can be a challenge to fit it all into a business name or slogan, but a slightly longer USP can help. Our grocery store might highlight availability like this:
Shop organic produce, dry goods, supplements and award-winning prepared meals at Marin’s largest natural foods store.
As another example, the website of this SMB shoe store may not be state-of-the-art, but their USP immediately answers the question of “I wonder if they have X?”:
Shoe store offering fashionable dress, comfort, boots, and athletic shoes for men and women.
If a potential customer wanted to know if this particular shop had comfort footwear, this USP does the job.
Authority
This is a proposition that works well when customers need a resource they can trust based on the availability of expertise or the proof of longevity. Our grocery store might say:
Shop Marin’s only grocery store owned by a sitting board member of the Organic Trade Association — locals have trusted our organic commitment since 1969.
Certifications can go a long way towards conveying authority. I found information of this kind buried deep in the loam of a Washington plant nursery, which could be brought forward to their homepage as an authority-based USP like this:
Shop plants with three Master Gardeners and two Certified Professional Horticulturists on-site to help you grow your dream garden!
Affinity
Some of my personal favorite USPs send signals of brand-consumer affinity — they convey that the local business operates on the basis of certain values shared by customers. Our sample grocery store is fertile ground for authentic proofs of community building, and could write a USP like this:
Be the change! Shopping with us benefits your whole community, from free organic meal programs for students and elders, to our Deep Green Energy commitment, to profits shared by all employees.
Meanwhile, outdoor outfitter Patagonia takes a similar approach with this USP:
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And sometimes, a USP can blend more than one element. The gorgeous website of The Red Door catering company has signals of both authority and affinity that could be stirred together for an inspirational, aspirational message, like:
MBE-Certified, Women-Owned, ICA member caterers prepare local, organic feasts for your unforgettable event.
Convenience
When ease is paramount for customers, convenience-based USPs can send a good message. Our grocery store might write:
Try convenient online ordering, curbside pickup, and prepared meals, or walk in just minutes from any downtown neighborhood to our organic grocery store.
Sometimes, location is all it takes to convey convenience. I love this ultra-simple USP from Deer Valley Grocery, which happens to have a beautiful waterside destination location:
“Enjoy breakfast and lunch lakeside.”
It can’t get shorter or sweeter than that.
I hope this practice session was useful. Now, we need to determine the most effective components for a particular local business you’re marketing.
Let customer content inspire your USP
Sentiment trends in your reviews, Q&A, and social media comments can point the way to what your customers value most about what your business does. These forms of user-generated content (UGC) can be a big help in determining which elements could be most effective if centered in your USP.
Start by searching Google for your brand name so that your Google Business Profile appears on the left of the screen (if your brand name search doesn’t work, add your city to your query. If that doesn’t work, you may need to learn the basics of local SEO first so that you build enough authority for Google to associate branded searches with your local business listing). Click on the “View All Reviews” portion of your profile and look at the Place Topics Google has surfaced in the oval tabs at the top of your review display.
Place Topics are an accessible, free form of basic sentiment analysis, highlighting topics mentioned most frequently in your reviews. If we had no other information about our grocery store than this, we could write a customer-centric USP along these lines:
Done with Whole Foods? Shop sustainable, fresh produce, our scrumptious salad bar, and healthy vegan choices at our Mill Valley market.
The great thing about Place Topics is that when you click on them, they sort the review corpus to show only reviews that contain the chosen topic. For example, when I click the “produce” tab, this deepens my understanding of exactly what customers are saying about the fruits and veggies at this store:
If we decided produce was uppermost in our customers’ minds, we could refine our USP like this:
Shop “the best produce in Marin” — unlike Whole Foods, we’re 100% organic and locally-owned!
Definitely dig deeply into your reviews to find out what really resonates with your customers. Moz Local customers have the added advantage of our sentiment analysis and trend features to help you go beyond Google and understand dominant review topics across multiple platforms.
If a local business has active social media profiles, customer likes and comments can also provide insight. Looking back through our grocery store’s Facebook posts, I caught the moment early in 2020 when a simple inspirational post received an unusually high amount of likes and loves, and comments from customers saying how much they missed the store and wished delivery was available:
Happily, the business was able to utilize this moment of community interaction to announce the debut of their curbside and delivery service:
A major change in operations, which so many local businesses underwent as a result of the pandemic, could be a strong reason to temporarily alter a company’s core USP for the purpose of quickly disseminating new information. For example, the market might have publicized this message:
Your organic groceries are now available via curbside and delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo through our new shopping cart.
Other sources of USP-inspiring UGC could include FAQs the business receives via Google Q&A, phone calls, and form submissions — very good reasons to be empowering relevant staff to actively track this type of sentiment. Meanwhile, searcher behavior (if not content) could further refine your USP messaging. Consider using Google Trends or keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to discover popular search terms related to what your business offers, and that could be effective if incorporated into your proposition.
Where should you publicize your local business USP?
Image Credit: Chris Hottentot
One you’ve put in the work of crafting a strong USP, be sure you are nesting it in as many places as make sense, including:
Website masthead
Website homepage
Website about/mission page
Website contact page
Website location landing pages
Website footer
Website title tags
Website meta description tags
Website Header tags
Alt tags (if appropriate to describing images)
Blog posts
Email campaigns
Email signatures
Google My Business description
Google Posts
Google Q&A (if it answers an FAQ)
Descriptions on all local business listings and review profiles (use Moz Local for a quick data push!)
Carefully-worded review requests in hopes that reviewers will talk about aspects of your USP that matter most to them
Social media profiles
Social media posts
Digital ad campaigns
Guest post profiles
Storefront or in-store signage
Billboards
Radio and television ad campaigns
Print news campaigns
Mailers, circulars, and other print assets
Business cards
Company vehicles
Employee apparel
Company swag
With such amazing, multifarious applications, it’s easy to see the worth of investing time and care into developing a meaningful USP. You might adjust the wording slightly, based on medium, and you might even create several propositions for different purposes, seasons, or testing periods.
What I think you’ll learn from practicing perfecting your USP is that, like so much else in marketing, it comes down to great storytelling in a limited space, with eyes firmly set on engaging customers with a message of readiness that deftly meets their needs.
0 notes
nutrifami · 3 years
Text
How to Create Your Local Business USP with QUAAAC + UGC
I’m new in town and have never heard of your business before. I’m looking for an explanation that’s as quick and easy to read as a street sign.
You have just a few seconds to convey to me what your local business offers and why customers like it. Then I’ll take a few seconds to determine whether what you’ve said matches my needs.
From this moment forward, we either walk the next steps of the consumer-brand journey arm-in-arm, or I wing off in another direction looking for a better match. I could become a loyal customer for decades, or I might never think of your business again.
That’s how important and fleeting the moment of opportunity can be when a customer encounters a unique selling proposition (USP) highlighted by a local business. In Chapter 3 of The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide, we reference how a clear USP underpins SEO, and it’s a topic that deserves a deeper dive. For new neighbors, travelers, and residents in search of new goods and services, the USP is a sign you can hang in many places.
In this article, we’ll actively practice writing compelling USPs for real-world local businesses based on six simple components. Further, I’ll teach you to see a brand you’re marketing from the viewpoint of customers on the basis of user generated content (UGC).
First, what’s a USP?
A unique selling proposition in marketing is a brief statement that’s typically defined as distinguishing a brand and its offerings from its competitors. It’s not the same thing as the catchphrase found in slogans and jingles (e.g. “Reach out and touch someone” or “Just Do It”), which, while memorable, may only vaguely hint at what a business is or does. Instead, a USP should clearly define whether what a business is, does, and has matches the intent of the customer, and the art involved is in learning to convey a lot of meaning in very few words.
If you learn best from real-world examples, here’s an independent grocery store that has put its slogan and mission statement on its website homepage:
If we were tasked with creating a USP, just from this information, we would write something like this:
Shop the oldest and largest organic grocery store in Marin County to actively support our community’s health and sustainability.
If I happen to be looking for a market with a big selection of organics that’s been trusted by locals for many years and I want my dollars to work towards sustainability, my intent will have been perfectly matched by this USP.
Local businesses have an advantage over virtual competitors in that circumstances auto-generate one of the “unique” aspects of the company message: being present in a specific town or city makes your brand a unique resource for people there, as opposed to selling to the world at large. Pair locale with local rarity for a smart combination. The “selling” aspects of this type of content should inspire actionable language on your part; words like “shop”, “experience”, “visit” are mini calls-to-action embedded in the USP. Think of the “proposition” as making an offer you hope the right potential customer can’t refuse because it ideally matches their intent.
There are just 19 words in our sample USP, but it contains multiple intent signals, and now we need to learn how to break those down by type so that you can develop your own messaging for the local brands you market.
Surface QUAAAC components for your strongest USP
Image credit: Hedera Baltica
I recently learned that one of the great secrets to QVC’s multi-billion-dollar success is to get shoppers to ask the question, “Is this me?” and then answer with a, “Yes”. USPs should work just like this! You’ll have noticed that we turned the slogan and mission statement toward the customer in our example USP above, in hopes that they will see themselves in the details. In other words, we’re hoping the customer will ask, “Is this me who wants to shop for organic groceries at a time-honored store, and contribute to sustainability?” and find themselves saying, “Yes”.
Choosing the right details to highlight, when you have a limited amount of space, really matters! Let’s get our ducks in a row with a practice session of writing USPs together, breaking down our options into six basic components:
Quality
If our example grocery store decided that it was the high quality of their inventory that should star in their USP, based on what they’ve learned matters most to their customers, we could write a proposition like this:
Shop all-organic groceries, many sourced locally from our community’s best farmers, for peak quality you can taste!
In other instances, customers’ search for value underlies their quest for quality. They want to know what the highest quality is that they can afford on their budget. In that case, a USP might emphasize cheapness, deals, discounts, or specials. Brands like Imperfect Foods aim to deliver inventory that’s of good quality, if not flawless, and that’s easier on wallets, as made clear by their USP:
Get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.
The skill required here is to match the economic realities of your customer base to the best quality their money can buy. Whether the inventory is luxury goods or the most affordable deals, nearly all customers want good value.
Uniqueness
If your business model relies on providing something rare, uniqueness might deserve emphasis in your USP. For our grocery store, we might say:
Tired of reading labels? Shop trustingly at Marin County’s only 100% organic grocery store.
Perhaps my favorite example of a USP based on uniqueness comes from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, which reads:
Come and explore the powerful Klamath River on a spiritual adventure that will take you back in time, hearing only the quiet chatter of wildlife as you glide along the water’s surface.
This Indigenous-owned business is offering an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else in the world, and it’s a great illustration of building romance around rarity.
Availability
Simple availability can be an easy USP starting point for almost any business, because so many customer searches begin with the question, “I wonder if X business offers X good or service.”
I often recall seeing storefront signage for a business that had started out as “Pens Unlimited” and then presumably appended the slogan “More than just pens” to its messaging as they expanded, leaving me guessing about what the company actually offered. If your inventory is highly varied, it can be a challenge to fit it all into a business name or slogan, but a slightly longer USP can help. Our grocery store might highlight availability like this:
Shop organic produce, dry goods, supplements and award-winning prepared meals at Marin’s largest natural foods store.
As another example, the website of this SMB shoe store may not be state-of-the-art, but their USP immediately answers the question of “I wonder if they have X?”:
Shoe store offering fashionable dress, comfort, boots, and athletic shoes for men and women.
If a potential customer wanted to know if this particular shop had comfort footwear, this USP does the job.
Authority
This is a proposition that works well when customers need a resource they can trust based on the availability of expertise or the proof of longevity. Our grocery store might say:
Shop Marin’s only grocery store owned by a sitting board member of the Organic Trade Association — locals have trusted our organic commitment since 1969.
Certifications can go a long way towards conveying authority. I found information of this kind buried deep in the loam of a Washington plant nursery, which could be brought forward to their homepage as an authority-based USP like this:
Shop plants with three Master Gardeners and two Certified Professional Horticulturists on-site to help you grow your dream garden!
Affinity
Some of my personal favorite USPs send signals of brand-consumer affinity — they convey that the local business operates on the basis of certain values shared by customers. Our sample grocery store is fertile ground for authentic proofs of community building, and could write a USP like this:
Be the change! Shopping with us benefits your whole community, from free organic meal programs for students and elders, to our Deep Green Energy commitment, to profits shared by all employees.
Meanwhile, outdoor outfitter Patagonia takes a similar approach with this USP:
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And sometimes, a USP can blend more than one element. The gorgeous website of The Red Door catering company has signals of both authority and affinity that could be stirred together for an inspirational, aspirational message, like:
MBE-Certified, Women-Owned, ICA member caterers prepare local, organic feasts for your unforgettable event.
Convenience
When ease is paramount for customers, convenience-based USPs can send a good message. Our grocery store might write:
Try convenient online ordering, curbside pickup, and prepared meals, or walk in just minutes from any downtown neighborhood to our organic grocery store.
Sometimes, location is all it takes to convey convenience. I love this ultra-simple USP from Deer Valley Grocery, which happens to have a beautiful waterside destination location:
“Enjoy breakfast and lunch lakeside.”
It can’t get shorter or sweeter than that.
I hope this practice session was useful. Now, we need to determine the most effective components for a particular local business you’re marketing.
Let customer content inspire your USP
Sentiment trends in your reviews, Q&A, and social media comments can point the way to what your customers value most about what your business does. These forms of user-generated content (UGC) can be a big help in determining which elements could be most effective if centered in your USP.
Start by searching Google for your brand name so that your Google Business Profile appears on the left of the screen (if your brand name search doesn’t work, add your city to your query. If that doesn’t work, you may need to learn the basics of local SEO first so that you build enough authority for Google to associate branded searches with your local business listing). Click on the “View All Reviews” portion of your profile and look at the Place Topics Google has surfaced in the oval tabs at the top of your review display.
Place Topics are an accessible, free form of basic sentiment analysis, highlighting topics mentioned most frequently in your reviews. If we had no other information about our grocery store than this, we could write a customer-centric USP along these lines:
Done with Whole Foods? Shop sustainable, fresh produce, our scrumptious salad bar, and healthy vegan choices at our Mill Valley market.
The great thing about Place Topics is that when you click on them, they sort the review corpus to show only reviews that contain the chosen topic. For example, when I click the “produce” tab, this deepens my understanding of exactly what customers are saying about the fruits and veggies at this store:
If we decided produce was uppermost in our customers’ minds, we could refine our USP like this:
Shop “the best produce in Marin” — unlike Whole Foods, we’re 100% organic and locally-owned!
Definitely dig deeply into your reviews to find out what really resonates with your customers. Moz Local customers have the added advantage of our sentiment analysis and trend features to help you go beyond Google and understand dominant review topics across multiple platforms.
If a local business has active social media profiles, customer likes and comments can also provide insight. Looking back through our grocery store’s Facebook posts, I caught the moment early in 2020 when a simple inspirational post received an unusually high amount of likes and loves, and comments from customers saying how much they missed the store and wished delivery was available:
Happily, the business was able to utilize this moment of community interaction to announce the debut of their curbside and delivery service:
A major change in operations, which so many local businesses underwent as a result of the pandemic, could be a strong reason to temporarily alter a company’s core USP for the purpose of quickly disseminating new information. For example, the market might have publicized this message:
Your organic groceries are now available via curbside and delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo through our new shopping cart.
Other sources of USP-inspiring UGC could include FAQs the business receives via Google Q&A, phone calls, and form submissions — very good reasons to be empowering relevant staff to actively track this type of sentiment. Meanwhile, searcher behavior (if not content) could further refine your USP messaging. Consider using Google Trends or keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to discover popular search terms related to what your business offers, and that could be effective if incorporated into your proposition.
Where should you publicize your local business USP?
Image Credit: Chris Hottentot
One you’ve put in the work of crafting a strong USP, be sure you are nesting it in as many places as make sense, including:
Website masthead
Website homepage
Website about/mission page
Website contact page
Website location landing pages
Website footer
Website title tags
Website meta description tags
Website Header tags
Alt tags (if appropriate to describing images)
Blog posts
Email campaigns
Email signatures
Google My Business description
Google Posts
Google Q&A (if it answers an FAQ)
Descriptions on all local business listings and review profiles (use Moz Local for a quick data push!)
Carefully-worded review requests in hopes that reviewers will talk about aspects of your USP that matter most to them
Social media profiles
Social media posts
Digital ad campaigns
Guest post profiles
Storefront or in-store signage
Billboards
Radio and television ad campaigns
Print news campaigns
Mailers, circulars, and other print assets
Business cards
Company vehicles
Employee apparel
Company swag
With such amazing, multifarious applications, it’s easy to see the worth of investing time and care into developing a meaningful USP. You might adjust the wording slightly, based on medium, and you might even create several propositions for different purposes, seasons, or testing periods.
What I think you’ll learn from practicing perfecting your USP is that, like so much else in marketing, it comes down to great storytelling in a limited space, with eyes firmly set on engaging customers with a message of readiness that deftly meets their needs.
0 notes
bfxenon · 3 years
Text
How to Create Your Local Business USP with QUAAAC + UGC
I’m new in town and have never heard of your business before. I’m looking for an explanation that’s as quick and easy to read as a street sign.
You have just a few seconds to convey to me what your local business offers and why customers like it. Then I’ll take a few seconds to determine whether what you’ve said matches my needs.
From this moment forward, we either walk the next steps of the consumer-brand journey arm-in-arm, or I wing off in another direction looking for a better match. I could become a loyal customer for decades, or I might never think of your business again.
That’s how important and fleeting the moment of opportunity can be when a customer encounters a unique selling proposition (USP) highlighted by a local business. In Chapter 3 of The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide, we reference how a clear USP underpins SEO, and it’s a topic that deserves a deeper dive. For new neighbors, travelers, and residents in search of new goods and services, the USP is a sign you can hang in many places.
In this article, we’ll actively practice writing compelling USPs for real-world local businesses based on six simple components. Further, I’ll teach you to see a brand you’re marketing from the viewpoint of customers on the basis of user generated content (UGC).
First, what’s a USP?
A unique selling proposition in marketing is a brief statement that’s typically defined as distinguishing a brand and its offerings from its competitors. It’s not the same thing as the catchphrase found in slogans and jingles (e.g. “Reach out and touch someone” or “Just Do It”), which, while memorable, may only vaguely hint at what a business is or does. Instead, a USP should clearly define whether what a business is, does, and has matches the intent of the customer, and the art involved is in learning to convey a lot of meaning in very few words.
If you learn best from real-world examples, here’s an independent grocery store that has put its slogan and mission statement on its website homepage:
If we were tasked with creating a USP, just from this information, we would write something like this:
Shop the oldest and largest organic grocery store in Marin County to actively support our community’s health and sustainability.
If I happen to be looking for a market with a big selection of organics that’s been trusted by locals for many years and I want my dollars to work towards sustainability, my intent will have been perfectly matched by this USP.
Local businesses have an advantage over virtual competitors in that circumstances auto-generate one of the “unique” aspects of the company message: being present in a specific town or city makes your brand a unique resource for people there, as opposed to selling to the world at large. Pair locale with local rarity for a smart combination. The “selling” aspects of this type of content should inspire actionable language on your part; words like “shop”, “experience”, “visit” are mini calls-to-action embedded in the USP. Think of the “proposition” as making an offer you hope the right potential customer can’t refuse because it ideally matches their intent.
There are just 19 words in our sample USP, but it contains multiple intent signals, and now we need to learn how to break those down by type so that you can develop your own messaging for the local brands you market.
Surface QUAAAC components for your strongest USP
Image credit: Hedera Baltica
I recently learned that one of the great secrets to QVC’s multi-billion-dollar success is to get shoppers to ask the question, “Is this me?” and then answer with a, “Yes”. USPs should work just like this! You’ll have noticed that we turned the slogan and mission statement toward the customer in our example USP above, in hopes that they will see themselves in the details. In other words, we’re hoping the customer will ask, “Is this me who wants to shop for organic groceries at a time-honored store, and contribute to sustainability?” and find themselves saying, “Yes”.
Choosing the right details to highlight, when you have a limited amount of space, really matters! Let’s get our ducks in a row with a practice session of writing USPs together, breaking down our options into six basic components:
Quality
If our example grocery store decided that it was the high quality of their inventory that should star in their USP, based on what they’ve learned matters most to their customers, we could write a proposition like this:
Shop all-organic groceries, many sourced locally from our community’s best farmers, for peak quality you can taste!
In other instances, customers’ search for value underlies their quest for quality. They want to know what the highest quality is that they can afford on their budget. In that case, a USP might emphasize cheapness, deals, discounts, or specials. Brands like Imperfect Foods aim to deliver inventory that’s of good quality, if not flawless, and that’s easier on wallets, as made clear by their USP:
Get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.
The skill required here is to match the economic realities of your customer base to the best quality their money can buy. Whether the inventory is luxury goods or the most affordable deals, nearly all customers want good value.
Uniqueness
If your business model relies on providing something rare, uniqueness might deserve emphasis in your USP. For our grocery store, we might say:
Tired of reading labels? Shop trustingly at Marin County’s only 100% organic grocery store.
Perhaps my favorite example of a USP based on uniqueness comes from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, which reads:
Come and explore the powerful Klamath River on a spiritual adventure that will take you back in time, hearing only the quiet chatter of wildlife as you glide along the water’s surface.
This Indigenous-owned business is offering an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else in the world, and it’s a great illustration of building romance around rarity.
Availability
Simple availability can be an easy USP starting point for almost any business, because so many customer searches begin with the question, “I wonder if X business offers X good or service.”
I often recall seeing storefront signage for a business that had started out as “Pens Unlimited” and then presumably appended the slogan “More than just pens” to its messaging as they expanded, leaving me guessing about what the company actually offered. If your inventory is highly varied, it can be a challenge to fit it all into a business name or slogan, but a slightly longer USP can help. Our grocery store might highlight availability like this:
Shop organic produce, dry goods, supplements and award-winning prepared meals at Marin’s largest natural foods store.
As another example, the website of this SMB shoe store may not be state-of-the-art, but their USP immediately answers the question of “I wonder if they have X?”:
Shoe store offering fashionable dress, comfort, boots, and athletic shoes for men and women.
If a potential customer wanted to know if this particular shop had comfort footwear, this USP does the job.
Authority
This is a proposition that works well when customers need a resource they can trust based on the availability of expertise or the proof of longevity. Our grocery store might say:
Shop Marin’s only grocery store owned by a sitting board member of the Organic Trade Association — locals have trusted our organic commitment since 1969.
Certifications can go a long way towards conveying authority. I found information of this kind buried deep in the loam of a Washington plant nursery, which could be brought forward to their homepage as an authority-based USP like this:
Shop plants with three Master Gardeners and two Certified Professional Horticulturists on-site to help you grow your dream garden!
Affinity
Some of my personal favorite USPs send signals of brand-consumer affinity — they convey that the local business operates on the basis of certain values shared by customers. Our sample grocery store is fertile ground for authentic proofs of community building, and could write a USP like this:
Be the change! Shopping with us benefits your whole community, from free organic meal programs for students and elders, to our Deep Green Energy commitment, to profits shared by all employees.
Meanwhile, outdoor outfitter Patagonia takes a similar approach with this USP:
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And sometimes, a USP can blend more than one element. The gorgeous website of The Red Door catering company has signals of both authority and affinity that could be stirred together for an inspirational, aspirational message, like:
MBE-Certified, Women-Owned, ICA member caterers prepare local, organic feasts for your unforgettable event.
Convenience
When ease is paramount for customers, convenience-based USPs can send a good message. Our grocery store might write:
Try convenient online ordering, curbside pickup, and prepared meals, or walk in just minutes from any downtown neighborhood to our organic grocery store.
Sometimes, location is all it takes to convey convenience. I love this ultra-simple USP from Deer Valley Grocery, which happens to have a beautiful waterside destination location:
“Enjoy breakfast and lunch lakeside.”
It can’t get shorter or sweeter than that.
I hope this practice session was useful. Now, we need to determine the most effective components for a particular local business you’re marketing.
Let customer content inspire your USP
Sentiment trends in your reviews, Q&A, and social media comments can point the way to what your customers value most about what your business does. These forms of user-generated content (UGC) can be a big help in determining which elements could be most effective if centered in your USP.
Start by searching Google for your brand name so that your Google Business Profile appears on the left of the screen (if your brand name search doesn’t work, add your city to your query. If that doesn’t work, you may need to learn the basics of local SEO first so that you build enough authority for Google to associate branded searches with your local business listing). Click on the “View All Reviews” portion of your profile and look at the Place Topics Google has surfaced in the oval tabs at the top of your review display.
Place Topics are an accessible, free form of basic sentiment analysis, highlighting topics mentioned most frequently in your reviews. If we had no other information about our grocery store than this, we could write a customer-centric USP along these lines:
Done with Whole Foods? Shop sustainable, fresh produce, our scrumptious salad bar, and healthy vegan choices at our Mill Valley market.
The great thing about Place Topics is that when you click on them, they sort the review corpus to show only reviews that contain the chosen topic. For example, when I click the “produce” tab, this deepens my understanding of exactly what customers are saying about the fruits and veggies at this store:
If we decided produce was uppermost in our customers’ minds, we could refine our USP like this:
Shop “the best produce in Marin” — unlike Whole Foods, we’re 100% organic and locally-owned!
Definitely dig deeply into your reviews to find out what really resonates with your customers. Moz Local customers have the added advantage of our sentiment analysis and trend features to help you go beyond Google and understand dominant review topics across multiple platforms.
If a local business has active social media profiles, customer likes and comments can also provide insight. Looking back through our grocery store’s Facebook posts, I caught the moment early in 2020 when a simple inspirational post received an unusually high amount of likes and loves, and comments from customers saying how much they missed the store and wished delivery was available:
Happily, the business was able to utilize this moment of community interaction to announce the debut of their curbside and delivery service:
A major change in operations, which so many local businesses underwent as a result of the pandemic, could be a strong reason to temporarily alter a company’s core USP for the purpose of quickly disseminating new information. For example, the market might have publicized this message:
Your organic groceries are now available via curbside and delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo through our new shopping cart.
Other sources of USP-inspiring UGC could include FAQs the business receives via Google Q&A, phone calls, and form submissions — very good reasons to be empowering relevant staff to actively track this type of sentiment. Meanwhile, searcher behavior (if not content) could further refine your USP messaging. Consider using Google Trends or keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to discover popular search terms related to what your business offers, and that could be effective if incorporated into your proposition.
Where should you publicize your local business USP?
Image Credit: Chris Hottentot
One you’ve put in the work of crafting a strong USP, be sure you are nesting it in as many places as make sense, including:
Website masthead
Website homepage
Website about/mission page
Website contact page
Website location landing pages
Website footer
Website title tags
Website meta description tags
Website Header tags
Alt tags (if appropriate to describing images)
Blog posts
Email campaigns
Email signatures
Google My Business description
Google Posts
Google Q&A (if it answers an FAQ)
Descriptions on all local business listings and review profiles (use Moz Local for a quick data push!)
Carefully-worded review requests in hopes that reviewers will talk about aspects of your USP that matter most to them
Social media profiles
Social media posts
Digital ad campaigns
Guest post profiles
Storefront or in-store signage
Billboards
Radio and television ad campaigns
Print news campaigns
Mailers, circulars, and other print assets
Business cards
Company vehicles
Employee apparel
Company swag
With such amazing, multifarious applications, it’s easy to see the worth of investing time and care into developing a meaningful USP. You might adjust the wording slightly, based on medium, and you might even create several propositions for different purposes, seasons, or testing periods.
What I think you’ll learn from practicing perfecting your USP is that, like so much else in marketing, it comes down to great storytelling in a limited space, with eyes firmly set on engaging customers with a message of readiness that deftly meets their needs.
0 notes
thanhtuandoan89 · 3 years
Text
How to Create Your Local Business USP with QUAAAC + UGC
I’m new in town and have never heard of your business before. I’m looking for an explanation that’s as quick and easy to read as a street sign.
You have just a few seconds to convey to me what your local business offers and why customers like it. Then I’ll take a few seconds to determine whether what you’ve said matches my needs.
From this moment forward, we either walk the next steps of the consumer-brand journey arm-in-arm, or I wing off in another direction looking for a better match. I could become a loyal customer for decades, or I might never think of your business again.
That’s how important and fleeting the moment of opportunity can be when a customer encounters a unique selling proposition (USP) highlighted by a local business. In Chapter 3 of The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide, we reference how a clear USP underpins SEO, and it’s a topic that deserves a deeper dive. For new neighbors, travelers, and residents in search of new goods and services, the USP is a sign you can hang in many places.
In this article, we’ll actively practice writing compelling USPs for real-world local businesses based on six simple components. Further, I’ll teach you to see a brand you’re marketing from the viewpoint of customers on the basis of user generated content (UGC).
First, what’s a USP?
A unique selling proposition in marketing is a brief statement that’s typically defined as distinguishing a brand and its offerings from its competitors. It’s not the same thing as the catchphrase found in slogans and jingles (e.g. “Reach out and touch someone” or “Just Do It”), which, while memorable, may only vaguely hint at what a business is or does. Instead, a USP should clearly define whether what a business is, does, and has matches the intent of the customer, and the art involved is in learning to convey a lot of meaning in very few words.
If you learn best from real-world examples, here’s an independent grocery store that has put its slogan and mission statement on its website homepage:
If we were tasked with creating a USP, just from this information, we would write something like this:
Shop the oldest and largest organic grocery store in Marin County to actively support our community’s health and sustainability.
If I happen to be looking for a market with a big selection of organics that’s been trusted by locals for many years and I want my dollars to work towards sustainability, my intent will have been perfectly matched by this USP.
Local businesses have an advantage over virtual competitors in that circumstances auto-generate one of the “unique” aspects of the company message: being present in a specific town or city makes your brand a unique resource for people there, as opposed to selling to the world at large. Pair locale with local rarity for a smart combination. The “selling” aspects of this type of content should inspire actionable language on your part; words like “shop”, “experience”, “visit” are mini calls-to-action embedded in the USP. Think of the “proposition” as making an offer you hope the right potential customer can’t refuse because it ideally matches their intent.
There are just 19 words in our sample USP, but it contains multiple intent signals, and now we need to learn how to break those down by type so that you can develop your own messaging for the local brands you market.
Surface QUAAAC components for your strongest USP
Image credit: Hedera Baltica
I recently learned that one of the great secrets to QVC’s multi-billion-dollar success is to get shoppers to ask the question, “Is this me?” and then answer with a, “Yes”. USPs should work just like this! You’ll have noticed that we turned the slogan and mission statement toward the customer in our example USP above, in hopes that they will see themselves in the details. In other words, we’re hoping the customer will ask, “Is this me who wants to shop for organic groceries at a time-honored store, and contribute to sustainability?” and find themselves saying, “Yes”.
Choosing the right details to highlight, when you have a limited amount of space, really matters! Let’s get our ducks in a row with a practice session of writing USPs together, breaking down our options into six basic components:
Quality
If our example grocery store decided that it was the high quality of their inventory that should star in their USP, based on what they’ve learned matters most to their customers, we could write a proposition like this:
Shop all-organic groceries, many sourced locally from our community’s best farmers, for peak quality you can taste!
In other instances, customers’ search for value underlies their quest for quality. They want to know what the highest quality is that they can afford on their budget. In that case, a USP might emphasize cheapness, deals, discounts, or specials. Brands like Imperfect Foods aim to deliver inventory that’s of good quality, if not flawless, and that’s easier on wallets, as made clear by their USP:
Get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.
The skill required here is to match the economic realities of your customer base to the best quality their money can buy. Whether the inventory is luxury goods or the most affordable deals, nearly all customers want good value.
Uniqueness
If your business model relies on providing something rare, uniqueness might deserve emphasis in your USP. For our grocery store, we might say:
Tired of reading labels? Shop trustingly at Marin County’s only 100% organic grocery store.
Perhaps my favorite example of a USP based on uniqueness comes from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, which reads:
Come and explore the powerful Klamath River on a spiritual adventure that will take you back in time, hearing only the quiet chatter of wildlife as you glide along the water’s surface.
This Indigenous-owned business is offering an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else in the world, and it’s a great illustration of building romance around rarity.
Availability
Simple availability can be an easy USP starting point for almost any business, because so many customer searches begin with the question, “I wonder if X business offers X good or service.”
I often recall seeing storefront signage for a business that had started out as “Pens Unlimited” and then presumably appended the slogan “More than just pens” to its messaging as they expanded, leaving me guessing about what the company actually offered. If your inventory is highly varied, it can be a challenge to fit it all into a business name or slogan, but a slightly longer USP can help. Our grocery store might highlight availability like this:
Shop organic produce, dry goods, supplements and award-winning prepared meals at Marin’s largest natural foods store.
As another example, the website of this SMB shoe store may not be state-of-the-art, but their USP immediately answers the question of “I wonder if they have X?”:
Shoe store offering fashionable dress, comfort, boots, and athletic shoes for men and women.
If a potential customer wanted to know if this particular shop had comfort footwear, this USP does the job.
Authority
This is a proposition that works well when customers need a resource they can trust based on the availability of expertise or the proof of longevity. Our grocery store might say:
Shop Marin’s only grocery store owned by a sitting board member of the Organic Trade Association — locals have trusted our organic commitment since 1969.
Certifications can go a long way towards conveying authority. I found information of this kind buried deep in the loam of a Washington plant nursery, which could be brought forward to their homepage as an authority-based USP like this:
Shop plants with three Master Gardeners and two Certified Professional Horticulturists on-site to help you grow your dream garden!
Affinity
Some of my personal favorite USPs send signals of brand-consumer affinity — they convey that the local business operates on the basis of certain values shared by customers. Our sample grocery store is fertile ground for authentic proofs of community building, and could write a USP like this:
Be the change! Shopping with us benefits your whole community, from free organic meal programs for students and elders, to our Deep Green Energy commitment, to profits shared by all employees.
Meanwhile, outdoor outfitter Patagonia takes a similar approach with this USP:
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And sometimes, a USP can blend more than one element. The gorgeous website of The Red Door catering company has signals of both authority and affinity that could be stirred together for an inspirational, aspirational message, like:
MBE-Certified, Women-Owned, ICA member caterers prepare local, organic feasts for your unforgettable event.
Convenience
When ease is paramount for customers, convenience-based USPs can send a good message. Our grocery store might write:
Try convenient online ordering, curbside pickup, and prepared meals, or walk in just minutes from any downtown neighborhood to our organic grocery store.
Sometimes, location is all it takes to convey convenience. I love this ultra-simple USP from Deer Valley Grocery, which happens to have a beautiful waterside destination location:
“Enjoy breakfast and lunch lakeside.”
It can’t get shorter or sweeter than that.
I hope this practice session was useful. Now, we need to determine the most effective components for a particular local business you’re marketing.
Let customer content inspire your USP
Sentiment trends in your reviews, Q&A, and social media comments can point the way to what your customers value most about what your business does. These forms of user-generated content (UGC) can be a big help in determining which elements could be most effective if centered in your USP.
Start by searching Google for your brand name so that your Google Business Profile appears on the left of the screen (if your brand name search doesn’t work, add your city to your query. If that doesn’t work, you may need to learn the basics of local SEO first so that you build enough authority for Google to associate branded searches with your local business listing). Click on the “View All Reviews” portion of your profile and look at the Place Topics Google has surfaced in the oval tabs at the top of your review display.
Place Topics are an accessible, free form of basic sentiment analysis, highlighting topics mentioned most frequently in your reviews. If we had no other information about our grocery store than this, we could write a customer-centric USP along these lines:
Done with Whole Foods? Shop sustainable, fresh produce, our scrumptious salad bar, and healthy vegan choices at our Mill Valley market.
The great thing about Place Topics is that when you click on them, they sort the review corpus to show only reviews that contain the chosen topic. For example, when I click the “produce” tab, this deepens my understanding of exactly what customers are saying about the fruits and veggies at this store:
If we decided produce was uppermost in our customers’ minds, we could refine our USP like this:
Shop “the best produce in Marin” — unlike Whole Foods, we’re 100% organic and locally-owned!
Definitely dig deeply into your reviews to find out what really resonates with your customers. Moz Local customers have the added advantage of our sentiment analysis and trend features to help you go beyond Google and understand dominant review topics across multiple platforms.
If a local business has active social media profiles, customer likes and comments can also provide insight. Looking back through our grocery store’s Facebook posts, I caught the moment early in 2020 when a simple inspirational post received an unusually high amount of likes and loves, and comments from customers saying how much they missed the store and wished delivery was available:
Happily, the business was able to utilize this moment of community interaction to announce the debut of their curbside and delivery service:
A major change in operations, which so many local businesses underwent as a result of the pandemic, could be a strong reason to temporarily alter a company’s core USP for the purpose of quickly disseminating new information. For example, the market might have publicized this message:
Your organic groceries are now available via curbside and delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo through our new shopping cart.
Other sources of USP-inspiring UGC could include FAQs the business receives via Google Q&A, phone calls, and form submissions — very good reasons to be empowering relevant staff to actively track this type of sentiment. Meanwhile, searcher behavior (if not content) could further refine your USP messaging. Consider using Google Trends or keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to discover popular search terms related to what your business offers, and that could be effective if incorporated into your proposition.
Where should you publicize your local business USP?
Image Credit: Chris Hottentot
One you’ve put in the work of crafting a strong USP, be sure you are nesting it in as many places as make sense, including:
Website masthead
Website homepage
Website about/mission page
Website contact page
Website location landing pages
Website footer
Website title tags
Website meta description tags
Website Header tags
Alt tags (if appropriate to describing images)
Blog posts
Email campaigns
Email signatures
Google My Business description
Google Posts
Google Q&A (if it answers an FAQ)
Descriptions on all local business listings and review profiles (use Moz Local for a quick data push!)
Carefully-worded review requests in hopes that reviewers will talk about aspects of your USP that matter most to them
Social media profiles
Social media posts
Digital ad campaigns
Guest post profiles
Storefront or in-store signage
Billboards
Radio and television ad campaigns
Print news campaigns
Mailers, circulars, and other print assets
Business cards
Company vehicles
Employee apparel
Company swag
With such amazing, multifarious applications, it’s easy to see the worth of investing time and care into developing a meaningful USP. You might adjust the wording slightly, based on medium, and you might even create several propositions for different purposes, seasons, or testing periods.
What I think you’ll learn from practicing perfecting your USP is that, like so much else in marketing, it comes down to great storytelling in a limited space, with eyes firmly set on engaging customers with a message of readiness that deftly meets their needs.
0 notes
kjt-lawyers · 3 years
Text
How to Create Your Local Business USP with QUAAAC + UGC
I’m new in town and have never heard of your business before. I’m looking for an explanation that’s as quick and easy to read as a street sign.
You have just a few seconds to convey to me what your local business offers and why customers like it. Then I’ll take a few seconds to determine whether what you’ve said matches my needs.
From this moment forward, we either walk the next steps of the consumer-brand journey arm-in-arm, or I wing off in another direction looking for a better match. I could become a loyal customer for decades, or I might never think of your business again.
That’s how important and fleeting the moment of opportunity can be when a customer encounters a unique selling proposition (USP) highlighted by a local business. In Chapter 3 of The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide, we reference how a clear USP underpins SEO, and it’s a topic that deserves a deeper dive. For new neighbors, travelers, and residents in search of new goods and services, the USP is a sign you can hang in many places.
In this article, we’ll actively practice writing compelling USPs for real-world local businesses based on six simple components. Further, I’ll teach you to see a brand you’re marketing from the viewpoint of customers on the basis of user generated content (UGC).
First, what’s a USP?
A unique selling proposition in marketing is a brief statement that’s typically defined as distinguishing a brand and its offerings from its competitors. It’s not the same thing as the catchphrase found in slogans and jingles (e.g. “Reach out and touch someone” or “Just Do It”), which, while memorable, may only vaguely hint at what a business is or does. Instead, a USP should clearly define whether what a business is, does, and has matches the intent of the customer, and the art involved is in learning to convey a lot of meaning in very few words.
If you learn best from real-world examples, here’s an independent grocery store that has put its slogan and mission statement on its website homepage:
If we were tasked with creating a USP, just from this information, we would write something like this:
Shop the oldest and largest organic grocery store in Marin County to actively support our community’s health and sustainability.
If I happen to be looking for a market with a big selection of organics that’s been trusted by locals for many years and I want my dollars to work towards sustainability, my intent will have been perfectly matched by this USP.
Local businesses have an advantage over virtual competitors in that circumstances auto-generate one of the “unique” aspects of the company message: being present in a specific town or city makes your brand a unique resource for people there, as opposed to selling to the world at large. Pair locale with local rarity for a smart combination. The “selling” aspects of this type of content should inspire actionable language on your part; words like “shop”, “experience”, “visit” are mini calls-to-action embedded in the USP. Think of the “proposition” as making an offer you hope the right potential customer can’t refuse because it ideally matches their intent.
There are just 19 words in our sample USP, but it contains multiple intent signals, and now we need to learn how to break those down by type so that you can develop your own messaging for the local brands you market.
Surface QUAAAC components for your strongest USP
Image credit: Hedera Baltica
I recently learned that one of the great secrets to QVC’s multi-billion-dollar success is to get shoppers to ask the question, “Is this me?” and then answer with a, “Yes”. USPs should work just like this! You’ll have noticed that we turned the slogan and mission statement toward the customer in our example USP above, in hopes that they will see themselves in the details. In other words, we’re hoping the customer will ask, “Is this me who wants to shop for organic groceries at a time-honored store, and contribute to sustainability?” and find themselves saying, “Yes”.
Choosing the right details to highlight, when you have a limited amount of space, really matters! Let’s get our ducks in a row with a practice session of writing USPs together, breaking down our options into six basic components:
Quality
If our example grocery store decided that it was the high quality of their inventory that should star in their USP, based on what they’ve learned matters most to their customers, we could write a proposition like this:
Shop all-organic groceries, many sourced locally from our community’s best farmers, for peak quality you can taste!
In other instances, customers’ search for value underlies their quest for quality. They want to know what the highest quality is that they can afford on their budget. In that case, a USP might emphasize cheapness, deals, discounts, or specials. Brands like Imperfect Foods aim to deliver inventory that’s of good quality, if not flawless, and that’s easier on wallets, as made clear by their USP:
Get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.
The skill required here is to match the economic realities of your customer base to the best quality their money can buy. Whether the inventory is luxury goods or the most affordable deals, nearly all customers want good value.
Uniqueness
If your business model relies on providing something rare, uniqueness might deserve emphasis in your USP. For our grocery store, we might say:
Tired of reading labels? Shop trustingly at Marin County’s only 100% organic grocery store.
Perhaps my favorite example of a USP based on uniqueness comes from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, which reads:
Come and explore the powerful Klamath River on a spiritual adventure that will take you back in time, hearing only the quiet chatter of wildlife as you glide along the water’s surface.
This Indigenous-owned business is offering an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else in the world, and it’s a great illustration of building romance around rarity.
Availability
Simple availability can be an easy USP starting point for almost any business, because so many customer searches begin with the question, “I wonder if X business offers X good or service.”
I often recall seeing storefront signage for a business that had started out as “Pens Unlimited” and then presumably appended the slogan “More than just pens” to its messaging as they expanded, leaving me guessing about what the company actually offered. If your inventory is highly varied, it can be a challenge to fit it all into a business name or slogan, but a slightly longer USP can help. Our grocery store might highlight availability like this:
Shop organic produce, dry goods, supplements and award-winning prepared meals at Marin’s largest natural foods store.
As another example, the website of this SMB shoe store may not be state-of-the-art, but their USP immediately answers the question of “I wonder if they have X?”:
Shoe store offering fashionable dress, comfort, boots, and athletic shoes for men and women.
If a potential customer wanted to know if this particular shop had comfort footwear, this USP does the job.
Authority
This is a proposition that works well when customers need a resource they can trust based on the availability of expertise or the proof of longevity. Our grocery store might say:
Shop Marin’s only grocery store owned by a sitting board member of the Organic Trade Association — locals have trusted our organic commitment since 1969.
Certifications can go a long way towards conveying authority. I found information of this kind buried deep in the loam of a Washington plant nursery, which could be brought forward to their homepage as an authority-based USP like this:
Shop plants with three Master Gardeners and two Certified Professional Horticulturists on-site to help you grow your dream garden!
Affinity
Some of my personal favorite USPs send signals of brand-consumer affinity — they convey that the local business operates on the basis of certain values shared by customers. Our sample grocery store is fertile ground for authentic proofs of community building, and could write a USP like this:
Be the change! Shopping with us benefits your whole community, from free organic meal programs for students and elders, to our Deep Green Energy commitment, to profits shared by all employees.
Meanwhile, outdoor outfitter Patagonia takes a similar approach with this USP:
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And sometimes, a USP can blend more than one element. The gorgeous website of The Red Door catering company has signals of both authority and affinity that could be stirred together for an inspirational, aspirational message, like:
MBE-Certified, Women-Owned, ICA member caterers prepare local, organic feasts for your unforgettable event.
Convenience
When ease is paramount for customers, convenience-based USPs can send a good message. Our grocery store might write:
Try convenient online ordering, curbside pickup, and prepared meals, or walk in just minutes from any downtown neighborhood to our organic grocery store.
Sometimes, location is all it takes to convey convenience. I love this ultra-simple USP from Deer Valley Grocery, which happens to have a beautiful waterside destination location:
“Enjoy breakfast and lunch lakeside.”
It can’t get shorter or sweeter than that.
I hope this practice session was useful. Now, we need to determine the most effective components for a particular local business you’re marketing.
Let customer content inspire your USP
Sentiment trends in your reviews, Q&A, and social media comments can point the way to what your customers value most about what your business does. These forms of user-generated content (UGC) can be a big help in determining which elements could be most effective if centered in your USP.
Start by searching Google for your brand name so that your Google Business Profile appears on the left of the screen (if your brand name search doesn’t work, add your city to your query. If that doesn’t work, you may need to learn the basics of local SEO first so that you build enough authority for Google to associate branded searches with your local business listing). Click on the “View All Reviews” portion of your profile and look at the Place Topics Google has surfaced in the oval tabs at the top of your review display.
Place Topics are an accessible, free form of basic sentiment analysis, highlighting topics mentioned most frequently in your reviews. If we had no other information about our grocery store than this, we could write a customer-centric USP along these lines:
Done with Whole Foods? Shop sustainable, fresh produce, our scrumptious salad bar, and healthy vegan choices at our Mill Valley market.
The great thing about Place Topics is that when you click on them, they sort the review corpus to show only reviews that contain the chosen topic. For example, when I click the “produce” tab, this deepens my understanding of exactly what customers are saying about the fruits and veggies at this store:
If we decided produce was uppermost in our customers’ minds, we could refine our USP like this:
Shop “the best produce in Marin” — unlike Whole Foods, we’re 100% organic and locally-owned!
Definitely dig deeply into your reviews to find out what really resonates with your customers. Moz Local customers have the added advantage of our sentiment analysis and trend features to help you go beyond Google and understand dominant review topics across multiple platforms.
If a local business has active social media profiles, customer likes and comments can also provide insight. Looking back through our grocery store’s Facebook posts, I caught the moment early in 2020 when a simple inspirational post received an unusually high amount of likes and loves, and comments from customers saying how much they missed the store and wished delivery was available:
Happily, the business was able to utilize this moment of community interaction to announce the debut of their curbside and delivery service:
A major change in operations, which so many local businesses underwent as a result of the pandemic, could be a strong reason to temporarily alter a company’s core USP for the purpose of quickly disseminating new information. For example, the market might have publicized this message:
Your organic groceries are now available via curbside and delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo through our new shopping cart.
Other sources of USP-inspiring UGC could include FAQs the business receives via Google Q&A, phone calls, and form submissions — very good reasons to be empowering relevant staff to actively track this type of sentiment. Meanwhile, searcher behavior (if not content) could further refine your USP messaging. Consider using Google Trends or keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to discover popular search terms related to what your business offers, and that could be effective if incorporated into your proposition.
Where should you publicize your local business USP?
Image Credit: Chris Hottentot
One you’ve put in the work of crafting a strong USP, be sure you are nesting it in as many places as make sense, including:
Website masthead
Website homepage
Website about/mission page
Website contact page
Website location landing pages
Website footer
Website title tags
Website meta description tags
Website Header tags
Alt tags (if appropriate to describing images)
Blog posts
Email campaigns
Email signatures
Google My Business description
Google Posts
Google Q&A (if it answers an FAQ)
Descriptions on all local business listings and review profiles (use Moz Local for a quick data push!)
Carefully-worded review requests in hopes that reviewers will talk about aspects of your USP that matter most to them
Social media profiles
Social media posts
Digital ad campaigns
Guest post profiles
Storefront or in-store signage
Billboards
Radio and television ad campaigns
Print news campaigns
Mailers, circulars, and other print assets
Business cards
Company vehicles
Employee apparel
Company swag
With such amazing, multifarious applications, it’s easy to see the worth of investing time and care into developing a meaningful USP. You might adjust the wording slightly, based on medium, and you might even create several propositions for different purposes, seasons, or testing periods.
What I think you’ll learn from practicing perfecting your USP is that, like so much else in marketing, it comes down to great storytelling in a limited space, with eyes firmly set on engaging customers with a message of readiness that deftly meets their needs.
0 notes
gamebazu · 3 years
Text
How to Create Your Local Business USP with QUAAAC + UGC
I’m new in town and have never heard of your business before. I’m looking for an explanation that’s as quick and easy to read as a street sign.
You have just a few seconds to convey to me what your local business offers and why customers like it. Then I’ll take a few seconds to determine whether what you’ve said matches my needs.
From this moment forward, we either walk the next steps of the consumer-brand journey arm-in-arm, or I wing off in another direction looking for a better match. I could become a loyal customer for decades, or I might never think of your business again.
That’s how important and fleeting the moment of opportunity can be when a customer encounters a unique selling proposition (USP) highlighted by a local business. In Chapter 3 of The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide, we reference how a clear USP underpins SEO, and it’s a topic that deserves a deeper dive. For new neighbors, travelers, and residents in search of new goods and services, the USP is a sign you can hang in many places.
In this article, we’ll actively practice writing compelling USPs for real-world local businesses based on six simple components. Further, I’ll teach you to see a brand you’re marketing from the viewpoint of customers on the basis of user generated content (UGC).
First, what’s a USP?
A unique selling proposition in marketing is a brief statement that’s typically defined as distinguishing a brand and its offerings from its competitors. It’s not the same thing as the catchphrase found in slogans and jingles (e.g. “Reach out and touch someone” or “Just Do It”), which, while memorable, may only vaguely hint at what a business is or does. Instead, a USP should clearly define whether what a business is, does, and has matches the intent of the customer, and the art involved is in learning to convey a lot of meaning in very few words.
If you learn best from real-world examples, here’s an independent grocery store that has put its slogan and mission statement on its website homepage:
If we were tasked with creating a USP, just from this information, we would write something like this:
Shop the oldest and largest organic grocery store in Marin County to actively support our community’s health and sustainability.
If I happen to be looking for a market with a big selection of organics that’s been trusted by locals for many years and I want my dollars to work towards sustainability, my intent will have been perfectly matched by this USP.
Local businesses have an advantage over virtual competitors in that circumstances auto-generate one of the “unique” aspects of the company message: being present in a specific town or city makes your brand a unique resource for people there, as opposed to selling to the world at large. Pair locale with local rarity for a smart combination. The “selling” aspects of this type of content should inspire actionable language on your part; words like “shop”, “experience”, “visit” are mini calls-to-action embedded in the USP. Think of the “proposition” as making an offer you hope the right potential customer can’t refuse because it ideally matches their intent.
There are just 19 words in our sample USP, but it contains multiple intent signals, and now we need to learn how to break those down by type so that you can develop your own messaging for the local brands you market.
Surface QUAAAC components for your strongest USP
Image credit: Hedera Baltica
I recently learned that one of the great secrets to QVC’s multi-billion-dollar success is to get shoppers to ask the question, “Is this me?” and then answer with a, “Yes”. USPs should work just like this! You’ll have noticed that we turned the slogan and mission statement toward the customer in our example USP above, in hopes that they will see themselves in the details. In other words, we’re hoping the customer will ask, “Is this me who wants to shop for organic groceries at a time-honored store, and contribute to sustainability?” and find themselves saying, “Yes”.
Choosing the right details to highlight, when you have a limited amount of space, really matters! Let’s get our ducks in a row with a practice session of writing USPs together, breaking down our options into six basic components:
Quality
If our example grocery store decided that it was the high quality of their inventory that should star in their USP, based on what they’ve learned matters most to their customers, we could write a proposition like this:
Shop all-organic groceries, many sourced locally from our community’s best farmers, for peak quality you can taste!
In other instances, customers’ search for value underlies their quest for quality. They want to know what the highest quality is that they can afford on their budget. In that case, a USP might emphasize cheapness, deals, discounts, or specials. Brands like Imperfect Foods aim to deliver inventory that’s of good quality, if not flawless, and that’s easier on wallets, as made clear by their USP:
Get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.
The skill required here is to match the economic realities of your customer base to the best quality their money can buy. Whether the inventory is luxury goods or the most affordable deals, nearly all customers want good value.
Uniqueness
If your business model relies on providing something rare, uniqueness might deserve emphasis in your USP. For our grocery store, we might say:
Tired of reading labels? Shop trustingly at Marin County’s only 100% organic grocery store.
Perhaps my favorite example of a USP based on uniqueness comes from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, which reads:
Come and explore the powerful Klamath River on a spiritual adventure that will take you back in time, hearing only the quiet chatter of wildlife as you glide along the water’s surface.
This Indigenous-owned business is offering an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else in the world, and it’s a great illustration of building romance around rarity.
Availability
Simple availability can be an easy USP starting point for almost any business, because so many customer searches begin with the question, “I wonder if X business offers X good or service.”
I often recall seeing storefront signage for a business that had started out as “Pens Unlimited” and then presumably appended the slogan “More than just pens” to its messaging as they expanded, leaving me guessing about what the company actually offered. If your inventory is highly varied, it can be a challenge to fit it all into a business name or slogan, but a slightly longer USP can help. Our grocery store might highlight availability like this:
Shop organic produce, dry goods, supplements and award-winning prepared meals at Marin’s largest natural foods store.
As another example, the website of this SMB shoe store may not be state-of-the-art, but their USP immediately answers the question of “I wonder if they have X?”:
Shoe store offering fashionable dress, comfort, boots, and athletic shoes for men and women.
If a potential customer wanted to know if this particular shop had comfort footwear, this USP does the job.
Authority
This is a proposition that works well when customers need a resource they can trust based on the availability of expertise or the proof of longevity. Our grocery store might say:
Shop Marin’s only grocery store owned by a sitting board member of the Organic Trade Association — locals have trusted our organic commitment since 1969.
Certifications can go a long way towards conveying authority. I found information of this kind buried deep in the loam of a Washington plant nursery, which could be brought forward to their homepage as an authority-based USP like this:
Shop plants with three Master Gardeners and two Certified Professional Horticulturists on-site to help you grow your dream garden!
Affinity
Some of my personal favorite USPs send signals of brand-consumer affinity — they convey that the local business operates on the basis of certain values shared by customers. Our sample grocery store is fertile ground for authentic proofs of community building, and could write a USP like this:
Be the change! Shopping with us benefits your whole community, from free organic meal programs for students and elders, to our Deep Green Energy commitment, to profits shared by all employees.
Meanwhile, outdoor outfitter Patagonia takes a similar approach with this USP:
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And sometimes, a USP can blend more than one element. The gorgeous website of The Red Door catering company has signals of both authority and affinity that could be stirred together for an inspirational, aspirational message, like:
MBE-Certified, Women-Owned, ICA member caterers prepare local, organic feasts for your unforgettable event.
Convenience
When ease is paramount for customers, convenience-based USPs can send a good message. Our grocery store might write:
Try convenient online ordering, curbside pickup, and prepared meals, or walk in just minutes from any downtown neighborhood to our organic grocery store.
Sometimes, location is all it takes to convey convenience. I love this ultra-simple USP from Deer Valley Grocery, which happens to have a beautiful waterside destination location:
“Enjoy breakfast and lunch lakeside.”
It can’t get shorter or sweeter than that.
I hope this practice session was useful. Now, we need to determine the most effective components for a particular local business you’re marketing.
Let customer content inspire your USP
Sentiment trends in your reviews, Q&A, and social media comments can point the way to what your customers value most about what your business does. These forms of user-generated content (UGC) can be a big help in determining which elements could be most effective if centered in your USP.
Start by searching Google for your brand name so that your Google Business Profile appears on the left of the screen (if your brand name search doesn’t work, add your city to your query. If that doesn’t work, you may need to learn the basics of local SEO first so that you build enough authority for Google to associate branded searches with your local business listing). Click on the “View All Reviews” portion of your profile and look at the Place Topics Google has surfaced in the oval tabs at the top of your review display.
Place Topics are an accessible, free form of basic sentiment analysis, highlighting topics mentioned most frequently in your reviews. If we had no other information about our grocery store than this, we could write a customer-centric USP along these lines:
Done with Whole Foods? Shop sustainable, fresh produce, our scrumptious salad bar, and healthy vegan choices at our Mill Valley market.
The great thing about Place Topics is that when you click on them, they sort the review corpus to show only reviews that contain the chosen topic. For example, when I click the “produce” tab, this deepens my understanding of exactly what customers are saying about the fruits and veggies at this store:
If we decided produce was uppermost in our customers’ minds, we could refine our USP like this:
Shop “the best produce in Marin” — unlike Whole Foods, we’re 100% organic and locally-owned!
Definitely dig deeply into your reviews to find out what really resonates with your customers. Moz Local customers have the added advantage of our sentiment analysis and trend features to help you go beyond Google and understand dominant review topics across multiple platforms.
If a local business has active social media profiles, customer likes and comments can also provide insight. Looking back through our grocery store’s Facebook posts, I caught the moment early in 2020 when a simple inspirational post received an unusually high amount of likes and loves, and comments from customers saying how much they missed the store and wished delivery was available:
Happily, the business was able to utilize this moment of community interaction to announce the debut of their curbside and delivery service:
A major change in operations, which so many local businesses underwent as a result of the pandemic, could be a strong reason to temporarily alter a company’s core USP for the purpose of quickly disseminating new information. For example, the market might have publicized this message:
Your organic groceries are now available via curbside and delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo through our new shopping cart.
Other sources of USP-inspiring UGC could include FAQs the business receives via Google Q&A, phone calls, and form submissions — very good reasons to be empowering relevant staff to actively track this type of sentiment. Meanwhile, searcher behavior (if not content) could further refine your USP messaging. Consider using Google Trends or keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to discover popular search terms related to what your business offers, and that could be effective if incorporated into your proposition.
Where should you publicize your local business USP?
Image Credit: Chris Hottentot
One you’ve put in the work of crafting a strong USP, be sure you are nesting it in as many places as make sense, including:
Website masthead
Website homepage
Website about/mission page
Website contact page
Website location landing pages
Website footer
Website title tags
Website meta description tags
Website Header tags
Alt tags (if appropriate to describing images)
Blog posts
Email campaigns
Email signatures
Google My Business description
Google Posts
Google Q&A (if it answers an FAQ)
Descriptions on all local business listings and review profiles (use Moz Local for a quick data push!)
Carefully-worded review requests in hopes that reviewers will talk about aspects of your USP that matter most to them
Social media profiles
Social media posts
Digital ad campaigns
Guest post profiles
Storefront or in-store signage
Billboards
Radio and television ad campaigns
Print news campaigns
Mailers, circulars, and other print assets
Business cards
Company vehicles
Employee apparel
Company swag
With such amazing, multifarious applications, it’s easy to see the worth of investing time and care into developing a meaningful USP. You might adjust the wording slightly, based on medium, and you might even create several propositions for different purposes, seasons, or testing periods.
What I think you’ll learn from practicing perfecting your USP is that, like so much else in marketing, it comes down to great storytelling in a limited space, with eyes firmly set on engaging customers with a message of readiness that deftly meets their needs.
https://ift.tt/2TmbDHf
0 notes
camerasieunhovn · 3 years
Text
How to Create Your Local Business USP with QUAAAC + UGC
I’m new in town and have never heard of your business before. I’m looking for an explanation that’s as quick and easy to read as a street sign.
You have just a few seconds to convey to me what your local business offers and why customers like it. Then I’ll take a few seconds to determine whether what you’ve said matches my needs.
From this moment forward, we either walk the next steps of the consumer-brand journey arm-in-arm, or I wing off in another direction looking for a better match. I could become a loyal customer for decades, or I might never think of your business again.
That’s how important and fleeting the moment of opportunity can be when a customer encounters a unique selling proposition (USP) highlighted by a local business. In Chapter 3 of The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide, we reference how a clear USP underpins SEO, and it’s a topic that deserves a deeper dive. For new neighbors, travelers, and residents in search of new goods and services, the USP is a sign you can hang in many places.
In this article, we’ll actively practice writing compelling USPs for real-world local businesses based on six simple components. Further, I’ll teach you to see a brand you’re marketing from the viewpoint of customers on the basis of user generated content (UGC).
First, what’s a USP?
A unique selling proposition in marketing is a brief statement that’s typically defined as distinguishing a brand and its offerings from its competitors. It’s not the same thing as the catchphrase found in slogans and jingles (e.g. “Reach out and touch someone” or “Just Do It”), which, while memorable, may only vaguely hint at what a business is or does. Instead, a USP should clearly define whether what a business is, does, and has matches the intent of the customer, and the art involved is in learning to convey a lot of meaning in very few words.
If you learn best from real-world examples, here’s an independent grocery store that has put its slogan and mission statement on its website homepage:
If we were tasked with creating a USP, just from this information, we would write something like this:
Shop the oldest and largest organic grocery store in Marin County to actively support our community’s health and sustainability.
If I happen to be looking for a market with a big selection of organics that’s been trusted by locals for many years and I want my dollars to work towards sustainability, my intent will have been perfectly matched by this USP.
Local businesses have an advantage over virtual competitors in that circumstances auto-generate one of the “unique” aspects of the company message: being present in a specific town or city makes your brand a unique resource for people there, as opposed to selling to the world at large. Pair locale with local rarity for a smart combination. The “selling” aspects of this type of content should inspire actionable language on your part; words like “shop”, “experience”, “visit” are mini calls-to-action embedded in the USP. Think of the “proposition” as making an offer you hope the right potential customer can’t refuse because it ideally matches their intent.
There are just 19 words in our sample USP, but it contains multiple intent signals, and now we need to learn how to break those down by type so that you can develop your own messaging for the local brands you market.
Surface QUAAAC components for your strongest USP
Image credit: Hedera Baltica
I recently learned that one of the great secrets to QVC’s multi-billion-dollar success is to get shoppers to ask the question, “Is this me?” and then answer with a, “Yes”. USPs should work just like this! You’ll have noticed that we turned the slogan and mission statement toward the customer in our example USP above, in hopes that they will see themselves in the details. In other words, we’re hoping the customer will ask, “Is this me who wants to shop for organic groceries at a time-honored store, and contribute to sustainability?” and find themselves saying, “Yes”.
Choosing the right details to highlight, when you have a limited amount of space, really matters! Let’s get our ducks in a row with a practice session of writing USPs together, breaking down our options into six basic components:
Quality
If our example grocery store decided that it was the high quality of their inventory that should star in their USP, based on what they’ve learned matters most to their customers, we could write a proposition like this:
Shop all-organic groceries, many sourced locally from our community’s best farmers, for peak quality you can taste!
In other instances, customers’ search for value underlies their quest for quality. They want to know what the highest quality is that they can afford on their budget. In that case, a USP might emphasize cheapness, deals, discounts, or specials. Brands like Imperfect Foods aim to deliver inventory that’s of good quality, if not flawless, and that’s easier on wallets, as made clear by their USP:
Get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.
The skill required here is to match the economic realities of your customer base to the best quality their money can buy. Whether the inventory is luxury goods or the most affordable deals, nearly all customers want good value.
Uniqueness
If your business model relies on providing something rare, uniqueness might deserve emphasis in your USP. For our grocery store, we might say:
Tired of reading labels? Shop trustingly at Marin County’s only 100% organic grocery store.
Perhaps my favorite example of a USP based on uniqueness comes from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, which reads:
Come and explore the powerful Klamath River on a spiritual adventure that will take you back in time, hearing only the quiet chatter of wildlife as you glide along the water’s surface.
This Indigenous-owned business is offering an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else in the world, and it’s a great illustration of building romance around rarity.
Availability
Simple availability can be an easy USP starting point for almost any business, because so many customer searches begin with the question, “I wonder if X business offers X good or service.”
I often recall seeing storefront signage for a business that had started out as “Pens Unlimited” and then presumably appended the slogan “More than just pens” to its messaging as they expanded, leaving me guessing about what the company actually offered. If your inventory is highly varied, it can be a challenge to fit it all into a business name or slogan, but a slightly longer USP can help. Our grocery store might highlight availability like this:
Shop organic produce, dry goods, supplements and award-winning prepared meals at Marin’s largest natural foods store.
As another example, the website of this SMB shoe store may not be state-of-the-art, but their USP immediately answers the question of “I wonder if they have X?”:
Shoe store offering fashionable dress, comfort, boots, and athletic shoes for men and women.
If a potential customer wanted to know if this particular shop had comfort footwear, this USP does the job.
Authority
This is a proposition that works well when customers need a resource they can trust based on the availability of expertise or the proof of longevity. Our grocery store might say:
Shop Marin’s only grocery store owned by a sitting board member of the Organic Trade Association — locals have trusted our organic commitment since 1969.
Certifications can go a long way towards conveying authority. I found information of this kind buried deep in the loam of a Washington plant nursery, which could be brought forward to their homepage as an authority-based USP like this:
Shop plants with three Master Gardeners and two Certified Professional Horticulturists on-site to help you grow your dream garden!
Affinity
Some of my personal favorite USPs send signals of brand-consumer affinity — they convey that the local business operates on the basis of certain values shared by customers. Our sample grocery store is fertile ground for authentic proofs of community building, and could write a USP like this:
Be the change! Shopping with us benefits your whole community, from free organic meal programs for students and elders, to our Deep Green Energy commitment, to profits shared by all employees.
Meanwhile, outdoor outfitter Patagonia takes a similar approach with this USP:
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And sometimes, a USP can blend more than one element. The gorgeous website of The Red Door catering company has signals of both authority and affinity that could be stirred together for an inspirational, aspirational message, like:
MBE-Certified, Women-Owned, ICA member caterers prepare local, organic feasts for your unforgettable event.
Convenience
When ease is paramount for customers, convenience-based USPs can send a good message. Our grocery store might write:
Try convenient online ordering, curbside pickup, and prepared meals, or walk in just minutes from any downtown neighborhood to our organic grocery store.
Sometimes, location is all it takes to convey convenience. I love this ultra-simple USP from Deer Valley Grocery, which happens to have a beautiful waterside destination location:
“Enjoy breakfast and lunch lakeside.”
It can’t get shorter or sweeter than that.
I hope this practice session was useful. Now, we need to determine the most effective components for a particular local business you’re marketing.
Let customer content inspire your USP
Sentiment trends in your reviews, Q&A, and social media comments can point the way to what your customers value most about what your business does. These forms of user-generated content (UGC) can be a big help in determining which elements could be most effective if centered in your USP.
Start by searching Google for your brand name so that your Google Business Profile appears on the left of the screen (if your brand name search doesn’t work, add your city to your query. If that doesn’t work, you may need to learn the basics of local SEO first so that you build enough authority for Google to associate branded searches with your local business listing). Click on the “View All Reviews” portion of your profile and look at the Place Topics Google has surfaced in the oval tabs at the top of your review display.
Place Topics are an accessible, free form of basic sentiment analysis, highlighting topics mentioned most frequently in your reviews. If we had no other information about our grocery store than this, we could write a customer-centric USP along these lines:
Done with Whole Foods? Shop sustainable, fresh produce, our scrumptious salad bar, and healthy vegan choices at our Mill Valley market.
The great thing about Place Topics is that when you click on them, they sort the review corpus to show only reviews that contain the chosen topic. For example, when I click the “produce” tab, this deepens my understanding of exactly what customers are saying about the fruits and veggies at this store:
If we decided produce was uppermost in our customers’ minds, we could refine our USP like this:
Shop “the best produce in Marin” — unlike Whole Foods, we’re 100% organic and locally-owned!
Definitely dig deeply into your reviews to find out what really resonates with your customers. Moz Local customers have the added advantage of our sentiment analysis and trend features to help you go beyond Google and understand dominant review topics across multiple platforms.
If a local business has active social media profiles, customer likes and comments can also provide insight. Looking back through our grocery store’s Facebook posts, I caught the moment early in 2020 when a simple inspirational post received an unusually high amount of likes and loves, and comments from customers saying how much they missed the store and wished delivery was available:
Happily, the business was able to utilize this moment of community interaction to announce the debut of their curbside and delivery service:
A major change in operations, which so many local businesses underwent as a result of the pandemic, could be a strong reason to temporarily alter a company’s core USP for the purpose of quickly disseminating new information. For example, the market might have publicized this message:
Your organic groceries are now available via curbside and delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo through our new shopping cart.
Other sources of USP-inspiring UGC could include FAQs the business receives via Google Q&A, phone calls, and form submissions — very good reasons to be empowering relevant staff to actively track this type of sentiment. Meanwhile, searcher behavior (if not content) could further refine your USP messaging. Consider using Google Trends or keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to discover popular search terms related to what your business offers, and that could be effective if incorporated into your proposition.
Where should you publicize your local business USP?
Image Credit: Chris Hottentot
One you’ve put in the work of crafting a strong USP, be sure you are nesting it in as many places as make sense, including:
Website masthead
Website homepage
Website about/mission page
Website contact page
Website location landing pages
Website footer
Website title tags
Website meta description tags
Website Header tags
Alt tags (if appropriate to describing images)
Blog posts
Email campaigns
Email signatures
Google My Business description
Google Posts
Google Q&A (if it answers an FAQ)
Descriptions on all local business listings and review profiles (use Moz Local for a quick data push!)
Carefully-worded review requests in hopes that reviewers will talk about aspects of your USP that matter most to them
Social media profiles
Social media posts
Digital ad campaigns
Guest post profiles
Storefront or in-store signage
Billboards
Radio and television ad campaigns
Print news campaigns
Mailers, circulars, and other print assets
Business cards
Company vehicles
Employee apparel
Company swag
With such amazing, multifarious applications, it’s easy to see the worth of investing time and care into developing a meaningful USP. You might adjust the wording slightly, based on medium, and you might even create several propositions for different purposes, seasons, or testing periods.
What I think you’ll learn from practicing perfecting your USP is that, like so much else in marketing, it comes down to great storytelling in a limited space, with eyes firmly set on engaging customers with a message of readiness that deftly meets their needs.
0 notes
noithatotoaz · 3 years
Text
How to Create Your Local Business USP with QUAAAC + UGC
I’m new in town and have never heard of your business before. I’m looking for an explanation that’s as quick and easy to read as a street sign.
You have just a few seconds to convey to me what your local business offers and why customers like it. Then I’ll take a few seconds to determine whether what you’ve said matches my needs.
From this moment forward, we either walk the next steps of the consumer-brand journey arm-in-arm, or I wing off in another direction looking for a better match. I could become a loyal customer for decades, or I might never think of your business again.
That’s how important and fleeting the moment of opportunity can be when a customer encounters a unique selling proposition (USP) highlighted by a local business. In Chapter 3 of The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide, we reference how a clear USP underpins SEO, and it’s a topic that deserves a deeper dive. For new neighbors, travelers, and residents in search of new goods and services, the USP is a sign you can hang in many places.
In this article, we’ll actively practice writing compelling USPs for real-world local businesses based on six simple components. Further, I’ll teach you to see a brand you’re marketing from the viewpoint of customers on the basis of user generated content (UGC).
First, what’s a USP?
A unique selling proposition in marketing is a brief statement that’s typically defined as distinguishing a brand and its offerings from its competitors. It’s not the same thing as the catchphrase found in slogans and jingles (e.g. “Reach out and touch someone” or “Just Do It”), which, while memorable, may only vaguely hint at what a business is or does. Instead, a USP should clearly define whether what a business is, does, and has matches the intent of the customer, and the art involved is in learning to convey a lot of meaning in very few words.
If you learn best from real-world examples, here’s an independent grocery store that has put its slogan and mission statement on its website homepage:
If we were tasked with creating a USP, just from this information, we would write something like this:
Shop the oldest and largest organic grocery store in Marin County to actively support our community’s health and sustainability.
If I happen to be looking for a market with a big selection of organics that’s been trusted by locals for many years and I want my dollars to work towards sustainability, my intent will have been perfectly matched by this USP.
Local businesses have an advantage over virtual competitors in that circumstances auto-generate one of the “unique” aspects of the company message: being present in a specific town or city makes your brand a unique resource for people there, as opposed to selling to the world at large. Pair locale with local rarity for a smart combination. The “selling” aspects of this type of content should inspire actionable language on your part; words like “shop”, “experience”, “visit” are mini calls-to-action embedded in the USP. Think of the “proposition” as making an offer you hope the right potential customer can’t refuse because it ideally matches their intent.
There are just 19 words in our sample USP, but it contains multiple intent signals, and now we need to learn how to break those down by type so that you can develop your own messaging for the local brands you market.
Surface QUAAAC components for your strongest USP
Image credit: Hedera Baltica
I recently learned that one of the great secrets to QVC’s multi-billion-dollar success is to get shoppers to ask the question, “Is this me?” and then answer with a, “Yes”. USPs should work just like this! You’ll have noticed that we turned the slogan and mission statement toward the customer in our example USP above, in hopes that they will see themselves in the details. In other words, we’re hoping the customer will ask, “Is this me who wants to shop for organic groceries at a time-honored store, and contribute to sustainability?” and find themselves saying, “Yes”.
Choosing the right details to highlight, when you have a limited amount of space, really matters! Let’s get our ducks in a row with a practice session of writing USPs together, breaking down our options into six basic components:
Quality
If our example grocery store decided that it was the high quality of their inventory that should star in their USP, based on what they’ve learned matters most to their customers, we could write a proposition like this:
Shop all-organic groceries, many sourced locally from our community’s best farmers, for peak quality you can taste!
In other instances, customers’ search for value underlies their quest for quality. They want to know what the highest quality is that they can afford on their budget. In that case, a USP might emphasize cheapness, deals, discounts, or specials. Brands like Imperfect Foods aim to deliver inventory that’s of good quality, if not flawless, and that’s easier on wallets, as made clear by their USP:
Get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.
The skill required here is to match the economic realities of your customer base to the best quality their money can buy. Whether the inventory is luxury goods or the most affordable deals, nearly all customers want good value.
Uniqueness
If your business model relies on providing something rare, uniqueness might deserve emphasis in your USP. For our grocery store, we might say:
Tired of reading labels? Shop trustingly at Marin County’s only 100% organic grocery store.
Perhaps my favorite example of a USP based on uniqueness comes from Redwood Yurok Canoe Tours, which reads:
Come and explore the powerful Klamath River on a spiritual adventure that will take you back in time, hearing only the quiet chatter of wildlife as you glide along the water’s surface.
This Indigenous-owned business is offering an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else in the world, and it’s a great illustration of building romance around rarity.
Availability
Simple availability can be an easy USP starting point for almost any business, because so many customer searches begin with the question, “I wonder if X business offers X good or service.”
I often recall seeing storefront signage for a business that had started out as “Pens Unlimited” and then presumably appended the slogan “More than just pens” to its messaging as they expanded, leaving me guessing about what the company actually offered. If your inventory is highly varied, it can be a challenge to fit it all into a business name or slogan, but a slightly longer USP can help. Our grocery store might highlight availability like this:
Shop organic produce, dry goods, supplements and award-winning prepared meals at Marin’s largest natural foods store.
As another example, the website of this SMB shoe store may not be state-of-the-art, but their USP immediately answers the question of “I wonder if they have X?”:
Shoe store offering fashionable dress, comfort, boots, and athletic shoes for men and women.
If a potential customer wanted to know if this particular shop had comfort footwear, this USP does the job.
Authority
This is a proposition that works well when customers need a resource they can trust based on the availability of expertise or the proof of longevity. Our grocery store might say:
Shop Marin’s only grocery store owned by a sitting board member of the Organic Trade Association — locals have trusted our organic commitment since 1969.
Certifications can go a long way towards conveying authority. I found information of this kind buried deep in the loam of a Washington plant nursery, which could be brought forward to their homepage as an authority-based USP like this:
Shop plants with three Master Gardeners and two Certified Professional Horticulturists on-site to help you grow your dream garden!
Affinity
Some of my personal favorite USPs send signals of brand-consumer affinity — they convey that the local business operates on the basis of certain values shared by customers. Our sample grocery store is fertile ground for authentic proofs of community building, and could write a USP like this:
Be the change! Shopping with us benefits your whole community, from free organic meal programs for students and elders, to our Deep Green Energy commitment, to profits shared by all employees.
Meanwhile, outdoor outfitter Patagonia takes a similar approach with this USP:
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
And sometimes, a USP can blend more than one element. The gorgeous website of The Red Door catering company has signals of both authority and affinity that could be stirred together for an inspirational, aspirational message, like:
MBE-Certified, Women-Owned, ICA member caterers prepare local, organic feasts for your unforgettable event.
Convenience
When ease is paramount for customers, convenience-based USPs can send a good message. Our grocery store might write:
Try convenient online ordering, curbside pickup, and prepared meals, or walk in just minutes from any downtown neighborhood to our organic grocery store.
Sometimes, location is all it takes to convey convenience. I love this ultra-simple USP from Deer Valley Grocery, which happens to have a beautiful waterside destination location:
“Enjoy breakfast and lunch lakeside.”
It can’t get shorter or sweeter than that.
I hope this practice session was useful. Now, we need to determine the most effective components for a particular local business you’re marketing.
Let customer content inspire your USP
Sentiment trends in your reviews, Q&A, and social media comments can point the way to what your customers value most about what your business does. These forms of user-generated content (UGC) can be a big help in determining which elements could be most effective if centered in your USP.
Start by searching Google for your brand name so that your Google Business Profile appears on the left of the screen (if your brand name search doesn’t work, add your city to your query. If that doesn’t work, you may need to learn the basics of local SEO first so that you build enough authority for Google to associate branded searches with your local business listing). Click on the “View All Reviews” portion of your profile and look at the Place Topics Google has surfaced in the oval tabs at the top of your review display.
Place Topics are an accessible, free form of basic sentiment analysis, highlighting topics mentioned most frequently in your reviews. If we had no other information about our grocery store than this, we could write a customer-centric USP along these lines:
Done with Whole Foods? Shop sustainable, fresh produce, our scrumptious salad bar, and healthy vegan choices at our Mill Valley market.
The great thing about Place Topics is that when you click on them, they sort the review corpus to show only reviews that contain the chosen topic. For example, when I click the “produce” tab, this deepens my understanding of exactly what customers are saying about the fruits and veggies at this store:
If we decided produce was uppermost in our customers’ minds, we could refine our USP like this:
Shop “the best produce in Marin” — unlike Whole Foods, we’re 100% organic and locally-owned!
Definitely dig deeply into your reviews to find out what really resonates with your customers. Moz Local customers have the added advantage of our sentiment analysis and trend features to help you go beyond Google and understand dominant review topics across multiple platforms.
If a local business has active social media profiles, customer likes and comments can also provide insight. Looking back through our grocery store’s Facebook posts, I caught the moment early in 2020 when a simple inspirational post received an unusually high amount of likes and loves, and comments from customers saying how much they missed the store and wished delivery was available:
Happily, the business was able to utilize this moment of community interaction to announce the debut of their curbside and delivery service:
A major change in operations, which so many local businesses underwent as a result of the pandemic, could be a strong reason to temporarily alter a company’s core USP for the purpose of quickly disseminating new information. For example, the market might have publicized this message:
Your organic groceries are now available via curbside and delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo through our new shopping cart.
Other sources of USP-inspiring UGC could include FAQs the business receives via Google Q&A, phone calls, and form submissions — very good reasons to be empowering relevant staff to actively track this type of sentiment. Meanwhile, searcher behavior (if not content) could further refine your USP messaging. Consider using Google Trends or keyword research tools like Moz Keyword Explorer to discover popular search terms related to what your business offers, and that could be effective if incorporated into your proposition.
Where should you publicize your local business USP?
Image Credit: Chris Hottentot
One you’ve put in the work of crafting a strong USP, be sure you are nesting it in as many places as make sense, including:
Website masthead
Website homepage
Website about/mission page
Website contact page
Website location landing pages
Website footer
Website title tags
Website meta description tags
Website Header tags
Alt tags (if appropriate to describing images)
Blog posts
Email campaigns
Email signatures
Google My Business description
Google Posts
Google Q&A (if it answers an FAQ)
Descriptions on all local business listings and review profiles (use Moz Local for a quick data push!)
Carefully-worded review requests in hopes that reviewers will talk about aspects of your USP that matter most to them
Social media profiles
Social media posts
Digital ad campaigns
Guest post profiles
Storefront or in-store signage
Billboards
Radio and television ad campaigns
Print news campaigns
Mailers, circulars, and other print assets
Business cards
Company vehicles
Employee apparel
Company swag
With such amazing, multifarious applications, it’s easy to see the worth of investing time and care into developing a meaningful USP. You might adjust the wording slightly, based on medium, and you might even create several propositions for different purposes, seasons, or testing periods.
What I think you’ll learn from practicing perfecting your USP is that, like so much else in marketing, it comes down to great storytelling in a limited space, with eyes firmly set on engaging customers with a message of readiness that deftly meets their needs.
0 notes