music business | U.S.P.

U.S.P.

Do you have a USP?

What is it?

Your USP stands for your unique selling point/proposition. It basically means what make you stand out from the rest.

Why is this important?

It is important for the following reason. If you don’t stand out you don’t get noticed and in the modern music industry it is even more important due to the intense competition, thanks to the explosion of available music online. I refer to an earlier post on marketed mud where I mention the millions attempting to make their mark on the music scene. The thing that will enable you to stand out is your USP.

So what is unique about you? Many people refer to the music they do to give them their USP. Unless you are starting a complete new genre, or you have an amazingly distinctive voice such as a Bjork, then you are more than likely to fail in this area.  Where most artists can tell the distinct differences between songs and different styles of music genre, the music buying public (at least the mainstream music fan) will struggle to tell the difference, so maybe another area needs to found.

You could look at the way you dress, this has been extremely successful for many artists, notably Lady Gaga is enjoying massive success, with her unique way of dressing assisting her fame significantly. The thing is, many people will find an outrageous outfit and think this is all they need. It is not enought to just dress weird and think I’m different so buy my stuff! You have to have a reason for dressing this way and a reason that makes sense, or you will end up as that artist who just dresses weird, this will leave you with little artistic credibility and therefore disappointed.

Your behavior could count toward your USP, you could be the crazy guy who does the most outlandish things. One famous example of this, is when Ozzie Osbourne  bit the head of a live bird in front of some shocked individuals. I’m not suggesting you go that far, and frankly if you did that stunt you wouldn’t be unique, just someone copying Ozzie Osbourne. The point is he will always be remembered for his behavior, earning him the name The Prince of Darkness.

What ever you decide your USP is, make sure you do a bit of research to make sure it is truly unique, to avoid any future embarrassment. Take your time and think about it, make sure it is not something that is alien to your personality and brand. Because this will be your identifying factor for a long time in the future, if it is not true to your nature, you will have a hard time keeping it up.