"MY MILKSHAKE IS BETTER THAN YOURS!"

             

                               Staying Relevant in A Competitive World

          Are you familiar with the movie “The Klumps?” Yes, well I borrowed the title of this blog from a featured song by Kelis. When I first heard this tune, I struggled to make sense of it. I didn’t understand what she was referencing but then something clicked and it all came together.

          This song refers to being seductive or sensual energy to attract the opposite sex and is something we can all identify with when trying to garner the attention of someone we are attracted to.

          Okay, well this isn’t quite what I’m talking about, but it skims the edges of the song as it relates to competitiveness and relevancy. Much like this song suggest, sometimes we must use our best skills to obtain our goals and topple the competition.

          We all are aware if no one knows who you are or what you stand for it’s hard to compete much less chart on the relevance scale. Don’t worry, I’m here to aid you on this quest.

          First, you need something to pitch, I mean what’s the purpose of drawing attention if there isn’t anything to offer potential takers.  Who exactly are you targeting and what are you trying to sell?

          This is where you develop a plan of action to connect you to your audience. Because writing is what I do for a living, I’ll use it as an example, however, you can place any occupation in this scenario.

          As a romance author, I face daily challenges with an ever-changing market and discovery because it is populated with millions of other creative individuals. My goal is to write something that is one, refreshing and two, tell a story that hasn’t already been offered before. 

          The trick is to stay inventive, and compelling in a market saturated with talented artists. How do I do this you might ask? Well it takes placing all your creativity where it counts.  

          For example, before most couples buy their first home, a little comp work is done to gauge out how much house they can get for their buck based on location and previous sales in the area.  You can apply this same technique to selling books by studying the book market by genre.

          Romance no matter what subgenre it falls under is a huge seller, so are young adult and fantasy fiction. What you should do is find which niche better fits your skill.

          Let’s face it, you don’t need to leave the comfort of your own home anymore to find something interesting to read. There are so many books available and as a writer, I must separate myself from the crowd and stand out as an individual. It’s hard to get noticed if you blend, this isn’t what you want to do when trying to outshine the competition.

People love to be entertained and the best way to gain their attention is writing compelling and exciting stories. Not only this but you need to advertise and promote your work. How do you think so many authors have topped the best-sellers list? It wasn’t because they simply wrote a book and thought that was all they needed to do.

          It took getting their work in the right hands, some marketing and a lot of promotional ideas to make them become relevant and competitive. People need to know who you are and what you’re trying to sell them.

          There must be something unique to capture the attention of potential buyers. Everyone loves variety but if all you have to offer them is a vanilla diet, trust me they will pass every time.

          It must be something that knocks them off their axis, shattering and defining. Something so amazingly intriguing that they are glad you lured them to your nest. In lay terms, you need more than just a good talking game to garner respect.

To stay in the race, you need to come hard, hit them from every angle. The art of seduction isn’t just limited to a popular tune, but reality when it comes to staying relevant in a competitive world.