There's a lot of noise out there on social media and if we're using it as a marketing tool, then how do we set ourselves apart from our competition. It's a challenge and our social media guru Rebecca Mountain has 4 steps to differentiate yourself on the social media stage.

Setting up a business on the social networks is fairly simple, but how do you stand out? It's called a Unique Selling Proposition. With the vast majority of people trawling the internet and social media platforms before they purchase, you need to be able to convince people of your value without ever meeting them.

Step 1: Your Business Benefit. This is ultimately what you are trying to accomplish for your clients at the end of the day. Are you trying to help people save time? Money? Create balance in their life? Explain a process or a system like real estate or finances, which for many is a confusing place? Define at least 1 and as many as 3 benefits as the starting point in this process.

Step 2: Be Unique. You now have your raison d'etre... So, how do you do this differently from everyone else? Even if there are tens of thousands of people who do what you do, you can STILL derive a way that you do it better. It could be in your level of expertise, a process you have mastered, or your background experience.

Step 3: Know your Clients. You could have the most amazing content, but if no one cares – well, know one cares! There are two things you need to know about your clients:

1. What they like to do, talk about, how they use your products or services, etc.

2. What problem of theirs you're supposed to solve.

If you're in business at all, it's because you solve a problem for your clients, whether it's time, money, headaches – whatever. Know the "points of pain" that are triggers for your clients, and wrap your content around that.

Step 4: The One Sentence Challenge. This is your 2-floor elevator pitch and it's critical. Your sentence is structured using steps 1 to 3: "I'm in business to deliver this ultimate benefit – in this unique way – to this type of client – and I do it better than anyone else." This is NOT a tagline. A tagline is a short, sweet statement that usually rhymes, and it's built OFF of your USP statement.

If people can visit your social media profiles and immediately understand what you're about, then you're on the road to drawing more of the clients you need to grow your business. And with 20% of all business flowing through social networks, it behooves you to get this right the first time. Make your social media business channel count!