Be Remarkable

Every week I get a bunch of emails from people that are in the process of starting their own brand wanting to know how to market their company and get the "buzz" that will bring them customers. Traditional marketing people will suggest buying banner ads, implementing SEO, and adding affiliate links. While those methods may work for some companies depending on the industry, my advice for small startup brands is to not worry about any of those tactics. I don't currently do paid advertising for Ugmonk. My main focus has always been creating unique, high-quality products. If people like them they will tell their friends and they will tell theirs and the word will continue to spread. My products are my marketing. If there's nothing special or different about the products themselves, how can I expect people to want to buy them. Every tshirt design I create I put it through this simple test and ask: "Is this something that I personally would pay for and want to wear?" If not, then it's back to the drawing board. Clothing brands are a dime a dozen these days, many struggling to survive, so more than ever it's important to focus on creating products that are remarkable and will stand out from the masses. For more on this topic, I highly recommend watching this great talk by Seth Godin on "Standing Out."