Back in 2018 I was at a three-day web writing seminar in Austin, Texas.

Three days learning from some of the best minds in web copywriting. Almost every important topic in writing for websites, social media, email…you name it.

And soon I’ll pass along my biggest takeaways to you.

But right now I want to talk about something someone said there that stuck in my head. And it wasn’t something one of the speakers said…it was one of my fellow attendees.

The whole group had gone out to dinner at a Tex-Mex restaurant on Monday night.  Even though it was pretty loud we managed to talk a lot about what we are doing, who our clients are…the stuff copywriters talk about.

I was talking with the lady sitting next to me about cleaning up websites.  How I seem to have a talent for seeing websites that don’t work…and how to fix them.

She said “That’s your superpower.”

My Superpower?

It’s not like I can leap tall buildings. Or run faster than the speed of sound. Bend steel with my bare hands. You know…basic superhero stuff.

I heard her say this to more than a few people. And obviously it stuck in my head.  The more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

So what’s a superpower…and how do you find out what yours is?

You’re not just good at it…you’re awesome.

It’s not a “pretty good” power…it’s a super power.

You rock at it.

Superman doesn’t just bend wire coat hangers…he bends thick steel girders.  The Flash doesn’t just try to win his high school 100 meter-dash…he runs faster than anything on earth.

If it’s what you do best…it might be your superpower.

You use your superpower to benefit others.

What’s the difference between a super hero and a super villain?  Whether they use their powers for good or evil.

Superman, Supergirl, the Flash…it isn’t just that they have incredible powers.  What makes their powers super is how they use them to benefit others.  To save us from supervillains, monsters or earth-ending meteors.

In the same way your superpower should solve problems for your clients.  Make their lives better.

And hey…if you do can that, it’s okay if you make a living doing it too.

Your superpower is unique to you.

The Flash has super speed. Green Lantern has…well…a green lantern.

I’m not going to talk about Superman and Supergirl because, let’s face it, they’re over-achievers. I guess being from another planet earns you bonus superpowers.

But most super heroes are identified by a signature superpower.

Your superpower should be the same.  When your potential clients think of a superpower that will solve their problems…they should immediately identify it with you.

In web copywriting circles you see this a lot.  Nick Usborne is synonymous with conversational copywriting.  Same with Pam Foster for website audits.  When you think about search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting you think of Heather Lloyd-Martin.

(I’m name-dropping here because they were all speakers at the AWAI 2018 Web Copy Intensive J)

Each of them do lots of other things well…but they are known for their superpower.

It’s the same with your superpower.  When your potential clients think they need your superpower to solve their problem…they should immediately think of you.

So what’s your superpower?  And how are you using it?