What is a unique selling proposition?
Your unique selling proposition (USP) sets your business apart from your competition. Your USP can be presented in numerous ways and is an opportunity to establish your brand authenticity and trustworthiness.
There is a lot of noise online from competitors to information, and knowing how to position your brand online can help you stand out.
Your unique selling point helps establish your competitive advantage and marketing strategy and even position your products and services for your potential customer.
Although you might focus on being unique, that will not set you apart. Often it is just being relatable to your customers, addressing their frustrations in a product offering or service, or delighting them with your brand offerings.
How to identify your unique selling proposition
Coming up with what makes your business unique is sometimes tricky and requires self-reflection. Here are three steps to begin identifying your unique selling proposition.
- Make a list of your brand’s services, products, and offerings. Does anything your offer solve a unique problem or delight in a memorable way? Write down the essential services or products you sell or provide. Even if you have a bunch of items, narrow it down to the few most important, profitable, or passionate ones you want to focus on.
- Know your Competition. Who are your competitors, and where are they strong and weak in their products or offerings? A complete competitive analysis will help you establish opportunities for your marketing strategy. Read more about How to learn more about your competition.
- Know your audience. Do you know what your audience values? What frustrates them, what will excite or delight them, or what motivates them to buy or use your products? A strong USP will fulfill some, if not all, of these questions your audience wants to be answered.
Compile the data. Take all the information you have gone through in the previous three steps and decide how you are different from your competitors or how you can shift some offerings to create a dynamic customer experience. Being generic and allusive in your messaging, taglines, and content will not set you apart online.
Embrace the message. Your USP can be weaved throughout your messaging through customer service, taglines, ad copy, web content, and social media. There are many opportunities to differentiate yourself online from competitors to potential customers. Remember, the goal is to weave the messaging while trying to connect to your customer’s needs and wants. This is not just persuasive messaging but what sets your brand apart.
Strong Unique Selling Proposition
We all have something unique to offer that no one else can, which should be apparent in some aspects of your business. Your voice must be authentic and present in a way that will reach others and inspire them to take action. The goal is to move prospective customers through a journey with your brand.
In order to create a powerful and unique selling point, you must look into what your competitors are not doing to attract their customers. Your business has the potential to stand out from the rest with a one-of-a-kind selling proposition that may be related to your values, the products you offer, or some assurance that will encourage potential customers to purchase from you.