One of the things we talk about quite often on here is how important it is to be different. You need to have a different message … a different brand that your target audience can connect to. After all, if you’re no different than anyone else in your industry, why should customers do business with you? And why should journalists cover your story?
Being different isn’t just about, well, being different. It’s about having a value-adding differentiator that truly makes your company special. In other words, you need a unique selling point.
How can you come up with your unique selling point / proposition (USP)? Here are 5 tips to help you out.
1. Make a list of every benefit you provide – Write down everything about your product or service that provides the customer with a tangible benefit. Don’t just focus on broad, generic benefits (e.g. A car gets you from point A to Point B faster than walking), but try to get down to specific benefits of your particular products (e.g. This car gets X miles/per gallon, saving you thousands of dollars on fuel costs).
2. Know your weaknesses – It’s not enough to know what you do well; you need to figure out what you aren’t so great at either. For a lot of companies, being brutally self-honest can be challenging. But it needs to be done. You need to know what your weaknesses are so that: a) you can improve them and b) you can focus your message on something else.
3. Take a look at customer feedback – I find that customers often know exactly what it is that you do best. Take a look at product reviews and testimonials. You’ll get a clearer idea of which benefits your customers actually care about. It may even be a benefit that you didn’t realize your product had, or just one that you didn’t think was all that important. These are the people you’re marketing to, so let them tell you what they like about your business.
4. Study your competition – The last thing you want to be is another “me too” brand. Mimicking what the competition is doing is the first step to being boring and forgettable. That said, it’s still important to know what your competition is up to so you can find the best plan for attacking and positioning yourself in the crowded marketplace.
5. Get the message out there – Once you’ve identified your unique selling point, preach it. Don’t hide it. Focus your press releases around that thing that makes you different. Create marketing materials that highlight this difference, and hammer this point home in your paid advertisements as well. This unique selling point is what your brand will be built upon. It’s the thing that customers should instantly think of when they hear your name. Never stop shouting this message.
Do you have a clearly defined unique selling point? Share yours in the replies.
This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (https://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download your free copy of 7 Cheap PR Tactics for Success in Any Economy here: https://www.ereleases.com/free-offer/cheap-pr-tactics/