Unique Selling Proposition (USP) | Best Ways To Create a USP

Best Ways to Create a USP For Businesses.

In my previous posts, I have briefly talked about creating a unique selling proposition (USP) and why it’s so valuable. Today, I’m going to provide the details of the process of creating a USP that will help you make the most of your marketing and business planning activities.

In simple words, a USP is a summary of what makes your business unique and valuable to your target market. It is one of the fundamental pieces of any solid marketing campaign. It tells your customers and clients how your business services benefit them better than anyone else’s.

Commitment

By ensuring your small business has all of the relevant qualifications, training, memberships etc. in the given field, you will build trust with your customers and you can turn this into your USP. If your business has qualifications and achievements which your competitors do not this is the perfect way to differentiate yourself. This step combines the most important elements of the previous steps into a concise statement that embodies the value your company has to offer. Keep in mind that your USP essentially implies a promise, or a pledge, you are making to your customers.

Basics

Identify your customer. This may be difficult and may take time, however it is an ideal way to come up with a USP. Appealing to your perfect customer will help you focus on who you are selling to. Start by answering some preliminary questions that recap what your business is selling, who you’re selling it to and why you’re selling it. The first step of writing a USP requires that you take a step back and review some of the basics included in your mission statement, business plan, market analysis, and overall business goals. For example –

What is your most important customer-focused business goal?
What products or services are you selling?
What does your business do well?
Who is your target audience?

Customer

In order to close a sale, you need to develop a detailed customer profile. To do that you must know your customer’s needs and how you can solve their problems. Focus on learning what keeps them up at night. There are so many causes your small business can support and again this could be your USP as you will find this attracts customers who share your interests and values. What are the values and causes you truly believe in? It could be a specific charity you wish to support, or it may be a cause such as equality, sustainability or fair trade.

Distinctive Qualities

In this step, list 3-5 of the biggest benefits a client gets from choosing to work with you that they could not get from someone else (i.e., what sets you apart from your competition). Again, thinking from the clients’ perspective, these benefits should explain why your services are important to them and why they would choose you over another provider.

Presentation

If your personality compliments your business, it will make you memorable. For example, if you run a gym gear/essentials business and you are someone who spends a lot of time at the gym, your customers are more likely to believe in you and your product. A strong personality that is appealing to your target customer can be a great part of your USP. This is especially true for small businesses as a strong personality can really help your business be a success.

A fresh mind and perspective is essential, so I would recommend doing this at the beginning of your day versus at the end when you are tired. Take your time while doing this exercise and do several drafts over the course of a week until you arrive at your final USP. You also may want to come back and do this exercise again, once you try out your USP for a while, or if anything changes with your business.

It is important to have a website for your business. This is your home base and all of your internet endeavours will run to and from it. As a starting point, you can contact an online media consultant to help set-up the website per your requirement. Selecting a domain and figuring out a quality hosting plan to get off the ground, the design and layout of your site, all of these can be taken care of by HyperEffects.