Unique Selling Proposition (USP) Ideas for your Business.
A unique selling proposition (USP), identifies what makes your business the better choice, and why your target clients should choose you over the competition. It is a statement that succinctly outlines how your business, product or service is different from that of your competition. Your USP can be an important part of your branding that makes your business memorable. It can also be an effective tool to verify that every piece of marketing collateral you create successfully sets you apart from the competition, and helps you focus your marketing goals.
Follow these points to write a unique selling proposition for your company, new product or service.
Idea
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.
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?
Personality
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.
Problem Solving
The next step is to clearly identify your target audience’s problem and explain how your product or service solves that problem. You may identify the potential customer’s problem and give a solution.
Identify the Differentiators
Differentiation is one of the most important parts of any business, you must stand out from the crowd and against your competitors. When you have a small business, a USP could be the difference between failure and success. It can help identify you and enable you to actually compete with big brands. This step focuses on identifying what it is about your solution to your customer’s problem that is different, or better than, the solution your competition offers. The value you identify here will be one of the primary reasons why your customers will choose you instead of a competitor.
Make a Promise
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.
Competition
Be constantly aware of competitors. You should not constantly change your USP because it may confuse the audience/customer. However, it is advised to keep your USP fresh and make sure you are aware of trends and what competitors are up to.
I have discussed in my previous post how you can look at some of your competitors’ websites to get an idea about building your own website. 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. You may also use the insights you gleaned from your competitive research and select something that’s clean, engaging and simple.
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