One of the biggest and most harmful mistakes most people getting started online make is not showing their target market their Unique Selling Proposition and not positioning themselves as the best choice in the market overall the rest of the competition.
A USP helps to define your brand. It tells people what you are bringing to the table and states a promise that you’ll deliver throughout your products and service offers.
In other words, it helps you stand out!
A USP goes beyond just a simple catchphrase or logo. It involves every aspect of your brand, starting with how your company is different from others on the market.
And your USP should be part of every marketing component as well, including your advertising campaigns and social media growth.
It’s essential that your USP is highlighted in your advertisements. If it’s not in the (keyword-rich) headline, it should be in the very first line of your ad.
And remember, to always keep things focused on the customer, not on yourself. Show them the benefits of your product or service and how it will benefit them.
Some great USP examples in advertising would be in the coaching field. Instead of simply advertising your class, course, or platform, focus on going the extra mile. Perhaps your USP could include personal assistance or be available at extended times.
How To Start Creating A Unique Selling Proposition
If you’re stuck, try searching Google to look up your competitors: enter your top five keywords (based on impressions) and see who your real competitors are. Then, try to determine what their USP is.
This will not only help you keep a pulse on your market, but it will make it easier for you to come up with a USP of your own based on what the market wants as well as what may be missing.
For example, if you’re selling top-line leather bags like Saddlebag Leather, your competitors online may be knock-off brands rather than other high-end leather companies.
Now see what those competitors are offering and how you can beat those offers.
What can you do differently? How can you stand out?
It shouldn’t always be based on price (unless you have come up with a totally new process that inherently saves money) because the competitor can always lower theirs, too. So, look for other ways to stand out.
Brainstorm: Here are some essential questions to think about…
Think and write down everything that makes your product unique.
1. Will my prospective customers perceive my Unique Selling Proposition as an advantage to buying from the competition?
2. Is my Unique Selling Proposition I am using significantly different from what my competitors are offering?
3. Do I feel my prospective customers will believe in this USP? Put yourself in their place!
4. How will my customers benefit from this Unique Selling Proposition? You must find an important benefit unique to your product or service. You must identify the main advantage your product offers over the competition.
5. Will this Unique Selling Proposition motivate customers sufficiently to make a purchase?
Will they see that you have done your job in adapting to their needs?
Is your offer innovative?
Does it add more value to their life?
Does it deliver beyond the customer’s expectations? and
Will the customer see a significant return on their investment?
Now that you’ve gotten to know who your competitors are and what their USP is, you’ll want to create ads that highlight to customers the benefits of your business over that of the competition.
Remember to keep the text short and simple, with a tagline or catchy phrase that will stick in the customer’s mind.
One of the best examples of a great Unique Selling Proposition is the USP of Federal Express. Federal Express can dominate the package delivering business because of their USP. “Federal Express: When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”
They identified a problem and a pain and came up with a unique solution over the rest of their market competition.
They knew that there were people who needed to get things shipped out and delivered overnight. There were no competitive companies with the promise or guarantee of overnight delivery.
Solution: Give the guarantee, which also removed the risk of using their company.
Think Coca-Cola (“It’s the real thing”) or Nike (“Just do it”).
This will be your slogan or tagline.
Tempting though it may be, resist the urge to start your ad by touting your products or services. The way to make a sale is to show the benefits of buying – what’s in it for the customer?
Always lead with that! If you make it clear how your customer will benefit they’ll want to read further and explore the details of your service or product.
You’ll want to write a killer Call to Action (CTA) for your ad, as well.
You will find that there are many very competitive markets, and it is essential that you come through shining with what makes you different from everyone else. Suppose you will be like most people trying to get started online and failing miserably by using the “same as everyone else” type of marketing. In that case, you will quickly be joining the majority that tries and fail.
As you can imagine already, building your Unique Selling Proposition takes some effort, but it is a must, and you will find that it was worth every one of your efforts to create it because of the added advantage you’ll have over your competition. Coming up with a strong and powerful USP will make your marketing and selling job much easier and enable you to quickly increase your online presence and sales.
Creating a successful USP takes time, care, and effort.
That is why you need to take action. Now.
Don’t ignore the process and leave it until the end. Start building your Unique Selling Proposition as you develop your business model.
Write down your unique points, research your competitors, and start to consider the problems your customers are facing and how you can address them in your Unique Selling Proposition.
The process will help to shape your finalized USP and shape and create your marketing plan in the process.
In this special report, you will discover a few examples of winning USPs so you can see what a USP is, and how to create one for yourself.
Grab this report and create your USP Now!