How To Craft A Bold Unique Selling Proposition

Get inside the customers’ head

The premise behind the ideal USP is to attract a specific demographic of customers to your brand and business. For that to happen you need to appeal to them in a way that they can truly connect with what you stand for and provide. Understand where they are coming from. Find out what they are looking for, why they are looking for it and how you can take that need to the next level. The key is to identify a product or service that solves an existing problem in the market. Gathering data about the customers’ age, gender, location, buying frequency will tell you all you need to know, and to acquire this data all you need to do is invest in some research and analytics like the ones available on your website analytics platform.

Based on who is visiting your website and how often you can create customer profiles of loyal customers and tailor a narrow and targeted marketing strategy around them. This not only gives the brand a certain authenticity but also makes the customer feel valued.

Keep it simple

When you search for a hardware store on Google or a way to buy tickets to that concert that you have been dying to go to, the easier the process is, the better. The same principle applies here. Customers look for a quick, easy and quality solution to their problems. From the outset make it so easy that customers can quickly find your product or service when they search for a solution. It should be a clear and simple statement that tells them everything they need to know the minute they come across the brand.

The statement should be able to answer the following questions:

• • • Does the product or service improve the lives of the customer?
    • What makes it better than the competition?
    • Does it offer versatility?

A good rule of thumb to maintain is to try and create an elevator pitch. A short simple pitch that you might give a stranger who knows nothing about your product or service in a way that they can grasp the concept of the business. If it makes sense to them, then you have the beginnings of a solid USP.

Highlight the differences

Every brand tries to sell itself as the best or the fastest. The problem with those types of descriptions is that it is very generic and one-note. The customers have seen the same thing repeated over and over so many times that it makes no impact. Instead of these generic and vague descriptions try and highlight the specific qualities of the brand.

Try to reinforce the statement with numbers, facts and figures that come from a reputable source like the Harvard Business Review. This gives you a unique edge and credibility as a business.

Incorporate company culture

Knowingly or unknowingly, customers align themselves with the values of a company which goes beyond the norms of marketing. They identify their actions with the brands even after purchase. A brand that presents a socially-conscious approach and gives back to the community or environment in some way, makes the customers feel like they are a part of that social contribution by purchasing services or products from you. They feel like enablers for social change and that creates a deep and loyal bond between the customer and the business.

Do not be afraid to ask them personal questions regarding social changes, do surveys, conduct group studies and get a sense of the situation on the ground. The more connected a business is to the community, the more the community will connect back.

Here are a few ways in which you can help establish that personal connection with the audience:

• • • Give them a back-stage pass. Show them the inner workings of the business and the way it operates on a daily basis. The transparency offers them a chance to see that you are in fact doing what the business is advertising.
      
      
    • Tell them a story. The general public wants to know the brand, so tell them about where it started, how it started and why. Insight into the origins gives everyone a sense of nostalgia and relatability. This effectively humanises the brand beyond just a business.