Whats your one thing - Three tips for creating your USP
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Have you ever thought about what sets your service or product apart from your
competitors? What's the "one thing" you can say your small business has that no
one else can claim?
In other words, what is your Unique Selling Proposition - also known as a USP?
Your USP is basically how you distinguish yourself from your competition. It
helps you go from being just one of the crowd, to a head-and-shoulders standout.
The USP is the core around which you build your company. It's the promise you
make to your customers, to your employees, and to yourself.
Given the importance of a USP, you would think that all small businesses
would have one. Unfortunately, most don't. Instead, they adopt a "just buy
it...because" mentality for no particular reason. Many think that if they throw
enough money into advertising, the customers will come. That may work in the
short-term, but if you're in it for the long haul, and you want to grow your
business to its maximum potential, you need to develop your USP.
Ready to get started? Before you begin, keep the following three points in
mind:
Simplicity Don't load up your USP with all the things you think your
product/service has going for it. Pick the one thing you can own. Are you
more experienced than your competition? Maybe that's your USP. Are you faster,
cheaper, more expensive (but worth it)? Keep it conceptually simple and you will
have a USP that sells. I may be showing my age here, but remember Wendy's
"Where's the beef?" campaign? There were a lot of claims Wendy's could
have made, but they chose to focus on a bigger-meat burger. Genius
simplified...and the rest is history.
Specialness Your USP needs to reflect a quality that your competition
can't (or don't) claim. Other competitors might have or do what you have or do,
but if you claim it, you own it. If you are the only one who claims the USP,
then in your customers' minds, you're the only one. Think about Heinz ketchup.
They became the number-one selling ketchup by being the slowest. Obviously,
other ketchups are thick and rich, but Heinz claimed it in a very unique and
creative way.
Sales Appeal Ultimately, you want to position your product / service
as the best choice for your customer. But it will be difficult for you to do
this if your USP doesn't reflect a real customer need. Before you decide what
your USP is, make sure you're in touch with your customers' needs and desires
and your competitors' positionings.
Realize that your USP is different than an advertising slogan. It's the
basis for your advertising slogan, but it's not the same. Typically, a USP
stays fairly consistent year after year, while an advertising slogan sometimes
changes every couple of years.
Creating a dead-on USP and using it as the basis for all your marketing and
advertising materials can transform your business. Think about just how powerful
that can be to your bottom line.
(c) Copyright 2008, Donna Williams, BusinessBurrito.com. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Donna Williams is the founder and creator of BusinessBurrito.com - a website
dedicated to helping small businesses grow to their maximum potential. She is
also a 25-year advertising / marketing executive, creative director, writer, and
producer. Together, Donna and her husband currently own and co-own five small
businesses. You can read more of Donna's articles at her website
http://www.businessburrito.com
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2008-09-24 19:38:56 in Marketing Articles
