how to craft the perfect usp - bridgeline library/whitepapers... · differentiate your business in...

How to Craft the Perfect

USP

Differentiate Your Business in the Marketplacewith a strong and memorable Unique Se l l ing Proposit ion (USP) .

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A USP h igh l igh ts wha t separa tes your bus iness f rom

compet i to rs , why your bus iness deserves cus tomer t rus t and why

cus tomers shou ld inves t the i r t ime and money on your p roduc ts

and serv ices .

“Differentiat ion is one of the most important strategic and

tactical act ivit ies in which companies must constantly

engage.”

T h e o d o r e L e v i t t – A u t h o r a n d P r o f e s s o r, H a r v a r d B u s i n e s s S c h o o l

LEARN HOW TO CRAFT THE PERFECTUNIQUE SELL ING PROPOSITION

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HOW TO CRAFT THE PERFECT USP

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Appeal to your Target Customer

Keep it Simple & Straightforward

Highlight your Differences

Incorporate your Company Culture

Get Personal & Creative

A l esson i n w r i t i ng e f f ec t i ve Un ique Se l l i ng

P ropos i t i ons

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APPEAL TO YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER

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Gather Data About Your AudienceCheck your website analytics for the most prevalent audience demographics to see who is coming to your website, what type of customer buys the most products from you and where you can reach them to deliver your message.

Create Buyer Personas Create profiles of your most loyal customers to identify what drives them to do business with you, how you can appeal to their interests and how to attract new customers like them.

Develop Marketing Materials Use this targeted information to create marketing materials that clearly identify the needs and wants of your target audience while emphasizing the benefits of using your products and services. Be sure to target one specific need per ad like Duluth Trading Co., as putting too much information in will dilute your overall message and lower conversions.

In order to craft the perfect USP, you need tolearn about your target customer. Find outwhat is important to them and why they seekout your brand to provide what they need. Youcan learn about your customer demographicseasily from your website analytics platform. Findout information like age, gender, interests,location and more.

A prime example of a brand targeting a specificaudience is the manly man’s clothing provider,Duluth Trading Co. They pinpoint issues that menhave had with clothing, like overheatedunderwear (pictured right), and identify how theirproducts solve this problem. Not only do their adsget your attention with a unique

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APPEAL TO YOURTARGET CUSTOMER

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How to Appeal to your Target Customer:

style and tongue-in-cheek delivery, but theyappeal directly to their audience of men whoneed comfortable work clothes.

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KEEP IT SIMPLE & STRAIGHTFORWARD


Everyone wants to simplify their life. Thisbecomes even more important whencustomers search for a solution to theirproblems. Make it easy for customers toidentify if your products or services are theright fit. Explain upfront how your productsor services can help customers achievetheir goals and solve their problems in thesimplest way possible.

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KEEP IT SIMPLE & STRAIGHTFORWARD

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Be Sure to Address Two Things: Customer Needs & Business StrengthsCombine what your customers want and the unique offering(s) of your business in one statement. For example, customers of The UPS Store love them for their conveniently located service centers. Strengths of The UPS Store include that they offer many different business services. They brought these two elements together to say:

“The UPS Store network is the world’s largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal, printing and business service centers. Today, there are more than 5,000 independently owned The UPS Store locations in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.”

How to Simplifyyour USP

Narrow It DownWhat exactly do your customers want? To know this, you must first get into their head. Know what motivates their buying decisions and what ties them to the use of your products or services. Send out surveys, interview VIP customers or use website analytics and data patterns over time to uncover their interests, favorite products, other sites they like to visit and more. Condense this information into the most meaningful and differentiating factors, then use them as the basis of your marketing materials.

Construct your USP to Answer the Following Questions:If customers use your products or services:

• How does your business improve the lives of its customers?

• What does your business do so well that others can’t compete?

• What do your customers truly want from your business?

“A weak or nonexistent USP can ruin

conversion rates, sales and all the

other good things that marketers crave.

A clear, strong, and customer-focused

USP will do just the opposite - boost

conversions, create a fanatic tribe, and

satisfy customers to the core.”

Neil Patel, Digital Marketing Expert

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HIGHLIGHT YOUR DIFFERENCES


After you’ve taken the time to learn more about yourcustomers and narrow down to which productsand/or service benefits mean the most to them, besure to apply this gained insight to your marketingstrategy.

Avoid highlighting your benefits using vague ormeaningless terms, like being the best or cheapestalternative. Explain where specific differencesexist between your business and competitors,then then explain how these differences makeyou uniquely awesome. Embrace yourdifferentiators and highlight them as the main reasonwhy people should support your business overanother.

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HIGHLIGHT YOURDIFFERENCES

3How to Highlight your Differences:

Select specific features to highlight based on customer feedback.

Quantify and qualify customer benefit statements with numbers, statistics or reputable third-party recommendations.

Help content rank on search engines for terms related to your unique features with a keyword strategy.

Develop marketing materials that help you capitalize on unique selling factors.

“80% of companies believe they provide a

superior proposition. Only 8% of actual

customers would agree.”

James Allen, Bain & Company Geico quantifies their unique selling proposition to tell customers that their service will be faster and their insurance will be less expensive in specific terms.

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INCORPORATE YOUR COMPANY CULTURE


INCORPORATE YOURCOMPANY CULTURE

For some businesses, their company values arejust as integral to success and to customeraffinity towards their brand as the products theysell. In this way, customers align themselves with thebrand’s identity that is built upon shared values andhow they give back to society or how they improvethe lives of anyone around the globe. They inject theirmarketing with messaging that conveys socially-responsible values so customers feel like they’re alsocontributing when they make a purchase with thatbrand.

Socially-conscious marketing helps brands shapetheir identity and paves the way for businesses toconnect with consumers on a deeper level.

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4Companies that use conscious marketing have been known to attract fans and brand advocates because of their like-minded beliefs and desire for purchases to spread goodwill and support causes.

Companies like Method cleaning products and TOMS shoes use socially-conscious marketing efforts to convey to customers what they believe is important. Method believes in cleaning products that are environmentally safe. For every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS will give a pair to a child in need in Ethiopia.

of consumers will pay more for products from companies committed to having a positive social impact.

Neilsen Global Corporate Sustainability

Report

66%

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GET PERSONAL & CREATIVE


Offer an Insider’s ViewLet customers see the inner workings of your operations with some behind-the-scenes footage. You’ll see brands initiate this on social media, with Instagram stories or simply by posting short videos and photos relating to events or during the creation of their products. Victoria’s Secret offers behind-the-scenes footage to ramp up excitement for their annual Angel’s Fashion Show.

Don’t be afraid to use some personality in yourmarketing! Find your look, develop your voice, andgo with it. You can test and request customerfeedback to see if your efforts are getting theresponse desired and tweak accordingly. If you canauthentically connect with your audiencethrough a unique tone of your USP, as well as inlook and feel of your marketing, your marketingwill be more memorable and your brand will standout from the rest.

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GET PERSONAL& CREATIVE

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Support your USP in Personal & Creative Ways:

Tell a StoryGive your brand a personality. Develop it through effective storytelling. Imported beer brand, Dos Equis, connected with customers through “The Most Interesting Man in the World” ads where the brand developed a story line of a man who has rich life experiences in exotic locales and everyone wants to be like him. The humorous and outrageous taglines caught on, like ‘he gave his own father “the talk”’ and ‘roses stop to smell him,’ and the campaign spurred an internet meme that expanded their reach and lasted 10 years from 2006-2016. During that time, sales of Dos Equis increased 22% when sales of other imported beers in the U.S. fell 4%.

Elicit EmotionFoster a connection with fans by appealing to their emotions. Nike stands out for promoting feelings of inclusivity and empowerment with their ads. From featuring an 81 year old first-time marathon runner to paralympians to the first athletic hijab, Nike is a champion at inspiring their brand’s fans.


A strong Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is a statement that summarizes the valuabledifferentiators of your brand. It highlights the uniqueness of your organization and thebenefits your products or services provide. Your USP is an important cornerstone to an effectivead campaign and marketing strategy.

There are many ways to craft the perfect USP. Some ways we suggest creating the perfectUSP is to appeal to the interests of your target customer, keep it simple and straightforward,embrace and highlight what makes your organization and products unique, incorporate yourcompany culture and finally get personal and creative in the delivery of your USP. In applyingthese tips to the creation of your own unique selling proposition, you will be more successful indeveloping a brand identity that is memorable and effective.

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HOW TO CRAFT THE PERFECT UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

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how to craft the perfect usp - bridgeline library/whitepapers... · differentiate your business in...

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