What is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?

The unique selling proposition, or unique selling point (USP), is a marketing concept that refers to
any factor or aspect of an object or service that differentiates it from competition and highlights its
unique benefits to consumers.

What a Unique Selling Proposition Really Means & Why Your Business
MUST Have One
A unique selling proposition is what your business stands for. It’s what sets your
business apart from others because of what your business makes a stand about.
Instead of attempting to be known for everything, businesses with a unique selling
proposition stand for something specific, and it becomes what you’re known for.
Many businesses make the mistake of trying to stand for everything after the initial start. they want
to try and do everything well, and that they wish to be all things to all individuals. they need to be
better known for having the very best quality merchandise and also the lowest prices. they need to
possess the best food and also the most cost-effective prices. they need to be illustrious for the best
burgers and also the most delicious salads and the juiciest steaks and ribs.

The problem is this: When you attempt to be famous for everything, you don’t become famous for
anything.

Let’s inspect two hypothetical companies as an example.

Company number one offers web design, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO),
copywriting, conversion optimization, PPC, and more. Company number two offers SEO and
copywriting services, however, they don’t provide web design, social media marketing, conversion
optimization, etc.

Now let’s take into account a client – an experienced CEO who’s trying to find an SEO copywriter
who will write content for his website. He additionally is aware of concerning both corporations.

When he considers company one, he thinks of them as a web design company, and he doesn’t even
recognize they do SEO copywriting because they’re best known for their web design. when he thinks
about company two, he thinks of them as an SEO copywriting company, since that’s their specialty.

When it comes time to decide on a business to provide this service, which will you think that he’ll
choose? The one who’s glorious for web design typically, or the one who’s glorious for SEO
copywriting specifically?

The answer is number two.

Now, of course, there are always exceptions. a large digital marketing agency can become famous
for several, services and may fulfill all of those services since they have many employees and
multiple departments.

But if a smaller business desires to steal some market share from a bigger competition, they’re
comfortable creating a stand for one {thing} and changing into glorious for that thing instead of
making an attempt to do everything. Remember, if you want to stand out, i.e. if you want to “have a
unique marketing proposition,” your business has to indicate one thing because that’s what you’ll
become glorious for. It’s not possible to stand for everything.

Let’s look at one more example:

Starbucks is another successful business that makes for a good case study on unique
selling propositions. They went from a small coffee shop in Washington to one of the
foremost recognized brands in America, and they transformed this country from a nation of
Folgers drinkers to a nation of coffee connoisseurs.

How did they do it? You guessed it–they developed a unique selling proposition.

To become familiar with Starbucks’ unique selling proposition, you can raise this question:
“What does Starbucks signify, and what is it that they’re famous for?” the answer is simple:
They signify premium coffee beverages, and they’re famous for the same.

They don’t represent premium coffee beverages and the lowest prices. If they did, they
wouldn’t stand out from corner gas stations. as a result of they take a stand to produce
premium coffee, they stand out from the corner gas stations that sell cups of coffee for
$0.99. If they instead tried to compete for head to head with gas stations on price, quality
would suffer, and their product wouldn’t be unique. They wouldn’t be able to represent
premium coffee.

They additionally don’t symbolize premium coffee AND gourmet breakfast sandwiches and
the most amazing smoothies and also the best prices. Yes, they’ve offered those products in
several forms for different periods of time, however, that’s not what they signify. They’re
not trying to be called the superb coffee, sandwich, AND smoothie place, and they’re not
attempting to compete head to head with McDonald's or Jamba Juice. Instead, they’re the
convenient premium coffee cafe that happens to additionally sell breakfast sandwiches and
smoothies if you want one while you’re picking up your delicious coffee.

Don’t be fooled! although Starbucks does provide things apart from coffee drinks, what
they're uniquely known for is making high-quality coffee beverages.

If they tried to be best-known for everything, there wouldn’t be anything to make Starbucks
unique. Taking a stand as the premium coffee company makes sure they’re unique and that
they’re best known for something.

Why Your Business MUST Have One

Why is a Unique Selling Proposition important?
A Unique Selling Proposition defines your company’s unique position within the
marketplace, getting at the heart of your business: the value you provide and also the
drawback you solve. a powerful USP clearly articulates a particular profit – one that
different competitors don’t offer – that makes you stand out.
If all the product seems to be identical, your prospective customers won’t understand which
one is correct for them. Being clear regarding your unique selling proposition helps them
differentiate between the range of decisions available to them. it's an important part of
effective selling, especially online wherever customers have such a large amount of choices.
A USP can even serve a vital role internally because it forces you to think about your
company’s mission and its very reason for being. A booming business is often on which their
key competitive differentiators are clear.
As a business owner, you would like to contemplate and communicate who your business is
for, what drives you {to provide} the services you offer, and how you would like to create a
unique impact.
Your USP is your key differentiator and also the reason your client will purchase from you
and a very important part of your selling strategy for attracting new customers.

Ho w to Co mmunicate Yo ur Unique Selling Pro po sitio n

in Yo ur Marketing Plan
To be a successful entrepreneur you need several things: cash, drive, a business idea. most
significantly though, you need an excellent marketing plan. part of that nice marketing plan
is developing or distinguishing your unique sales proposition (USP).
Your USP tells customers what you {can or you'll or you'll be able to} do for them that none
of your competitors can do for them. It’s not telling individuals what you do; it’s telling
people what you'll do for them. thus how can you get your USP message out to customers?
Here are many tested ways in which to make sure consumers perceive how your USP sets
you excluding your competition:
1. Target the client- This may appear like an evident one, but plow ahead and try to write
down your USP. I’ll wait.
Did you begin it with the words “we” or “I”? If so, then it’s not so obvious that you must
target the client. Customers need to understand what you can do for them which suggests
that using the word “you” in your USP, try and put “you” at the beginning of the USP in all of
your selling materials. “You’ll save money.” “You need to relax.” “You could use a vacation.”
By changing the phrase to “We can save you money” you are taking the main target off of
the client and onto you. place “you” in front of “We” or “I.”
2. Target your USP- Your selling materials should be tailored to your target market. That’s
selling 101. If you have got several products that can cater to many markets, tailor your USP
to each one. If you market to doctors and dentists, merely change the language in your
selling materials for each audience: “You want your patients to have a healthy smile” versus
“You want your patients to have a healthy heart.” It’s not hard to tweak your USP focus
simply a small amount. Just ensure it stays targeted on the client.
3. Keep it short and simple- This can be referred to as the KISS principle. Keep your selling
materials short and simple so that they don’t take long to read. you also don’t wish
customers scratching their heads trying to grasp your message. If they don’t understand it
the first time they read it, odds are pretty slim that they’ll take the time to read it again and
try to figure it out.
4. Skip the jargon- This ties in with number 3. By using easy language and leaving out jargon
that your target market may not perceive, you’ll create a greater understanding.
5. Offer a solution- You don’t need to state your target market’s drawback for them; they
understand what their downside is. And by offering a solution to their problem they’ll
perceive that you already understand what their problem is. offer them an obvious benefit
of working with you – you’ll make their lives easier or more satisfied in some way.

How brands use USPs to stand out