A unique selling point (USP), also called a unique selling proposition, is the essence of what makes your product or service better than competitors. In online marketing, communicating your USP clearly and quickly is one of the keys to getting potential customers to convert on your site.
What is unique selling point (USP)?
A unique selling point (USP), also called a unique selling proposition, is a marketing statement that differentiates a product or brand from its competitors. A USP might boast the lowest cost, the highest quality, the most experience, the first in its product class or another trait that sets the offering apart from the competition. A unique selling point can be thought of as “what you have that competitors don’t.”
Why are unique selling points important?
A unique selling point defines your company’s unique position in the marketplace, getting at the heart of your business: the value you offer and the problem you solve. A strong USP clearly articulates a specific benefit – one that other competitors don’t offer – that makes you stand out.
If all the products appear to be the same, your prospective customers won’t know which one is right for them. Being clear about your unique selling proposition helps them differentiate between the variety of choices available to them. It is a crucial part of effective selling, otherwise all your marketing efforts will go unnoticed and blend in, especially online with so many options.
A USP can also serve an important role internally, as it forces you to consider your company’s mission and its very reason for being. A successful business often determines which of their key competitive differentiators are clear.
As a business owner, you need to consider and communicate who your business is for, what drives you to offer the services you offer, and how you want to make impact in the target market.
Your USP is your key differentiator and the reason your customer will buy from you and an important part of your marketing strategy for attracting new customers.
Examples or good unique selling points
Toms Shoes is a shoe manufacturer. Again, there is nothing especially unique about that. But Toms Shoes’ unique selling point is that for every pair of shoes a customer purchases, the company donates a pair to a child in need. Toms Shoes helps put shoes on needy children’s feet; this is a strong unique selling proposition.
Nike is yet another company known for selling shoes. Yet they are differentiated from Toms because they focus primarily on athletic shoes with prominent sponsorships with star athletes. Their USP is that they provide the best quality shoes for athletes and fitness in general.
Those are just a few examples of unique selling propositions. USPs are by their nature unique to each business, but roughly fall into three major categories:
Quality – Superior materials or ingredients, superior craftsmanship, proprietary manufacturing methods, one of a kind
Price – The lowest price guaranteed, price matching, free shipping, bulk discounts, special offers
Services – Easy returns, personalization, great customer service or even advice and a curated selection of products and goods
Unique selling points differences per industry
Depending on the type of products or services your company is trying to sell, different selling points may be relevant. For example, if you’re and entrepreneur selling clothing goods as a retailer, you might find different selling points appeal to customers than if you’re a small business selling consulting services. Here are some templates you can follow:
For retail, typically customers are looking for unique selling points around products and services. You can add value to existing products as well, if you’re not producing them yourself.
Are your goods unique to your store, or is your selection hand-curated. An example of the latter could be products that are very durable or environmentally friendly, customers would seek out your store for that guarantee.
Do you offer any services other retails don’t, like payment plans or free returns
If you’re reselling goods, can your goods be personalized or made unique
For Manufacturing and Wholesale companies, it can be hard to find a competitive advantage when most companies compete on price. It’s important to be entrepreneurial and offer compelling usps to set your company apart.
Are you offering faster shipping or securities (like insurance)
Special bulk or tiered pricing for purchasing commitments
Do you have stock of products that are hard to come by otherwise, like local distribution or EOL (end of life) products
Services might find different reasons appeal to customers all together. It can be hard to adapt your business model to feature more unique selling points, but that’s all the more reason to focus on them to set yourself apart from the pack.
Focus on high-quality services, maybe your company can differentiate itself in quality of services delivered
Address common pain points customers might be dealing with, for example a travel agency might add car rentals on top of their flight and hotel offerings to save customers a step when planning a trip
How to communicate your unique selling point
There are many ways a company can communicate their USP to their customers and prospects. A few commonly employed methods include:
Advertising – Traditional media advertising and brand marketing campaigns can be a good way for a new business to get their brand in front of their target audience and communicate their USP.
Social Media – Social media is a large driver of brand awareness for many companies. Having a strong presence on social networks and working with social media influencers can be a way for companies to communicate their USP.
Content Marketing – Creating interesting or viral content that also talks about how and why a company is different from the competition can be a good way to communicate USPs.
Digital Marketing – For an online store or digital business, the USP is often presented as the tagline of a webpage or as a bulleted list on a product page.
Search Marketing – Improving a website’s SEO and ranking for key terms in search engines such as Google can be a good way for a company to generate visibility and communicate their USPs.
FAQs
Why is having a USP important in marketing?
Having a USP is crucial because it helps businesses create a clear and memorable identity in the minds of consumers, making it easier for them to understand why a particular product or service is better or different from others in the market.
How can a business identify its USP?
Identifying a USP involves understanding the target audience, analyzing competitors, and highlighting unique features or benefits that resonate with customer needs and preferences.
Does every business need a USP?
While not every business must have a formally defined USP, having a unique and compelling value proposition is generally beneficial for differentiation and attracting customers.
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