How to Define & Communicate Your Unique Selling Point

Going into business without a USP is a gamble. If you don’t have a clear vision of what makes you unique, you’re unlikely to stand out from the competition. Having said this, it’s a lot trickier to actually define, let alone communicate, one aspect which makes your brand special. If you’re entering a crowded industry things become even harder. Thankfully, Innovate UK have put together four key tips that’ll help you settle on and market your unique selling point.

1. Define Your Audience

“Know your audience - know what they care about, know what matters to them and what makes a difference to their lives - only that way will you understand which are the problems that are worth solving, where you can make a difference and where you can truly do something new and innovative.” – Mark Johnson, Head of Digital Marketing at KTN.

You need to have a heightened understanding of your target audience. Recognise what makes them tick. You should know their views, beliefs and buying habits inside out. When you reach an appreciation of this, you’ll learn the key points that’ll lead them to pick you over the competition. This is also going to be very helpful when it comes to actually marketing your product or service. After all, you need to be sure your ideal demographic is actually receptive to your brand communication.

2. Solve a Real Problem

“For many technology based companies, it is critical to avoid focusing on the development of the technical solution before first getting a real in-depth understanding of the problem to be solved. Talk to customers. Reduce their problem statements to simple jargon free language. Test the problem from different stakeholder perspectives and quantify the potential impact.” – Darren Ragheb, Head of Business Development at Centre for Process Innovation.

If you’re business is to entertain your customer, you needn’t worry about this. For every other concept, you need to solve a problem. This doesn’t have to be obvious but it does need to actually exist. Your product or service should improve our quality of life, save us time or simply educate us. Don’t be tempted to fall into the trap of coming up with a solution for a problem which doesn’t actually exist.

3. Demonstrate Unique Benefits

“What is the real problem? Who is feeling the pain of it enough to pay you to solve it?” – Mike Pitts, Head of Urban Living & Built Environment at Innovate UK.

Have you got some sparkly benefits that you’ve been working on? Great, any of those specifically aimed at your target audience? Even better, now which of those stand out above the competition? If you’ve come through with an answer to all three questions, you’re the owner of an effective USP. If you’re stuck on your benefits, ask for customer reviews. This is a powerful tool which could change your understanding of what makes your brand unique.

4. Validate Your Proposition

“Validation ASAP is essential to see if your business has got traction. Get out there with your product or service and make sure people actually want to buy it.” – Stefano Marrone, Managing Director at Nuccobrain.

Early adopters are key to getting your business off the ground. If you can get paying customers, subscribers or downloads, you’re validating the need for your product or service. This step is simply about establishing a demand in your sector. This is not only helpful for the growth of your business but is attractive to investors too.