How Should You Be Thinking About Your Unique Selling Points? (USP)

Most of us, even those of us completely uninitiated in matters of business, understand what a unique selling point. It’s the reason why you choose one brand over another for a good or service. For instance, you might love the branding of Coca Cola and associated that kind of Cola drink with that name, but to you, Pepsi tastes nicer when it’s served in an iced glass at a restaurant.

This might mean that Pepsi’s unique selling points are not only that it has a different flavor profile to offer, but also that it can provide restaurants with a cheaper alternative to the most recognized name-brand without making these providers serve an inferior product.

This is just one minor example of course. Selling points can span a range of opportunities and differences, and they all translate to what your industry is and what your audience wants. So, how should you be thinking about your USP, and how can you improve it? Let’s consider a few techniques worth considering:

What Can You Offer?

What can you offer as part of your renewed output? Why should people choose you over another brand? Remember that customers will often not only pay with their hard-earned cash to begin with, but also with the trust of using your brand for the first time.

Remember, you don’t have to offer a new product or service in order to be reliable and offer something different. It might be that the manner in which you deliver your output can be where the value lies. For instance, consider DuckDuckGo. This is an alternative search engine known for its privacy, as unlike Google, it does little to track your movements, build an advertising profile about you, or save your searches. This means that while you’re given the same search results as other competitors, you are protected.

That can be a great means of offering something new. Don’t be afraid to look at where you value can come from, from all positions and angles.

How Can You Innovate?

Innovations not only attract attention, but they can push an industry forward. We often think of innovation as a means in which to improve the technological capacity of a certain consideration. For instance, call centre software has innovated on itself and grown since the early 2000s.

However, innovation isn’t always translated into technological novelty, although it may be aided by that. For instance, consider how Uber changed the game. Many taxi firms had been developing apps up until then, but despite the iPhone and its relevant innovations causing fluctuating changes throughout the rest of the tech world, it took Uber to come along with an app that was linked to your card information. They also renovated the gig economy, deciding that people onboarding as drivers should be able to do so without being employed by a particular taxi rank.

This was of course abetted by technology, but that technology wasn’t designed by Uber as a strict, blank platform. They used the app functionalities to fundamentally differ their approach to serving their customers, and it’s why they became a household name. Could it be that your practices could also help you deliver your product more efficiently, more easily, or with more security?

For instance, this excellent guide detailing the uses of drones in insurance has geared most people to understand that even time-honored industries can change, and usually that change comes from one business making the effort, rather than all enterprises coming together as one. From there, norms will follow. Leading the charge is a tremendously responsible, but also lucrative position in this light.

What Problems Do You Solve?

What problems do you solve when considering your unique selling point? This can be a great thing to think of. It could be that your USP is simply a means by which to better your own outreach, or a means in which to bring more people to your firm, but if the customers or clients aren’t feeling any of this benefit, it could be that your approach isn’t as effective as it could be.

Remember – sometimes problems aren’t necessarily there to target those who use your services. Think of how some firms will dedicate and rededicate themselves to ensuring their environmental impact is lessened, as much as can be. This can be a tremendous means of overcoming the harmful practices of the industry, and it can also serve as a reliable marketing tactic. For instance, some mattress sellers might find that donating one out of every ten mattresses they sell to a homeless charity can not only help them get their brand name out there, but you immediately become associated with making a very helpful and positive impact to your local community. Provided you go about this in the right way, and for the right reasons, you are more likely to gain a strong benefit from this kind of approach.

Don’t be afraid to try it.

What Does Your Audience Require?

Audiences differ from business to business, and it’s important to know just how yours might too. For instance, it could be that you’re a fitness brand for those who are concerned with life-long health improvements, rather than just seeming like a ‘beast’ in the gym.

So, what helpful marketing techniques or product adjustments could you make? Perhaps all of your packagings is recyclable. Maybe you can lead a health charge that encourages people to stretch more afer their workouts, helping them reduce the chances of industry. It might be that with every protein shaker you sell, you also give away a small resistance band to encourage people to stretch after lifting weights.

That’s an example of a specific audience aid, and it can also mean a unique USP you can add to your portfolio of testimonials and marketing outreach. Not a bad place to start.

With this advice, we hope you can think about your unique selling points in the best manner possible – and potentially thrive as a result.