You can easily use all of the tools in this blog to help promote your business and still get little results. The reason is simple. Consumers are completely overwhelmed with marketing messages. You need to create something that separates you.
You need to answer the question, “Why Choose Your Business Product or Service?” A good answer to this is a USP (unique selling proposition).
I can’t tell you what the answer is, but I can tell you what it is NOT. You’re not going to like this, so I apologize ahead of the time…
USP’s that won’t work (probably)
“We offer the best customer service”
The problem with this is two fold. One the phrase “customer service” has been overused to the extreme. Secondly, it’s expected that you offer good customer service.
“We deliver”
Unless this is truly unique in your industry, it’s just extra marketing fluff.
“Our Slogan Rhymes and/or is Cute”
I once met a plumber who said the following slogan, “Your sh*t is our bread and butter.” Ok, that’s not cute, it is memorable, but that’s not enough. You don’t want to just be memorable, because that’s not going to effectively draw people in.
Here are some good USP’s
“Basic Websites Under $500”
Of course, I had to use mine first. This simple sentence communicates the biggest thing that is different with Justin’s Web Design (cost). Do I provide great customer service? My clients say I do. That’s not what makes me different though. You can get great customer service from someone charging you 10k for a website.
“Hot and fresh to your door in 30 minutes or it’s free”
This slogan helped Domino’s carve out a big piece of the already crowded pizza market. They made an offer no one else was willing to make, and it paid off for them.
“When it absolutely, positively, has to be there overnight”
FedEx did a great job of positioning themselves with this simple slogan.
If you’re having trouble figuring out what separates you from your competition, you can ask your customers. Ask them why they chose you and what they think makes you different. Often we’re too close to our business to see it as customers do.